“Storm’s End” (the second movement of the choral song cycle As Time Stops To Rest) opens with violent and flurried storm-like arpeggios in the piano, in stark contrast to the peaceful character of “Two Friends”. The tenors and basses open with a rigid imitative texture asserting how “the storm raged across the bliss field”. The piano then mimics raindrops falling more and more violently before finally giving way to a calmer texture. After the “storm” has ended, the full choir enters in a mostly homophonic, hymn-like texture describing an overwhelming peace that sometimes follows after an intense tragedy or loss. The piece climaxes on the words “day” and “fire”, alluding to the feeling of being in love with one’s life despite (and perhaps because of) the pain and suffering one has endured.

As Time Stops To Rest is a three-movement song cycle for SSAATTBB Choir and Piano, with featured soprano and tenor soloists. The cycle is dedicated to the composer’s late aunt Susan Jordan. The works sets three poems from a larger set of poetry entitled As Time Stops To Rest, also written by Susan Jordan. The song cycle has an overall arch form of peace followed by tragedy and loss, ultimately giving way to a final sense of peace.

Storm’s End may be performed as part of the song cycle or as a stand-alone piece.

Also see the first movement Two Friends and the third movement Magic.

Continue reading Storm’s End →

Lorem Ipsum is an a cappella piece for SATB, with occasional divisi. The text of Lorem Ipsum originates from the non-sense Latin used as filler text in media design, such as newspaper and newsletter templates. The non-sense Latin is a useful way for designers to see how the layout will look with text, without the distraction of real words.

 

“Lorem Ipsum” sets this Latin text in a chant-like fashion, reminiscent of Gregorian chants containing actual Latin text. The voices weave in and out of each other, creating rich and surprising harmonies. This piece plays with the juxtaposition of ancient-sounding Latin combined with modern, tight choral harmonies.

Continue reading Lorem Ipsum →

A Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky is the closing poem of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The first letter of every line of text spells out the name Alice Pleasance Liddell, whom Carroll was (scandalously) very close to and was said to have inspired his book. The musical setting of the poem captures the wonder of childhood but also the dark nostalgia that accompanies the passage of time.

Continue reading A Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky →