2016 Christmas Concert at Knox United Church, Saskatoon, SK. Directed by Richard Janzen 0:00 - O Come, O Come Emmanuel (arr. Richard Janzen) 3:00 - The Glory Of The Father (Egil Hovland)

64th Annual Choir Festival Dr. Joseph M. Martin, Conductor Dr. Gordon Turk, organ Great Auditorium Brass Ensemble July 8, 2018 Filmed and Edited by Quinton Tramm

Very new group full of hard working singers

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

On Christmas Eve morning 2017, I was approached by a member of our congregation who said he had been inspired by the Holy Ghost to write some words and that he would like me to set them to music. To begin with I wasn't sure, since they seemed somewhat re...  moreOn Christmas Eve morning 2017, I was approached by a member of our congregation who said he had been inspired by the Holy Ghost to write some words and that he would like me to set them to music. To begin with I wasn't sure, since they seemed somewhat repetitive, but as the day progressed to the early afternoon I found that I was also inspired (I even missed lunch!). The piece varies in mode from D Dorian to A Aeolian. The performance is by me (multi-tracking).  

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Last week I wrote about men and women singing the same not together and how that might feel strange: Singing the same note – differently!.   ...

The Celestial City Choir wishes to invite all friends and love ones all over the world to join us to honor one of the great men in the Seventh-day Adventist Church Hymnal compoers. It will happen LIVE  this June. Please stay glue for more update

Takerei Komene’s 'He Tamaiti ō te Ao Tukupū' is a celebration of birth, rejoicing in its chaos and the process of creation. This new commission revolves around the creation of a person with endless potential. The text centres on a well-know whakatauki or ...  moreTakerei Komene’s 'He Tamaiti ō te Ao Tukupū' is a celebration of birth, rejoicing in its chaos and the process of creation. This new commission revolves around the creation of a person with endless potential. The text centres on a well-know whakatauki or proverb: Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei [Seek that which you treasure most – if you must bow your head, let it be to the loftiest of mountains] A mihi pepeha, hailing the fabrics of space and the throes of the heart, is joined by the organ – a giant celestial factory, chaotic and cacophonous, with great starry arms placing pieces into unique moulds forming the fragments of the final section of the work – a mighty invocation of the whakatauki.  less

This is a setting of a poem by The Reverend Doctor Malcolm Guite, Chaplain of Girton College Cambridge,with his permission. The poem is a response to the 8th "O Antiphon" for Advent