Ignite Gospel Choir was founded by Keara Sheeran… In Oct of 2008 I returned to The Jes church, The place I had grown up with my faTher running The folk mass choir. He had retired 12 years previously. What was once a packed out mass full of joy and pray...  moreIgnite Gospel Choir was founded by Keara Sheeran… In Oct of 2008 I returned to The Jes church, The place I had grown up with my faTher running The folk mass choir. He had retired 12 years previously. What was once a packed out mass full of joy and prayer, families and young couples, singles and religious, was now a quieter mass with no choir and I saddened by this. I offered my services as a singer and musician to come and provide music for The 5:30 mass and within a few short weeks I returned to The place I consider my spiritual home. I had not purposely set out to start a choir but people began to approach me with a desire to sing and it was a need within The community I was not going to Ignore. On The 12th Dec 2008 The Jes Gospel Choir was birThed with 5 singers and me & it was a wonderful experience and we received a very warm welcome. Within a year The choir grew to over 15 members and some musicians. The wonderful thing about this choir is that it is a choir that breaThes. People hav...    less

The Gesualdo Six are a vocal sextet specialising in The performance of renaissance polyphony, directed by Owain Park. The ensemble is made up of undergraduates and graduates of Cambridge University, and currently The choirs of King’s, St John’s and Trinit...  moreThe Gesualdo Six are a vocal sextet specialising in The performance of renaissance polyphony, directed by Owain Park. The ensemble is made up of undergraduates and graduates of Cambridge University, and currently The choirs of King’s, St John’s and Trinity colleges are represented. Recent concerts have included performances of Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria Quinta), Monteverdi madrigals and anThems by Byrd. The ensemble has also performed music by Ligeti, Rheinberger and arrangements by Philip Lawson. Future engagements include a lunchtime concert in The Cambridge St John’s Music Festival, as well as concerts at Jesus and Caius colleges.  less

Audio downloadable at https://davidwarinsolomons.bandcamp.com/track/music-all-powerful Part song (glee) by Thomas Forbes Walmisley (faTher of Thomas Attwood Walmisley) poem by Henry Kirke White

The Lover (before my gaze she stands) for 3 altos and guitar This is The setting of a poem by my faTher inspired by L'Amoureuse by Paul Eluard as a hypnotic canon trio of altos over a guitar ostinato (The guitar part is played in an electronic form he...  moreThe Lover (before my gaze she stands) for 3 altos and guitar This is The setting of a poem by my faTher inspired by L'Amoureuse by Paul Eluard as a hypnotic canon trio of altos over a guitar ostinato (The guitar part is played in an electronic form here), in Dorian mode. The music is The same as The piece "My love is far from here", but with The original words by my faTher  

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From The Front of The Choir]   Hark The herald angels sing. A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge. Slade’s Merry Christmas everybody. White Chr...

Raising voices, raising spirits Ignite Gospel Choir was founded by Keara Sheeran... In Oct of 2008 I returned to The Jes church, The place I had grown up with my faTher running The folk mass choir. He had retired 12 years previously. What was once a p...  moreRaising voices, raising spirits Ignite Gospel Choir was founded by Keara Sheeran... In Oct of 2008 I returned to The Jes church, The place I had grown up with my faTher running The folk mass choir. He had retired 12 years previously. What was once a packed out mass full of joy and prayer, families and young couples, singles and religious, was now a quieter mass with no choir and I saddened by this. I offered my services as a singer and musician to come and provide music for The 5:30 mass and within a few short weeks I returned to The place I consider my spiritual home. I had not purposely set out to start a choir but people began to approach me with a desire to sing and it was a need within The community I was not going to Ignore. On The 12th Dec 2008 The Jes Gospel Choir was birThed with 5 singers and me & it was a wonderful experience and we received a very warm welcome. Within a year The choir grew to over 15 members and some musicians. The wonderful thing about this choir is that it is a choir th...    less

Polyphony was formed by Stephen Layton in 1986 for a concert in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. Since Then The choir has performed and recorded regularly to great critical acclaim throughout The world. Recent reviews declare Polyphony ‘one of The best s...  morePolyphony was formed by Stephen Layton in 1986 for a concert in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. Since Then The choir has performed and recorded regularly to great critical acclaim throughout The world. Recent reviews declare Polyphony ‘one of The best small choirs now before The public’ (Telegraph) and ‘possibly The best small professional chorus in The world’ (Encore Magazine, USA). In a new poll by Gramophone Magazine They were named as one of The world’s leading choirs ‘Stephen Layton's choir have become renowned for both Their sound and versatility – wheTher in early music, or contemporary works such as those of Eric Whitacre, They embody The remarkable tradition of British choral excellence at its finest.’ For more than a decade Polyphony has given annual sell-out performances of Bach’s St John Passion and Handel’s Messiah at St John’s Smith Square. These have become notable events in London’s music calendar and have been broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and The EBU. According to The Evening Standard ‘no one ...    less

Praise to Thee, Lord Jesus, who in bitter pain, On The cross did suffer, and for our sake wast slain. Thou reign'st with God The faTher in Eternity, Lead us, erring sinners, unto heav'n and Thee. Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison. (Lord...  morePraise to Thee, Lord Jesus, who in bitter pain, On The cross did suffer, and for our sake wast slain. Thou reign'st with God The faTher in Eternity, Lead us, erring sinners, unto heav'n and Thee. Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison. (Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy). (Original words: Ehre sei dir, Christe der du littest Not) Sung at Canterbury CaThedral during our Royal School of Church Music Summer Course in 1986, under Martin How. I (David W Solomons) was one of The altos. John Huntley - a fellow alto - recorded this performance.  less

RosThern Junior College Chorale and Canadian Mennonite University Chamber Choir in performance in April, 2009. This is a fabulous arrangment by Tony Funk of Stuart Townend's beautiful piece.

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From The Front of The Choir]   “Hark The herald angels sing”. A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge. Slade’s “Merry Christma...