Thea Musgrave

Canta Canta! is a slow and expressive piece for Clarinet Cello and Piano by Thea Musgrave. This short song is taken from Cantata for a Summer's Day written in 1954 while the composer was a student in Paris. This is the score and parts.

This is the Full Score and Parts for The Voices Of Our Ancestors by Thea Musgrave. This work is scored for a chorus with soloists (Soprano Mezzo-Soprano Tenor and Baritone) Brass Quintet and Organ. A full performance of the work lasts around 30 minutes. The text for The Voices Of Our Ancestors is drawn from 12 poems that are united in their attempt to answer the question of human existence. Inspired by these poems Musgrave composed this work which was first performed on 9th July at St Bride's church Fleet Street as part of the City of London Festival. 

This short choral work was written to celebrate the twenty-fifth season (2012/2013) of The New York Virtuoso Singers.

For Chamber Orchestra (Flute Oboe Cor Anglais Basson Horn in F Trumpet in C Strings: [5.4.3.2.1])Composer's Programme Note:Points of View is a work about the different musical elements which arepersonified by soloists from the orchestra all unifying at the end in a passionateclimax.The first section ‘Mysterious’ features a solo horn and also establishes tonality [Bflat] texture and harmony. The harmonies are often chordal 6-note clusters andthey are an important binding articulating and textual element throughout thework.A solo trumpet joins the solo horn and as the chordal clusters disappearintothe stratosphere initiates the rhythm of a light-hearted scherzo ‘Lively’. Thetrumpet’s rhythmic figure is echoed and developed by the winds.The solo oboe and cor anglais now introduce a very lyrical melody in fallingthirds ‘Sensuous’. The chordal clusters as well as the trumpet’s rhythmic figureeventually reappear to accompany this melodic theme and then the violinspassionately respond by taking it over ‘Passionato’. All the elements thusunifying to culminate in the coda.These elements could also perhaps be described in non-musical terms as‘imagination’ [solo horn] ‘action’ [solo trumpet] ‘emotion’ [solo oboe and coranglais] which eventually combine in the climax [violins].

Commissioned by the sound festival for The Scottish Flute Trio. First performance: November 13 2008. Duff House Banff Scotland. In this work all three players in turn play each of the three instruments - piccolo flute and alto flute - thus giving a contrasted sound to match the character of the four linked movements: hence the title. Sleepy using all three alto flutes begins on the lowest note - G. The mood gradually changes as they introduce higher pitches and faster rhythms as they 'wake up'. In Lyrical a flute introduces the melody which is then shared by a second flute and later by the alto flute. With Mischievous the piccolos arrive on the scene. The first oneincites another piccolo and then the flute to join in. The tempo quickens and after a brief climax the mood quietens leading to Peaceful. In this last movement all three instruments are played. In turn they present a lyrical melody but in different keys so as to suit their individual tessituras.

Marko the Miser is designed the children to mime sing and play and can be done either as a concert performance or a stage piece. The words are by the composer and Frederic Samson and are based on a story taken from the Afanasievcollection of Russian Folk Tales. The characters are Marko a rich peasant the Beggar Marko’s Wife and Robbers. The instruments include glockenspiel chime bars recorders clarinet guitar piano and a large array ofpercussion instruments.

The Clarinet Concerto was written in 1968 in response to a commission from the Royal Philharmonic Society. It was first performed in February 1969 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Colin Davis with Gervase de Pyer assoloist at the Royal Festival Hall London.

Canta Canta! is a slow and expressive piece for Clarinet Cello and Piano by Thea Musgrave. This short song is taken from Cantata for a Summer's Day written in 1954 while the composer was a student in Paris. This is the score only.

Nurse's Songs was originally written as part of a volume entitled Innocence and Experience which takes its texts from Songs of Innocence and of Experience an illustrated collection of poems by William Blake first published in two volumes in 1789 and 1794. The book also includes music by Sally Beamish Charlotte Bray and Anna Meredith with each composer setting one song of innocence and one of experience. The full publication written for upper voices and piano is available on sale (NOV293799). First performed as part of the Aldeburgh Festival on 9 June 2013 at Orford Church Suffolk by the New London Children’s Choir directed by Ronald Corp.Duration: circa 5 minutes

This is the Vocal Score for The Voices Of Our Ancestors by Thea Musgrave. This work is scored for a chorus with soloists (Soprano Mezzo-Soprano Tenor and Baritone) as well as a semi-chorus drawn from the main chorus. A full performance of the work lasts around 30 minutes. The text for The Voices Of Our Ancestors is drawn from 12 poems that are united in their attempt to answer the question of human existence. Inspired by these poems Musgrave composed this work which was first performed on 9th July at St Bride's church Fleet Street as part of the City of London Festival.