You Are the Vine SATB

A jolly Christmas carol-This lively carol was commissioned in 2005 by Lichfield Cathedral Special Choir (now called the Cathedral Chorus) to celebrate the birth of Hannah Scriven and Holly Mason the daughters of the two cathedral organists at that time. The words were specially written by Tony Barnard the then Canon Chancellor at Lichfield and a member of the choir. This carol whilst not entirely foreign to my normal style touches more ‘country and western’/popular buttons than I am in the habit of touching. But I wanted to write a tuneful piece which swayed and danced and reflected the colourful imagery of Tony Barnard’s text. Recommended recording: Comeout Lazar – The shorter choral works of Paul Spicer (Regent REGCD280) by The Chapel Choir of Selwyn College Cambridge and Claire Innes-Hopkins (organ) directed by Sarah MacDonald. Text: This child of God who’s born on Christmas day whom shepherds view to whom kings homage pay is called to be a shepherd and a king. Sing alleluias praise this wondrous thing. This child of God is shepherd born to lead through pastures green by banks of golden reed; nor left nor right but ever on the way which leads to Calvary and endless day. This child of God this Son of David’s line is root of tree a shoot a fruitful vine it shelter gives to all who see the way which leads them to the cross and Easter day. This child of God this many spangled star is light’ning flash which dazzles near and far; bright light to guide our feet along the way that leads to Calvary and endless day. This child of God is called to save mankind to open eye and ear the heart and mind; to heal and make the lame man leap and play along the road that leads to Easter Day. This child of God let angel voices praise. Give God the glory live his loving ways. Let peace on earth o’er come our worldly strife through all who walk his road throughout their life. Tony Barnard

Three jazz hymns. These jazz arrangements of well-known hymns were written for Andrew Earis and choirs of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London for various services and BBC broadcasts from that church. The setting of Come down, O Love divine supplies some new harmonic moves to Vaughan Williams? lovely tune Down Ampney, gradually adding vocal harmony through the verses, with a short descant section in the final verse. The compound-time arrangement of God is Love, which can also be sung to the supplied words of Charles Wesley?s hymn Love Divine, again adds more of Todd?s iconic jazz harmonies and textures in the vocal parts with each successive verse. The setting of Let all mortal flesh keep silence is structured to gradually build layers over the moody piano chords and the pedal harmony. At the end the music builds to a large climax for ?Lord most high?. The hymns can be performed using the supplied piano part or using the chord symbols above. Double bass may also be used in addition to piano, again following the supplied chord symbols, and parts for optional jazz ensemble are available. Performers of these hymns should feel free to include the congregation or audience in imaginative ways.

Scored for SATB and Organ. Written for and dedicated to Alec Wyton at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine New York.

The Disturbing Duckling-D'Monstrantz Vöögeli (The Disturbing Duckling) by Per Nørgård. Work for bird voices (CD) and human voices (12 SATB soloists) with text (sung in German) by Adolf Wölfli (1864-1930). A CD of Bird Song is available separately - use product code KP00830. Text (sung in German): Adolf Wölfli (1864-1930).Programme note:'D´Monstrantz Vöögeli' is the main (and middle) movement of my three-movement choir suite 'The Alarming Duckling' the title of which is borrowed from a painting from 1959 by the Danish artist Asger Jorn apainting which - as this choral piece - is partly based on 'found objects': Asger Jorn painted on top of an idyllic old fashioned landscape painting with a house and trees - and he painted a very disturbing alarming duckling. It may be ugly the duckling but in any case it is most peculiar in its surroundings with spontaneous colorful wide painted feathers standing and looking dreamy beyond a birch in the golden light of the afternoon (a very big duckling indeed!) In 'D´Monstrantz Vöögeli' the dark nightly visions are unfolding with texts by the Swiss schizophrenic artist Adolf Wölfli (1864-1930). His transcending poems prose paintings and ideas inspired me for many compositions in the 1980s i.e. Symphony nr. 4 ('Indischer Roosen-Gaarten und Chinesischer Hexensee' - Hommage a Wölfli') The opera The Divine Circus and a series of choral works. The piece is written for 12 vocal soloists - singing whistling screaming and whispering. In 'D´Monstrantz Vöögeli' - for a choir of humans and birds - many 'found objects' are used: The tape/cd only contributes with unmanufactured birdsong - even though using full half and fourth speed so it is easier to understand and learn from the brilliant birds (especially the fantastic American Musician Wren

From the King's Singers' exquisite album The Quiet Heart - Choral Essays Volume 1 drawn from the sacred repertoire of the Salvation Army these 13 selections are a reflective musical journey into the spirit. Includes: All for Thee; By His Hand; Christ's Part; Even Me; Grant Us Thy Peace; His Provision; Home to Thee (from Reflections); In the Secret of Thy Presence; Intercede O Lord; The Quiet Heart; Spirit Divine; To the Hills; When We Cannot See Our Way.

Arvo Pärt's I Am the True Vine composed for mixed choir SATB a cappella. This composition for a cappella-choir was written by Arvo Pärt for the 900th anniversary of the foundation of Norwich Cathedral in 1996.