Mass setting by David Warin Solomons for choir and orchestra performed in January 2016 (with special timpani roll in memory of the November 2015 victims in Beirut and Paris)

Robinson Select Women's Ensemble Mike Horanski, Conductor 2012 World Choir Games ---- English Poetic Translation: Children of all countries, Youth from everywhere, Sing, jump, Dance! On foot or by bike, Our bags on our backs, Plakatap --...  moreRobinson Select Women's Ensemble Mike Horanski, Conductor 2012 World Choir Games ---- English Poetic Translation: Children of all countries, Youth from everywhere, Sing, jump, Dance! On foot or by bike, Our bags on our backs, Plakatap -- Plakatap, Plakatap -- Plakatap! Let's party, let's sing! Let's celebrate Humanity with one heart, And let us all sing our Fraternity in chorus! Regardless of what's happening, In spite of the distance, We are one family Of young men and women. Let us dwell in the Unity Of one Humanity. Sing, jump, Dance! Plakatap -- Plakatap! United in the same love, Let us go day by day, Singing, jumping up and down, dancing The Fraternal Dance Of the children of the World. Plakatap -- Plakatap, Plakatap -- Plakatap!  less

Choir and orchestra of BachWerk Conducted by David Miller Sunday 8 December 2013 German Protestant Church of Brussels

With special permission from Tesco Press Office. Special thanks to Tesco Maldon Store Management team and and all who helped make the event possible. Raising money for Cancer Research UK. The BIG Sing is based in Essex, London and Kent and has choir...  moreWith special permission from Tesco Press Office. Special thanks to Tesco Maldon Store Management team and and all who helped make the event possible. Raising money for Cancer Research UK. The BIG Sing is based in Essex, London and Kent and has choirs for people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures including community choirs, kids choirs, advanced choirs, baby singing groups and office choirs! For more info go to www.big-sing.com The BIG Sing - uniting our community with MUSIC!  

Psalm 70 (Revised Standard Version, with doxology) Musical setting for mixed choir (SAATB) by David W Solomons All parts performed by Matthew Curtis - www.choraltracks.com

"Da pacem Domine" is dedicated to two of my dear relatives named James. I felt the inspiration to start this piece in the weeks leading up to the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, in which my dear grandfather Jimmy Rain (1895-1974) had serv...  more"Da pacem Domine" is dedicated to two of my dear relatives named James. I felt the inspiration to start this piece in the weeks leading up to the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, in which my dear grandfather Jimmy Rain (1895-1974) had served in the Canadian forces, in one of the most dangerous roles, as a runner in northwestern France. This song honours his memory and the love that he showed me as a boy and a young man growing up. Shortly after starting this piece, I then learned that my dear cousin Jamie Shaw (1959-2019) was gravely ill and with his permission, I have dedicated this piece to him as well. Jamie's courage, good spirit and humour throughout his illness was an inspiration to all of us who knew him. "Da pacem Domine" is a musical search for peace: both external peace, between individuals, groups, societies, nations; and internal peace, to find a restful spot within the soul, amidst the serious tensions and conflicts seemingly inherent in the human stream of existence. It explor...    less

Poem by 17th Century Unitarian minister and poet John Mason, music composed and performed by David W Solomons [aka the dwsChorale]. This particular setting was composed with a small mixed-ability choir in mind, so the voices are mainly in two parts ...  morePoem by 17th Century Unitarian minister and poet John Mason, music composed and performed by David W Solomons [aka the dwsChorale]. This particular setting was composed with a small mixed-ability choir in mind, so the voices are mainly in two parts (men's and women's voices), splitting to four parts (SATB) occasionally, where the words suggest it. The musical style is reminiscent of the 19th century although the piano part does go into 20th century style syncopation at times.  

"Let's sing, it's Spring!" is dedicated to my uncle and aunt, James and Daphne Shaw, and their amazing clan, the "Bowen Island Shaws." I have given this song the sub-title: "A Crazy Choral Etude for Rolled Rs and Perfect 5ths." It is meant, no pun inte...  more"Let's sing, it's Spring!" is dedicated to my uncle and aunt, James and Daphne Shaw, and their amazing clan, the "Bowen Island Shaws." I have given this song the sub-title: "A Crazy Choral Etude for Rolled Rs and Perfect 5ths." It is meant, no pun intended, to be a musical lark, great fun for a choir to sing, rolling Rs like crazy, with no holding back. NB: One day I woke up to the realization that I had independently written four choral works, each of which had evoked a different season, and so it seemed natural to group them together into a choral suite that I have called "The Ottawa Four Seasons Suite." "Let's sing, it's Spring!", with its rousing coda section, works perfectly as the closing number of this suite. Also of note, in early 2018, I applied to be a participant at one of the Vancouver Chamber Choir's Interplay workshops funded by the SOCAN Foundation and to my delight I was accepted. "Let's sing, it's Spring!" was one of the pieces that this amazing choir sight read for me on the sp...    less

This brand new version of Good King Wenceslas is dedicated to my uncle Duncan Shaw of Vancouver. His "retirement project" - developing his own theory of gravity - has been a huge inspiration in my own compositional journey late in life. Some background...  moreThis brand new version of Good King Wenceslas is dedicated to my uncle Duncan Shaw of Vancouver. His "retirement project" - developing his own theory of gravity - has been a huge inspiration in my own compositional journey late in life. Some background: I have sung the traditional version of Good King Wenceslas since I was a kid. I fell in love with the lyrics and the story, but have always been puzzled by the way it was arranged, in particular the way that the "las" of Wenceslas lands on the downbeat. When I was young, I thought the lyrics were actually "Good King Wences last looked out!" All to say that I got inspired to create a totally different version. I used the 19th century poem by John Mason Neale, but I wanted to create a different "feel" to the story, to take it back in time to its origins in the Middle Ages - hence the medieval feel to much of the piece. I also felt that since the Wenceslas story is all about a journey, a setting in 3/4 time would create a better sense of that feeling, ra...    less

This is a jazzed-up version by David W Solomons (www.dwsolo.com) of the old 16th Century French tune which was used in G R Woodward's carol "Ding Dong Merrily on High"; it is great fun to sing. It is quite different from the more well-known arrangeme...  moreThis is a jazzed-up version by David W Solomons (www.dwsolo.com) of the old 16th Century French tune which was used in G R Woodward's carol "Ding Dong Merrily on High"; it is great fun to sing. It is quite different from the more well-known arrangement and would make a nice change in a carol concert. The vocal parts here are all performed by Matthew Curtis