SKU: PR.312418620

ISBN 9781598063714. UPC: 680160597642. Octavo inches. English. Text: Francis Quarles. Francis Quarles. Text by Francis Quarles (1592-1644).

This gorgeous setting of a text by Francis Quarles was written especially for Scott Williamson and the Virginia Chorale. Though implicitly sacred, this work’s lullaby quality transcends the spiritual genre and would be suitable for concert use as well. Duration: 5’.

SKU: JK.01147

Luke: 2.

Traditional French lullaby arranged for seasoned a cappella mixed chorus (SSATB), creates a lovely vision of lowing animals in the stable and angels hovering over the cradle where the God of Light is laid.

Arranger: Julie Webb
Difficulty: Very Easy
Performance time: 1:20
Reference: Luke: 2.

SKU: JK.01170

Powerful arrangement for mixed chorus (SSATB) and piano, in A flat (3 flats), - inspiring all men and women to declare God's word:
Go forth in the service of God and follow the ways of the Lord. For He is the Light, the Life, and the Way. Who can stay the great pow'r of His word?
Composer: Betsy Lee Bailey
Arranger: Betsy Lee Bailey
Lyricist: Betsy Lee Bailey (text inspired by words of Gordon)
Difficulty: Medium.

SKU: HL.1437384

UPC: 196288204497.

“The Listening,” written by Grammy-nominated composer Cheryl B. Engelhardt in December 2017 for VOICES 21C under the artistic direction of André de Quadros, draws its inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s impactful 1967 speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.” This dynamic, emotion-filled piece expresses King's call to end societal silence. The rhythmic elements in the piece are derived from the poetic nature of King's speech. The inclusion of a children's choir, inspired by the Parkland school shooting and subsequent protests, symbolizes the disruption of childhood peace by violence. Notably, the virtual collaboration, featuring Donzaleigh Abernathy, Dr. King's goddaughter, emphasizes the song's contemporary relevance in addressing social issues, and was featured in PEOPLE. Premiered live at the Massachusetts Music Educators Conference in 2018 by VOICES 21C, and digitally released during Black History month in 2021, “The Listening” stands as a profound anthem for breaking silence and to foster positive change.

SKU: CA.926400

ISBN 9790007261870. French. Text: Victor Hugo.

In his poem Soiree en mer, Victor Hugo describes how the sea can be perceived very differently by two lovers at the same time in the same place. While the man perceives the deepening shadows on the dancing waves, the woman marvels at the stars shining ever brighter in the firmament. In nature, as in the words of the poem, the painful ambiguity that represents life at its core can be experienced. Like no other poet, Hugo captures this almost unbearable simultaneity of living and dying, of love and suffering. Saint-Saens translates this into music - probably the most ephemeral and contemporary of all art forms. His balanced musical form leaves plenty of room for the poetry and his subtle variations in timbre, which also inspired Denis Rouger to his choral arrangement, create a seething motion under the surface of the sea.

This art song was originally composed not for chamber choir, but for solo voice and piano. Denis Rouger has carefully adapted it to suit the requirements and expressive possibilities offered by a larger ensemble, without losing any of the qualities of the original in the process. Each part in the choir has a melodic line drawn from the harmonic and rhythmic framework. In the process, the variety and refinement of the choral language combines with an enormous flexibility in form and expression, as French melodies or German art song demand from a soloist and pianist. The songs have been recorded by the figure humaine chamber choir on the CD ...wo die Ztronen bluhn (Carus 83.514).

SKU: MN.50-1137

UPC: 688670511370. English.

A lilting choral accompaniment evokes pizzicato sounds surrounding the tenor melody in verse one.  The other verses are set more conventionally but still reflect the goals of our Christmas with The Singers series: that the audience will enjoy the famliarity of the carol but be enchanted by the creativity of the arrangement. Challenging, but masterful in how Matthew Culloton treats the ensemble as a self-sufficient choral idiom. Duration 2:30.

SKU: GI.G-9610

UPC: 785147961000. Latin. Text Source: Attr. Ambrose of Milan, 340–397. Text by Ambrose of Milan.

Composer's Notes When I met Kelsey Rose in Oxford in St. Stephen’s House chapel over the summer of 2017, we had both just attended a very moving candlelit concert by Westminster Williamson Voices, featuring my setting of “Tenebrae lumini.” I was delighted to be asked to write a piece for compline in Princeton University Chapel, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Anglican/Episcopal chaplaincy at Princeton University. “Aurora” is the result of that meeting. Composing by commission often throws up some interesting challenges. The piece had to fit both as an accompanying piece to the plainchant of compline, whilst simultaneously being a celebratory anthem. I was instantly drawn back to the poetry and hymns of St. Ambrose of Milan, particularly “Aurora iam spargit polum.” Fragments of chant (both real and imagined) are used to create the powerful imagery of the descending golden light of dawn. The piece reaches its climax with the plea for the despair of night to “vanish,” which it then does, leaving the sopranos alone on a high G.