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Slow Down has a relaxed swing feel, with imaginative lyrics by the composer that encourage us to take time out of our busy lives. The vocal lines explore a swung quaver style, along with scat syllables and jazzy harmonies, all underpinned by a supportive yet characterful piano part. Also available for cambiata voices and piano in the Emerging Voices series.
One of the most beautiful folk melodies, Colorado Trail is a favorite among folk singers and balladeers, because of its lyric expressive qualities. Life on the trail was hard and the cowboys and trail riders had only memories of loved ones left behind. They sang their laments of loneliness to the sky and the stars as they rode the trails. This is a tender adaptation of a classic tune.
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From Barbra Streisand's Quintuple Platinum A Christmas Album, this holiday favorite really sparkles in a new choral adaptation by Mark Hayes.
Now winter nights by British composer and baritone Roderick Williams uses an evocative poem by Thomas Campion as its text, helping him to pinpoint the excitement of Christmas he felt as a child, and still holds on to. Written for SSAATTBB unaccompanied choir, Now winter nights is suitable for choirs wanting a Christmas/Holiday treat but which requires a medium to higher level of skill. Commissioned by VOCES8 for their LIVE From London festival in 2020.
The text of Let’s Walk Together, by Daniel Simpson, neatly sums up the character of its composer Paul Smith and the vocal ensemble he founded, VOCES8. Connection, interaction and movement are all characteristics. Composed for SSAATTBB unaccompanied choir with baritone solo, this three-minute piece has sonorous hymn-like chords which introduce cascading faster voices in its middle. Although composed for VOCES8 to premiere in their LIVE From London Christmas festival, this piece is suitable for performance at any time of year.
Jocelyn Hagen is one of the best-loved choral composers working in the USA today. Her Mother’s Song uses a touching translation by Willis Barnstone of an anonymous Japanese text in which the health and well-being of a mother’s child is sought. Commissioned by VOCES8 for their LIVE From London festival in 2020 and scored for unaccompanied SSAATTBB choir, this three-minute piece contains wonderfully rich and sonorous harmonies. Suitable for performance at Christmas/Holidays or at any time for the year.
Solstice is by US choral composer Taylor Scott Davis and his regular collaborator, the US poet and writer Milton Brasher-Cunningham. Solstice is a three-minute piece for the dark of winter and the holiday season – a time when we naturally want to connect with those close to us. It was commissioned by VOCES8 for their LIVE From London festival in 2020 and is scored for unaccompanied SSAATTBB choir.
British composer Ken Burton was drawn to the poetry of 18th-century slave and writer Phyllis Wheatley for his piece Descend to Earth. The dual troubles of pandemic and racial oppression in 2020 resonate with Wheatley’s concise poem, the start of which recalls the Christmas/Holiday season. Written for SSAATTBB unaccompanied choir plus baritone solo, Descend to Earth will have a place in many programs with varied themes. It was commissioned by VOCES8 for their LIVE From London festival in 2020 and premiered by them with baritone Roderick Williams.
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Four hands on the keyboard give great rhythmic support to this dramatic piece. A superb festival offering for the large choir, it is guaranteed to brighten any program.
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A classic by Mel Torme and a signature song for Nat King Cole, this is simply one of the most famous and favorite Christmas songs of all time! The lush orchestration wraps every gorgeous voicing in a beautiful musical package to be opened at your next holiday or Christmas concert.
