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SATB with Piano

Duration: 2.5 min

Text: Katharine Tynan

Pavane Publishing

 

Commissioned by the Amabile Choirs of London, Canada. Dedicated to Ken Fleet for the thousands of lives he has, and continues to inspire. From Pavane: This is the perfect song of encouragement from the poem by Katharine Tynan – be yourself – sing your song. Matthew Emery’s setting maintains a vitality that not only encourages but celebrates it. An excellent festival song for high school and college choirs, and community choirs too. Easy to Medium.

 

Sing your song

There’s music in my heart all day,
I hear it late and early,
It comes from fields are far away,
The wind that shakes the barley.

Sing your song

Above the uplands drenched with dew
The sky hangs soft and pearly,
An emerald world is listening to
The wind that shakes the barley.

Sing your song

Above the bluest mountain crest
The lark is singing rarely,
It rocks the singer into rest,
The wind that shakes the barley.

Sing your song

Oh, still through summers and through springs
It calls me late and early.
Come home, come home, come home, it sings,
The wind that shakes the barley.

Sing your song

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Score

Themes: singing, community, nature, summer, barley, fields, lark, birds, sky, coming together, life, joy, happiness, music, heart, longing, uplifting, mixed choir, easy

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Unison and Piano

Duration: 2.5 min

Text: John Shaw Neilson

Boosey and Hawkes 2017

Commissioned by Amabile Choirs of London, Canada

Let Your Voice Be Heard sets Australian Poet John Shaw Neilson’s poem that evokes themes of respect and humility. The work is an uplifting anthem that encourages us to live life fully, with love and peace. The song combines a memorable melodic line and a steadfast piano accompaniment to deliver the message that everyone has a voice and the right to be heard and valued.

Let your song be delicate.
   The skies declare
No war — the eyes of lovers
   Wake everywhere.

Let your voice be delicate.
   How faint a thing
Is Love, little Love crying
   Under the Spring.

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Themes: singing, love, spring, life, peace, having a voice, respect, communicating, delicate, unison


					


	

					




		
			


	

		

		

				
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SATB or TTBB a cappella


Duration: 3 min


Text: James Joyce


Cypress Choral Music








Written for the Amabile Men’s Choir.  Please email me directly for either Mens or Mixed score until the published version is available.




Sleep now, O sleep now, O you unquiet heart! A voice crying ‘Sleep now’ Is heard in my heart. The voice of the winter Is heard at the door. O sleep, for the winter Is crying ‘Sleep no more!’ My kiss will give peace now And quiet to your heart – Sleep on in peace now, O you unquiet heart!




There is also a version for SATB choir and Strings (email me for the score)




satb




Purchase / listen and hear


JW Pepper


Themes: death, love, longing, sleep, men’s, ttbb, peace

					


	

					




		
			


	

		

		

				
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SATB or SSAA a cappella
Duration: 4 min
Text: E Pauline Johnson
Cypress Choral Music


 




Commissioned by Jennifer Moir, as part of the Woodstock Fanshawe Singers album on the poems of E.P. Johnson.


Canadian Chamber Choir recorded the SATB version and can be found on their newly released album.








WEST wind, blow from your prairie nest,


Blow from the mountains, blow from the west.


The sail is idle, the sailor too;


O wind of the west, we wait for you!


Blow, blow!


I have wooed you so,


But never a favor you bestow.


You rock your cradle the hills between,


But scorn to notice my white lateen.


Be strong, O paddle! be brave, canoe!


The reckless waves you must plunge into.


Reel, reel,


On your trembling keel,


But never a fear my craft will feel.


We’ve raced the rapids; we ’re far ahead:


The river slips through its silent bed.


Sway, sway,


As the bubbles spray


And fall in tinkling tunes away.


And up on the hills against the sky,


A fir tree rocking its lullaby


Swings, swings,


Its emerald wings,


Swelling the song that my paddle sings.




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SATB score


JW Pepper


 
					


	

					




		
			


	

		

		

				
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SAB and Piano

Text: James Ephraim McGirt

Duration: 3 mins

Cypress Choral Music








Commissioned by the Ontario Music Educators Association for the Soundscapes Conference, November 2014. Available with optional string accompaniment (Summer 2016) from the publisher.


Anyone who has experienced the wonder of a walk through the forest will love this song. The SAB setting is perfect for young choirs or choirs that are short on tenors. However, the men often carry the melody, making the composition suitable for choirs of all levels.




Born like the pines to sing


the harp and song in my breast.


Though far and near, there’s none to hear,


I’ll sing as the winds rejoice.


As the winds sweep by


I’ll laugh or cry


In the winds I cannot rest.




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Score


JW Pepper 


Themes: pines, tree, nature, singing, round, sab, community,

					


	

					




		
			


	

		

		

				
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SATB a cappella

Duration: 2 min

Text: James Joyce

Cypress Choral Music


Video: ihana youth choir (Lisa Ward) 2017: The Lover’s Chant VIDEO








Winner of the Diane Loomer Award for Choral Writing. Premiered by the National Youth Choir of Canada.


“They say cream rises to the top and Matthew won the ACCC Diane Loomer award with this choral gem – a beautiful setting of the James Joyce poem.




Dr. Julia Davids added this piece to her Canadian Chamber Choir Series.  Directors and singers will appreciate the intuitive voice leading, long phrases and meaningful text.” from Cypress Choral Music.


The Lover’s Chant is included on the Halifax Camerata Singers new album ‘ A Time for All Things’




When the shy star goes forth in heaven

All maidenly, disconsolate,

Hear you amid the drowsy even

One who is singing by your gate.

His song is softer than the dew

And he is come to visit you.


O bend no more in revery

When he at eventide is calling.

Nor muse: Who may this singer be

Whose song about my heart is falling?

Know you by this, the lover’s chant,

‘Tis I that am your visitant.




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Score


JW Pepper


Themes: love, chant, nature, star, space, longing, life, nature

					


	

					




		
			


	

		

		

				
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Three Part Voices, Piano and C Instrument (violin recommended)

Text: St. Patrick

Duration: 4 min

Publisher: Alliance Music Publications, Inc




 






Commissioned by the Amabile Choirs of London, Canada. May be performed SSA, TTB, SAB, or any combination of voicing.




I arise today, through the strength of Heaven;

light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendor of Fire,

speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,

stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.




 


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Score


Alliance Music


Themes: rising, strength, adversity, life, nature, space, togetherness, struggle, strife, resilience, uplifting, three part, piano, flute, violin, c instrument

					


	

					




		
			


	

		

		

				
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SAMPLE SCOREDownload




TTB a cappella
10 mins total
-Thoughts – Marjorie Pickthall
-Song – Marjorie Pickthall
-Stars – Marjorie Pickthall
Sulasol (Finland)


Purchase (sheetmusic plus)




Commissioned by the Canadian Men’s Chorus (Toronto). Email me for a score excerpt. Marjorie Pickthall was a British born- Canadian poet. She lived in Toronto and died in Vancouver.








Thoughts


I gave my thoughts a golden peach,


A silver citron tree;


They clustered dumbly out of reach


And would not sing for me.


I built my thoughts a roof of rush,


A little byre beside;


They left my music to the thrush


And flew at eveningtide.


I went my way and would not care


If they should come and go;


A thousand birds seemed up in air,


My thoughts were singing so.


 


Song




I shall not go with pain


Whether you hold me, whether you forget


My little loss and my immortal gain.


O flower unseen, O fountain sealed apart!


Give me one look, one look remembering yet,


Sweet heart.


I shall not go with grief,


Whether you call me, whether you deny


The crowning vintage and the golden sheaf.


O, April hopes that blossom but to close!


Give me one look, one look and so good-bye,


Red rose.


I shall not go with sighs,


But as full-crowned the warrior leaves the fight,


Dawn on his shield and death upon his eyes.


O, life so bitter-sweet and heaven so far!


Give me one look, one look and so good night,


My star.




 


Stars




Now in the West the slender moon lies low,


And now Orion glimmers through the trees,


Clearing the earth with even pace and slow,


And now the stately-moving Pleiades,


In that soft infinite darkness overhead


Hang jewel-wise upon a silver thread.


And all the lonelier stars that have their place,


Calm lamps within the distant southern sky,


And planet-dust upon the edge of space,


Look down upon the fretful world, and I


Look up to outer vastness unafraid


And see the stars which sang when earth was made.






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Themes: space, men’s choir, love, nature, life, healing, prayer, water, stars, journey, longing


 
					


	

					




		
			


		
			


	

		

		

				
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SATB a cappella

Text: Lizette Woodworth Reese

Duration: 2.5 min

Publisher: Santa Barbara Music Publishing






Commissioned by Joseph Ohrt, Bucks West Choir.




I am thy grass, O Lord!

I grow up sweet and tall

But for a day; beneath Thy sword

To lie at evenfall.

Yet have I not enough

In that brief day of mine?

The wind, the bees, the wholesome stuff

The sun pours out like wine.

Behold, this is my crown;

Love will not let me be;

Love holds me here; Love cuts me down;

And it is well with me.

Lord, Love, keep it but so;

Thy purpose is full plain;

I die that after I may grow

As tall, as sweet again.




 


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Score


Themes: nature, prayer, healing, life, sacred, anthem, church, liturgical