New Choral Music

Living in a Cathedral City as I do, it is possible to hear the most wonderful music. There is something special and spellbinding about the English choral traditional, but there is also an element of exclusivity. The music performed tends to be very old, very solemn and wonderfully scored for boys and men to sing. Cathedral organists largely choose the music and when it comes to new music cathedral organists tend to be better represented than freelancers like myself. I am not complaining, I can still have my dream of hearing my own anthems performed in such a wonderful and resonant building, but for now I will share a few here with you.

St Francis and the St Francis Peace Prayer by neilepi

My latest choral work is available in several versions. These include SATB version, SAA and solo. St Francis is my very favourite saint (for obvious reasons) and this prayer is my mother's favourite prayer, so I set it in her honour. I recorded the following version for my mother.

This piece of music nearly made it! It was to be performed by the college choir in the cathedral until a jealous student member of the "music commitee" argued against it. Nevertheless, it would take professional singers to truly bring it off. The words are "Joy to Thee O Queen of Heaven" and I hope the music is truly joyful!

My music is available to purchase as a download or as an actual printed score on the links below. You can listen to a computer generated MP3 by clicking on the MP3 box on the Sibelius link.

The Sanctus from my Missa Brevis, was again written as a student, but recently I rearranged it! I made a video to promote the music. You can listen to it in the youtube module and the music is available to buy as a download on Sibelius music or as a printed score.

Happiness is a secular anthem I wrote. You don't have to be a Believer to enjoy the poetry and music in this. I wrote the words for a song and read them at my parents' Golden Wedding. As a solo, it was difficult to set, so it became a choral anthem....

It has been suggested to me that I offer my music to great choirs. As I work full time and use my free time for composing and writing I do not have much time left over to canvas great musicians who have not heard of me. It would be good to have an independent income, or be successful enough to devote myself to composing.

However, if anyone reading this lens has access to the Director of a great choir and thinks they might enjoy singing my music please let them know I am prepared to supply a free pdf to the first professional choir to offer to record or televise one of my anthems. This is conditional on them supplying me with an MP3 of a performance and also that I retain full publishing rights.

If anyone is interested, I may be contacted via my home page on www.sibeliusmusic.com