Composer's notes:The Fool is a time-honoured Orthodox religious figure: a Saint the highest of all who discards everything for Christ's sake. He discards all convention all decency all wealth actual and spiritual and turns himself into a figure of fun - defying all acceptable behaviour - and all religious decency. He stands in the square and lets down his trousers - he stuffs himself with food on Good Friday - he gets drunk - he 'appears'to fornicate wildly. There is a faint possibility (in not the highest of 'Fools') of gaining worldly popularity by such flagrant denial of all moral behaviour. Can such behaviour be too interesting? The true fool however embraces all of this and also (unseen) shrinks before the face of his God. By his behaviour he plucks out all hypocrisy false piety and corruption. He is a figure much needed in our times!!! The way I have tried to tacklethis extraordinary subject is to show him in seven stages from an obscene huge fat traditional clown who is drunk fornicating etc. through a stumbling frail agonized figure to a sallow-faced gaunt business man in a formalsuit staring at an empty glass. Having first revered him then mocked him the 'people' while they get drunk and jabber away at 'Christmas' and at the Feast of Feasts 'Easter' are no longer aware of him. But the audience seeshim - a tiny ragged scrap of mortality lying in a corner and faintly so faintly the voice of the Fool the true Fool for Christ's sake sings above the ribald crowd. 'He has given His life'. The Gogmagogs are the 'people' 'priests' 'singers' etc. and one male singer who can 'create' or 'uncreate' this vast role (singing and acting miming etc.) John Tavener Arranged for SSATBB chorus. Date of composition 2000. Chorus part only.

Written for the King's Singers, A Hymn To The Virgin won the 'A Carol for Christmas' competition run by the vocal sextet and Classic FM.Re-edited for SSATBB, the two languages of the text are set in contrasting styles of solo lines and chordal harmony, coming together at the end of each verse.A meditative work that would make an excellent concert ending. / Choeur SSATBB

from Sid Meier's Civilization IV. Translated from the words of the Lord's Prayer. this Grammy-winning 2005 composition from the fourth entry in the award-winning video game franchise Civilization is a watershed moment in video game composition. Becoming the first piece of video game music to ever be even nominated for a Grammy, this epic piece is presented for the first time at Hal Leonard. The Closer Look pane on this product page contains pronunciation guides and an introduction to the language of Swahili by linguist and Kiswahili expert Peter M. Mhunzi.

Arrangeur : Kirchner, Shawn / No. 3 from Heavenly Home: Three American Songs / mixed choir (SSATBB) a cappella