The Song of Ruth, a setting of the most famous passage from the Book of Ruth (Ruth 1:16–17), opens with a gentle polyphonic section for the chorus. (“Do not ask me to leave you, or to stop following you; for where ever you go, I will go, and where you sta...  moreThe Song of Ruth, a setting of the most famous passage from the Book of Ruth (Ruth 1:16–17), opens with a gentle polyphonic section for the chorus. (“Do not ask me to leave you, or to stop following you; for where ever you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”) The soprano joins the choir for the twice-repeated middle section of the piece. The music here is contrastingly homophonic and intense. (“Where you die, I will die and be buried.”) The tune and harmonies are borrowed from a passage in my piece Selections from “The Song of Songs” for male voice and band. That piece is dedicated to my wife, Ruth, hence the connection. If that were not enough, our daughter is named Naomi! The Song of Ruth closes with a recapitulation of the music from the opening, but with new words assigned to it, and with the soprano soloist providing a descant for it. (“May the Lord cause ill fate to befall me, and more, if anything but death separates me and you.”) Appropriat...    less

Gospel style setting for 2 or 4 voices, 2 flutes, double bass, guitar and tambourine of my evangelical poem about Christmas. This is not typical of my usual style, but it's an interesting excursion into the evangelical music of mid-70s Oxford, where I ...  moreGospel style setting for 2 or 4 voices, 2 flutes, double bass, guitar and tambourine of my evangelical poem about Christmas. This is not typical of my usual style, but it's an interesting excursion into the evangelical music of mid-70s Oxford, where I was studying.  

"Let's sing, it's Spring!" is dedicated to my uncle and aunt, James and Daphne Shaw, and their amazing clan, the "Bowen Island Shaws." I have given this song the sub-title: "A Crazy Choral Etude for Rolled Rs and Perfect 5ths." It is meant, no pun inte...  more"Let's sing, it's Spring!" is dedicated to my uncle and aunt, James and Daphne Shaw, and their amazing clan, the "Bowen Island Shaws." I have given this song the sub-title: "A Crazy Choral Etude for Rolled Rs and Perfect 5ths." It is meant, no pun intended, to be a musical lark, great fun for a choir to sing, rolling Rs like crazy, with no holding back. NB: One day I woke up to the realization that I had independently written four choral works, each of which had evoked a different season, and so it seemed natural to group them together into a choral suite that I have called "The Ottawa Four Seasons Suite." "Let's sing, it's Spring!", with its rousing coda section, works perfectly as the closing number of this suite. Also of note, in early 2018, I applied to be a participant at one of the Vancouver Chamber Choir's Interplay workshops funded by the SOCAN Foundation and to my delight I was accepted. "Let's sing, it's Spring!" was one of the pieces that this amazing choir sight read for me on the sp...    less

This is a jazzed-up version by David W Solomons (www.dwsolo.com) of the old 16th Century French tune which was used in G R Woodward's carol "Ding Dong Merrily on High"; it is great fun to sing. It is quite different from the more well-known arrangeme...  moreThis is a jazzed-up version by David W Solomons (www.dwsolo.com) of the old 16th Century French tune which was used in G R Woodward's carol "Ding Dong Merrily on High"; it is great fun to sing. It is quite different from the more well-known arrangement and would make a nice change in a carol concert. The vocal parts here are all performed by Matthew Curtis (www.choraltracks.com) This is the mixed choir version (SAATBB) A version for men's voices is also available at http://www.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-85908_ding_dong_merrily_on_high_for_mixed_choir_or_for_men_s_voices.html#85908  less

Challenging but fun three part arrangement of my old song Wine and Water (The original song can be found on youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UYX_4Ape74 ) Satirical poem by G K Chesterton

composed by Alwin Michael Schronen for TTTTBBBB a cappella words by Charles Anthony Silvestri Copyright by SCHOTT MUSIC www.schott-musik.de/shop/1/show,315066.html

PRAIRIE SPRING by Greg Bartholomew A setting for SAB choir of the poem by Willa Cather. With optional piano accompaniment. Recording by Matthew Curtis (Choral Tracks). Willa Cather (1873-1947) was an American writer best known for her novels of fron...  morePRAIRIE SPRING by Greg Bartholomew A setting for SAB choir of the poem by Willa Cather. With optional piano accompaniment. Recording by Matthew Curtis (Choral Tracks). Willa Cather (1873-1947) was an American writer best known for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains. Prairie Spring was first published in 1913 as the prologue to the novel O Pioneers! Sheet music is available from J. W. Pepper: https://www.jwpepper.com/11208222.item PRAIRIE SPRING Evening and the flat land, Rich and sombre and always silent; The miles of fresh-plowed soil, Heavy and black, full of strength and harshness; The growing wheat, the growing weeds, The toiling horses, the tired men; The long empty roads, Sullen fires of sunset, fading, The eternal, unresponsive sky. Against all this, Youth, Flaming like the wild roses, Singing like the larks over the plowed fields, Flashing like a star out of the twilight; Youth with its insupportable sweetness, Its fierce necessity, Its shar...    less

Ave Regina coelorum by Manolo Da Rold SATB (divisi)

(1. The Lute, 2. The Thunderbolt, 3. The Sun) Music by Stanley M. Hoffman (1999) Words by Judah al Harizi, 13th century English Translation by Stanley M. Hoffman Music and Translation: © Copyright 2000 by Ione Press, Inc., a division of ECS Publish...  more(1. The Lute, 2. The Thunderbolt, 3. The Sun) Music by Stanley M. Hoffman (1999) Words by Judah al Harizi, 13th century English Translation by Stanley M. Hoffman Music and Translation: © Copyright 2000 by Ione Press, Inc., a division of ECS Publishing. www.ecspublishing.com All rights reserved. Used by permission. ECS Publishing Catalog No. 6435  

Setting by David W Solomons for three part choir and piano of a poem by Audrey Vaughan Versions are available for men's voices (AAT) and women's voices (SMezA)