Morton Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium Context Morton Lauridsen is known today as one of the leading choral composers, due to his extensive collection of works, recordings and awards he’s picked up along the way. By far the most popular piece to come from Lauridsen’s pen is his setting of O Magnum Mysterium. Morton Read more…
Florence Price: Moon Bridge Context Born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1887, Florence Beatrice Smith Price received early musical training from her mother. Price went to study at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, graduating in 1906 with a Soloist’s Diploma in Organ Performance, and a Teacher’s Diploma in Read more…
Jessica Curry: All the Earth Context British composer Jessica Curry is a well-known voice on classical radio stations such as Classic FM. She is also known for her stand-out video game soundtracks, such as her music for the 2015 game Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, which won her a BAFTA. Read more…
Karl Jenkins: Adiemus Context Karl Jenkins composed his “new age” song Adiemus as part of the Adiemus project, which was officially released on Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary in 1995. Jenkins collaborated with vocalists Miriam Stockley and Mary Carewe for the original recording. The work also features a group of vocalists Read more…
Henry Purcell: O Solitude, My Sweetest Choice Context O Solitude, My Sweetest Choice is an English song composed by Henry Purcell around the year 1685. The work is set for either a soprano or countertenor voice, and by a bass ostinato and continuo. The text was taken from English poet Read more…
Libby Larsen: A Lover’s Journey Context Commissioned by The King’s Singers, Libby Larsen’s six-part male vocal suite A Lover’s Journey tells the story of love. A Lover’s Journey is set into four separate songs, with Larsen using text from William Shakespeare and James Joyce. The work was premiered on Valentine’s Read more…
Giacomo Puccini: Nessun Dorma Context Nessun Dorma is a tenor aria that features at the end of Giacomo’s Puccini’s 1926 opera Turandot. The aria is sung by the main male character, Calaf, who fall in love with Princess Turandot. Any man that wishes to marry the Princess must successfully answer Read more…
Henry Purcell: With that Sublime Celestial Lay Context As the seventh movement of thirteen in Henry Purcell’s Hail! Bright Cecilia (1692), With that Sublime Celestial Lay is a trio composed for alto, tenor and bass. The work is in honour of the feast day of Saint Cecilia – the Read more…
Carl Orff: In Trutina Context Composed between 1935-36, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana was described by the composer as a “scenic cantata.” Based on 24 poems from the medieval collection with the same name, Carmina Burana is a large-scale 25-movement work. Generally the cantata is considered to be heavily influenced by Read more…
Giuseppe Verdi: Libiamo ne’ lieti calici Context Composed between Il trovatore (1853) and Les vêpres siciliennes (1855), La Traviata was part of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘middle period’ of composition. Previous to La Traviata came 16 other operas including the ever-popular Nabucodonosor (1842) and Rigoletto (1851). Based at the start of the Read more…