My Choral Music
Although I have sung in various bands over the years, it is a long time since I actually sung in a choir. In fact, the last choir I belonged to was the college choir at Bishop Grosseteste College.
Although I love choral music the time factor has always prevented me joining a new choir, but in recent years when I started to make time for creative activities I began to compose choral music again. So far only the choir in my head has performed these, but my dearest hope is to hear them properly performed and recorded one day!
Living In A Cathedral City
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.
Regina Coeli
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!
Regina Coeli by Publio
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.
Regina Coeli Sheet Music
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Joy To Thee O Queen of Heaven by Lisa Marie Gabriel (Book) in Christianity
Joy To Thee O Queen of Heaven by Lisa Marie Gabriel (Book) in Christianity : A very exuberant anthem of the hymn to the Virgin which will sound wonderful performed by a highly competent large choir (whether amateur or professional)! The text is suitable mainly for Christmas or Easter festivities.
Regina coeli by valzartz-
Regina Coeli - Lisa Marie Gabriel
Sheet music download and MP3
Sanctus
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.
Sanctus Video
Sanctus Seeking Choir
The music is Sanctus, written by myself, the pictures were chosen to complement the words - from the missing choir, that is.... The score is available for download on www.sibeliusmusic.com and a printed version is available in my lulu store. Please contact me in the usual way if you wish to record this anthem.
Runtime: 2:16 | 88 views | 0 Comments
automatically generated by YouTube
Sanctus and Missa Brevis
Descriptions from the Sibelius site
These pieces all come from the Latin liturgy. They were written many years ago, but revisited and rearranged last year! In all cases, please listen to MP3 rather than Scorch.
Triumph of the Cross by ProVaticanus
- Sanctus SSATTB
- This, like my Kyrie, was built on melodies from a Missa Brevis I wrote as a student, although I have done a great deal of work to it and made it far more contrapuntal.
- Benedictus SSATTB
- My Benedictus,somewhat minimalist, first written and performed in 1977 and revised quite significantly in this version. I think there should be few tessitura problems with this, but what makes it difficult in performance is the dynamics. These are pretty vital to bring out the countermelodies and inner harmonies which are what will make it work or falter.
- Kyrie SSATTB
- The choir is SSATTB although the 2nd tenor is really more of a baritone part. I ask the basses at one point for a low E (I love that Russian Bass sound) but there is an alternative. As always, amateur choirs please let me know if you plan to record this, I will be thrilled if you let me have an MP3 - the MP3 here is a synth obviously. Professional choirs, I trust you will please contact me in the normal way!
- Agnus Dei SSATTB
- From my Missa Brevis, originally completed 23rd April 1977. This anthem is the least altered of the four. However, I have enriched the harmonies, corrected a few bloomers in the notation, altered the time to get a freer feel and respelled the accidentals at the end, but the concept is the same as in 1977....
A Secular Anthem
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....
Double Happiness by christigmc
Happiness
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Happiness - SSAT
This song has been trying to get out for a LONG time. I wrote the poem about 3/4 years ago - and much of the melody shortly after - I read the poem for my parents' Golden Wedding because it would not cooperate. If someone says it is easy to set your own poems to music - I can tell you it is definitely NOT, unless the words and music come as one!
Butterfly On Flowers ~ Irish Blessing by Bohemian_Spirit
An Offer To Great Choirs
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
Sibelius Software
What makes all of this possible for me is Sibelius music software. I have been using Sibelius since version 2. The only thing it can't do is sing the words expressively! It is that human factor I am looking for - a beautiful voice goes straight to the soul and I would just love to hear my music performed properly one day!
St Francis Prayer
St Francis and the St Francis Peace Prayer by neilepi
My latest choral work is available in several versions. This is the SATB version. 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 am hoping to record a solo version of this song over the holiday.
St Francis' Prayer
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St Francis Prayer SATB
This is the choral version of St Francis Prayer. Like all my compositions I spent a lot of time to get it right and would love to hear it performed by a choir. The range is reasonable easy, there is some unison singing and some harmony in this version. I hope you like it!
Great choral music
I thought it would be nice to include some music from great choirs, so here we are...
My Anthems In Print
Here you can see or purchase my anthems in printed format.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the music on this lens
If you did, please tell your friends about it. Perhaps that will make my dream of having a great choir sing my music come true! Thank you!
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Reply
- Laniann Laniann Sep 8, 2009 @ 7:15 am
- Your music is beautiful. Have you tried again to give your music to different great choir - to see if they would be interested? 5*
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Reply
- kimmanleyort kimmanleyort Sep 2, 2009 @ 7:54 pm
- I think this is a very interesting niche for you.
Please share with a choir near you!
by Photahsiamirabel
I am a musician, educator and writer. I used to be involved in politics, but I stopped knocking on doors and took up the creative pastime of on-line... (more)
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