This setting of the 98th Psalm (Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.) comes originally from my cantata “The Manchester Magnificat”, based on Audrey Vaughan’s poems about the religious and social history of the City. The oratorio was...  moreThis setting of the 98th Psalm (Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.) comes originally from my cantata “The Manchester Magnificat”, based on Audrey Vaughan’s poems about the religious and social history of the City. The oratorio was first performed in Manchester Cathedral in 1994. This psalm forms the climax of the whole cantata and provides an expression of optimism after the tragedies of the previous sections. In this “extracted” version, the tragic surroundings of the history remain in the background and the purebubbling joy of the psalm itself shines forth. Enjoy the complex rhythms and let your hair down! This performance by Daniel Shaw's Composer's Choir (based in Connecticut) is a brilliant rendition of the piece and will, I hope, encourage other church choirs and concert choirs to consider including it in their repertoire.  less

THALITAS vocal ensemble was first created in 1996 as an activity of the “APOLLON” Music Club by Giorgos Kaloutsis. Its first members were students of the Club's Music School and many of them participated in the Youth Choir of the City of Heraklion, under ...  moreTHALITAS vocal ensemble was first created in 1996 as an activity of the “APOLLON” Music Club by Giorgos Kaloutsis. Its first members were students of the Club's Music School and many of them participated in the Youth Choir of the City of Heraklion, under the direction of Mrs. Katerina Tzagkaraki. The name of the ensemble originates from Thalitas, an ancient cretan composer and legislator, after whom a street in Heraklion is named; in this street the first rehearsals of the ensemble took place. The ensemble's primary goal was to acquaint its members with the a cappella (“in the chapel”, without church organ accompaniment) vocal music of the renaissance period. THALITAS began by studying and performing works of renowned composers of that era (e.g. Josquin des Prez, G. P. da Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso) to assist the learning process of its members' musical studies. After a while, the ensemble's repertoire was enriched with choral works from other eras, from the antiquity to the present, as well as with adaptat...    less

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I was running a one-day workshop a while back and it seemed to me that the whole thing wasn’t gelling. People seemed uninspired, energy was low, and i...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of Songs from traditions across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of Songs from traditions across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of Songs from traditions across th...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] I get regular emails from people asking questions about Songs and copyright. I’m certainly no expert, but I have written a few articles that you migh...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]Just because a song is in a foreign language, you still need to respect its origins. Sami family by Morten Oddvik There is a huge amount of misinformation ...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of Songs from traditions across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of Songs from traditions across th...