Choral Signature
4 total works
O Praise God in His Holiness (Psalm 150) arranged by David Bednall for accompanied mixed voices.
This piece was commissioned by All Saints' Church, Northampton and its Director, Edward Whiting and received its premiere in the Jean Langlais Festival 2006. The organ for this first performance had no playing aids and no line of sight to the conductor and so the style is antiphonal. The feeling throughout should be one of great and highly rhythmic exuberance reflecting the spirit of this much loved psalm, with a more relaxed and gentle feel for the middle section.
This piece is from Faber's Choral Signature Series which introduces a wealth of new or recently written choral music to choirs in search of fresh repertoire. the series draws in a rich diversity of living composers and includes both lighter and more challenging contemporary works, offering a thrilling array of varied styles.
Hail, Gladdening Light was written at the request of Matthew Owens for the choir of Wells Cathedral and was first performed at Candlemas 2006. The composer has long been an admirer of the setting by Charles Wood and so wanted to create a work with a completely different atmosphere, particularly focusing on mystical light. The opening and closing sections make use of the Gregorian Chant for Candlemas - a troped setting of the Nunc dimittis. Where these chanted sections occur they should be unconducted and sung with the freedom and tempo of plainsong. The emphasis throughout the whole piece should be on luminosity.
This piece is from Faber's Choral Signature Series which introduces a wealth of new or recently written choral music to choirs in search of fresh repertoire. the series draws in a rich diversity of living composers and includes both lighter and more challenging contemporary works, offering a thrilling array of varied styles.
The Souls Of The Righteous was composed for a close friend of David Bednall's, Tom Williams who was, at that time, Director of the Bristol University Madrigal Ensemble. It was written immediately following the death of his grandfather, George Ryall, and received its first performance in St Matriana, Tintagel on the Madrigal Ensemble's tour of Cornwall in 2008.
The Latin version of this text is better known, but it has a direct beauty in its English form. The feeling throughout, and particularly in the outer sections, should be one of warm luminescence.
This piece is from the Choral Signature Series which introduces a wealth of new or recently written choral music to choirs in search of fresh repertoire. The series draws in a rich diversity of living composers and includes both lighter and more challenging contemporary works, offering a thrilling array of varied styles.
If Ye Love Me was written in 2003 and was first performed by Wells Cathedral Choir. The well known text is perhaps most familiar from Thomas Tallis's peerless setting. In this version by David Bednall there are definite nods to the past, in the use of counterpoint and false relations, whilst in no way being an attempt to imitate that older work. The tempo should be flexible and expressive throughout.
This piece is from the Choral Signature Series which introduces a wealth of new or recently written choral music to choirs in search of fresh repertoire. The series draws in a rich diversity of living composers and includes both lighter and more challenging contemporary works, offering a thrilling array of varied styles.