“Medium” difficulty means that having at least some readers in each section will be very helpful; these pieces should be approachable for any auditioned choir or church choir, and for some unauditioned choirs.
- Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life – SATB with no divisi. Hear it performed at the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music.
- Send Lazarus – SATB or ATBarB, no divisi, fairly easy but includes a few key changes
- Anna, Surprised – for SATB choir with some divisi. Easy to moderate difficulty. Ideal for Candlemas but would work well for Christmas or the few weeks after as well.
- Where Are My Unnumbered Days? – for SATB choir with some divisi (could be done with 2 people per part, would work better with 4 or more). Moderate difficulty, several rapid key changes. Part of #choirsagainstracism. The words are by Mohamed Assaf, a 12-year-old Syrian refugee who now lives in England. They are also published in England: Poems from a School (published by Picador, edited by Kate Clanchy, Mohamed’s teacher). Recording now available. This piece won the Wicker Park Singers call for scores (Chicago) and Murau International Music Festival prize (Austria) – both of these were worldwide, anonymous, no-fee competitions with prizes.
- I brought your name to the river – commissioned by the Edinburgh Singers with support from Creative Scotland. Download a sample score with piano reduction. Now available from MusicSpoke! Click here to view the score or place an order.
- Brian Bilston, the unofficial poet laureate of Twitter, has very kindly allowed me to set his poem “The Kindness of Strangers” to music. It’s written in memory of the bombings in London and Manchester (and set to music also with the tragedy at Grenfell in mind). It’s about 3 minutes long, for SATB (maximum divisi to SSAATBB, ideal if you’re a bit short on tenors). Now available from MusicSpoke.
Download a sample score
Hear an audio demo
Download a sample score with piano reduction - A New Year Carol – SATB with a few bars of soprano divisi. Would make a good closer or encore for a concert near Christmas, or (ideally!) for a concert around the start of the year. Download a sample score. Order from MusicSpoke.
- “Three Memories of Kurdistan” is a set of pieces from my #choirsagainstracism
project, all available in SSAATTBB versions. Visit the page for more. You can hear “In Springtime” from this set here. - New! Mary Morison – 4′, SSATB choir a cappella, fairly easy. Order from MusicSpoke.
- New! Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep – SATB (no divisi), 3′, ideal for a memorial event but would also make a lovely concert piece. Order from MusicSpoke. You can hear it below:
- New! Videntes Stellam – SSATBB, 3′, ideal for the few weeks after Christmas. Medium difficulty. See the score here (piano reduction provided). Single copies £1.50, PDF £25.
- New! Bright Star – SSATBB, 3′, secular. Medium difficulty. The words are a sonnet on love by John Keats (1795-1821). See the score. Single copies £1.50, PDF £25.
- Responses (for use in Anglican churches) for SATB choir (no divisi) – see the score. Single copies £1/$2, PDF £20/$30.
- Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (in Latin) for SATB, ATBarB, or TTBB choir.
See the Magnificat for SATB here (soprano and alto soloists required, fairly tricky) – £30 for a PDF or £2 per copy.
and the Nunc Dimittis for SATB or TTBB here (published by NoteNova) (some divisi for sopranos, moderate difficulty). - Balulalow – choir only version or with a piano reduction. For SATB choir with soprano and baritone soli, fairly easy, 6′. Text in Scots – a pronunciation guide is provided. Hear a recording. Order from MusicSpoke.
- We Three Kings (arrangement), for SATB choir, medium difficulty, 2’30”.
- As The Rain Hides The Stars – for SATB choir (some divisi, min. 2 singers per part). Medium difficulty. World premiere available! Single copies £1.50, PDF £25.
- O Mare! SATB or SSATBB, needs at least 4 people to a part but fairly easy. 5′. Latin. Secular, WP available. Copies £1.50, PDF £25.
- Regis Regum Rectissimi – SSAATTBB choir, moderate difficulty, 5′. Latin. Winner of the Temple Church Composition Prize and also performed by the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Order from MusicSpoke.
See also my pieces for smaller mixed choirs (3-part, SABar and ATB) – most of these are easy rather than medium, but “Duncan Gray” and “Good King Wenceslas” would present a good amount of challenge for a choir.