Dear choral Friends, Dear Sirs/Madams, We invite you to take part in the ninth edition of International Choir Festival MUNDUS CANTAT SOPOT, which will be held May 22-26 2013. From 22 till 26 of May please come and check your skills in one (or al...

"Da pacem Domine" is dedicated to two of my Dear relatives named James. I felt the inspiration to start this piece in the weeks leading up to the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, in which my Dear grandfather Jimmy Rain (1895-1974) had serv...  more"Da pacem Domine" is dedicated to two of my Dear relatives named James. I felt the inspiration to start this piece in the weeks leading up to the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, in which my Dear grandfather Jimmy Rain (1895-1974) had served in the Canadian forces, in one of the most dangerous roles, as a runner in northwestern France. This song honours his memory and the love that he showed me as a boy and a young man growing up. Shortly after starting this piece, I then learned that my Dear cousin Jamie Shaw (1959-2019) was gravely ill and with his permission, I have dedicated this piece to him as well. Jamie's courage, good spirit and humour throughout his illness was an inspiration to all of us who knew him. "Da pacem Domine" is a musical search for peace: both external peace, between individuals, groups, societies, nations; and internal peace, to find a restful spot within the soul, amidst the serious tensions and conflicts seemingly inherent in the human stream of existence. It explor...    less

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]You’ll know by now that I believe that everyone can sing. Apparently this irritates some people who really think that they can’t sing. Why is th...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   There are some workshop and choir leaders who work through Fear. They are not particularly nice people, but they do get good results.   phot...

There were people in this world who have given me more than I have given so far. One such example was Angelina Nicolaidou. A very special person who transformed into a great Friend. She took my music to Europe and introduced me to a group of wonderful p...

(the title comes from the young son of a Friend of mine – I knew what he meant!)   [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Like many teachers, I often catch colds during the autumn t...

With a clear start to my groggy day, i reminisce on the wedding the day before thinking how lovely it was to see my Friend happily married and content. People had been gracious with the kind words regarding my music for the ceremony and I was grateful for...

  The Courage to Sing: Breaking Free from Shame and Silence For decades, we’ve met incredible people who carry a deep Fear of singing – those who won’t even sing “Happy Birthday” aloud, who believe they’re tone...

Today is a very special day for me because one of the most emotional and significant works in my repertoire, "I Will Dream With You," is premiering. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to T.J. Harper and the Loyola Marymount University Concert Choi...