"A Soldier's Mother's Lullaby" Voce & Mark Singleton, Ēriks Ešenvalds Composer-In-Residence

12th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf, Germany, www.modfestivals.org; June 10-15, 2011; Live recording; This is a service of Choral Festival Network www.choralfestivalnetwork.org; Competition Round 2, June 12

English Translation: FOR YOU, Mother (French-English translation) From the depths of my memory, With the hollow of my memories, Between the joys of my childhood And all my future dreams, I feel you my beautiful angel I see you my love O m...  moreEnglish Translation: FOR YOU, Mother (French-English translation) From the depths of my memory, With the hollow of my memories, Between the joys of my childhood And all my future dreams, I feel you my beautiful angel I see you my love O my Mother of a kindest heart, My faithful friend of always. I love you, I love you, I love so immensely, Mother, Mother, sweet Mother. For your love and your kindness, I will sing your praises all of my life. (Ahh) My soul is delirious at the cries of your pain; My music throbs and groans its length. Lord, in your kindness, Comfort my Mother. Give her your love, your strength and your light. For she remains forever my great inspiration, And that my life for her is a blessing. (Ahh) --- --- French Text: POUR TOI, MÈRE Du fond de ma mémoire, Au creux de mes souvenirs, Entre mes joies d'enfant Et tous mes rêve d'avenir, Je te sens mon bel ange; Je te vois mon amour O ma mère au coeur tendre, Ma fidèle amie de to...    less

Alejandro Consolacion II, organ SMA Glee Club Rodolfo Delarmente, conductor

When I was a junior in college, my Mother was fighting breast cancer and my way of coping with it was to write a choral piece for her. I wrote “Pour Toi, Mère” (For You, Mother) which premiered at my senior composition recital. A few years later, Kevin F...  moreWhen I was a junior in college, my Mother was fighting breast cancer and my way of coping with it was to write a choral piece for her. I wrote “Pour Toi, Mère” (For You, Mother) which premiered at my senior composition recital. A few years later, Kevin Fenton programmed that piece for his choir at FSU. He shared with me his strong connection with the piece at a time when his sister-in-law, Peggy Fenton was also fighting breast cancer. Sadly, Peggy Fenton lost her fight with cancer in 2009. That same year Kevin contacted me and asked if I would write a piece in her memory for her husband and her two daughters. He shared with me a video of a presentation she did at the Mother’s Day banquet at her church, just a few days before her passing. The title of her presentation was “From Hats to Crown”. She shared stories about her life and the many relationship roles one plays: as a daughter, a sister, as a wife, a Mother and a teacher. As she talked about each role she wore a different hat. She ended with a crown, shar...    less

(the title comes from the young son of a friend of Mine – I knew what he meant!)   [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Like many teachers, I often catch colds during the autumn t...

Hi everybody - I just thought it was worth letting you know that Charles MacDougall (solo tenor, previous member of VOCES8) and I have recorded a very lighthearted single of a recent Christmas Carol of Mine - and we hope you enjoy it! You can listen to i...

This was originally published on the Embro Thistle Singers' blog.    Have you ever walked through a mall or downtown and "people watched"?  Oh my.  There are people walking around who, in my Mother's words, would be horrified if thei...

A Year As a Nomad:   April 4, 2023, marked the last day I spent in my birth country. I shared breakfast with my brother and Mother, showed my boarding pass, and within minutes, I was on a plane to London. What happened during all that time? ...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   A friend of Mine asked the other day: “How do you find songs? And how do you do vocal arrangements of them?”   Photo by Jorge Fr...