Choral - TTBB Archives - Patrick Hawes

Italian Song

Andy Berry — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:33:49 +0000

COMPOSER’S NOTE

The text by Guarini was originally set by Monteverdi in his Eighth Book of Madrigals (1638) and reflects my love of the Baroque. Like so many madrigals, this one deals with the pain of unrequited love; the suffering lover compares his plight with that of the nightingale whose love song seems irresistible. ‘Song is no use to me,’ he complains ‘and I have no wings like you with which to fly…if Nature denied you understanding, she gave you joy to make up for it.’

Italian Song appeared on my debut album Blue in Blue.

DURATION
3 minutes

CHORUS
TTBB

SOLOIST
Countertenor

INSTRUMENTATION
Piano OR Chamber Orchestra

YEAR OF COMPOSITION
2004

PUBLISHER
Novello

SHEET MUSIC

Vocal Score, Full Score
and Parts available on hire
Email: hire@wisemusic.com
Tel: +44 (0)1284 596 004

Dolcissimo uscignolo,
Tu chiami la tua cara compagnia,
Cantando: “vieni, vieni, anima mia.”
A me canto non vale;
E non ho come tu da volar ale.
O felice augelletto:
Come nel tuo diletto
Ti ricompensa ben l’alma natura;
Se ti negò saper, ti diè ventura.

Words: Giambattista Guarini (1538 – 1612)

Sweetest nightingale,
You summon your dear companion
Singing: “Come, come, my beloved!”
Song is no use to me,
And I have no wings like you with which to fly.
O happy little bird!
How well, where pleasure is concerned,
Has Mother Nature compensated you:
Denying you understanding, she gave you joy.

The post Italian Song appeared first on Patrick Hawes.

Joseph’s Carol

Andy Berry — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 07:37:49 +0000

COMPOSER’S NOTE

I wrote this work whilst I was still a teacher at Charterhouse for Mark Blatchly and the Charterhouse Special Choir and then, more recently, it was recorded by the superb Voce Chamber Choir of Connecticut.

Joseph’s Carol uses purely male voices and touches of plainsong in its evocation of the total submission to God of this extraordinarily selfless man.

DURATION
4 minutes

CHORUS
TTBB

INSTRUMENTATION
Organ

YEAR OF COMPOSITION
2006

PUBLISHER
Novello

SHEET MUSIC

View Score

Available from
JW Pepper
Music Room
Music Shop Europe

O child that lies soft-
sleeping in my arms,
I shall keep you safe
from all that harms.
I know that your life
did not spring from mine;
and I know that
all I am is thine.

My craft is hewing,
joining, making good;
and now my end is
shaped and made by God.
A simple carpenter
my chosen trade;
and now my life is fixed
by powers that all things made.

Your being fulfills
a promise borne of dreams;
both innocence and fear
shall make my destiny.
By starlit night
your midwife I have been.
Your blood on my hands
the offering seals.

O child that lies soft-
sleeping in my arms,
I shall keep you safe
from all that harms.
I know that your life
did not spring from mine;
and I know that
all I am is thine.

Libretto: Andrew Hawes (1954 – )

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Lullay My Liking

Andy Berry — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 09:06:10 +0000

COMPOSER’S NOTE

The original 15th century English text has been slightly shortened and adapted to provide the basis for this simple but atmospheric carol. The Virgin Mary sings the Infant Jesus to sleep, conveying the love and devotion of a new mother, and the choir echoes her words in the form of a tender lullaby.

DURATION
3 minutes

CHORUS
unaccompanied Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass

YEAR OF COMPOSITION
2021

PUBLISHER
Hawes Music

SHEET MUSIC

View Score

Available from
Hawes Music
JW Pepper
Music Room
Music Shop Europe

Lullay My Liking

I saw a maiden
sitten and sing:
She lulled a child,
A sweete Lording.

Lullay my liking,
my dear Son, my Sweeting;
Lullay my dear Heart,
mine own dear Darling.

Eternal Lord is He
That made alle thing;
Of Lordes He is Lord,
Of every King He’s King.

Lullay my liking . . .

Angels sang that night
And saiden to that Child
“Blest be Thou and she
That is so meek and mild.”

Lullay my liking . . .

Pray we now to that child,
As to His mother dear,
God grant His blessing now
To all maken good cheer.

Lullay my liking . . .

Words: adapted from Lullay My Liking, trad. 15th Century.

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Quanta Qualia

Andy Berry — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 08:13:05 +0000

COMPOSER’S NOTE

This original version for solo soprano and SATB choir first appeared on my debut album Blue in Blue in 2004. It was subsequently recorded by Hayley Westenra for her Number-One-selling album Odyssey and, in 2014, Patrick was approached by Voces8 to produce a version for them with saxophone which featured on their Number-One-selling album Eventide.

The words, by my brother Andrew, express a heartfelt longing for the joys of heaven – a happiness to be shared in a future moment of meeting. The ecstasy of this moment is certainly underlined by the soprano line, with the repetition of key words ‘mane‘, ‘gaudia‘ and ‘conventus‘ deepening the intensity of the yearning for bliss.

From 2006-2007 I was Classic FM’s composer in residence, and was commissioned to write twelve calming pieces for piano. For the resulting album – Towards The Light – I arranged a piano version of Quanta Qualia as a bonus track.

There are also arrangements for Pedal Harp and Lever Harp.

DURATION
5 minutes

VERSIONS AVAILABLE

SSAATTBarB & alto saxophone
TTBarBarBB & tenor saxophone
SATB, soprano, & Piano/Organ OR Orchestra
SSAA, soprano, & Piano/Organ OR Orchestra
Solo Piano
Solo Harp (pedal or lever harp)
Piano and String Quartet
Full Orchestra

YEAR OF COMPOSITION
2004

PUBLISHER
Novello

SHEET MUSIC

View Score

Available from
JW Pepper
Music Room
Music Shop Europe
Sheet Music Plus

QUANTA QUALIA

O anima mea
Mane!
O quanta qualia
Conventus gaudia
Erunt.

O my soul
Wait!
O how great and how wonderful
the joys of meeting
will be.

Words: Andrew Hawes (1954 – )

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The Song of Guthlac

Andy Berry — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 16:35:10 +0000

COMPOSER’S NOTE

Commissioned by Joe Conway and the Lincoln Orpheus Male Voice Choir.

The words by my brother Andrew tell the life of Saint Guthlac of Crowland, a 7-8th century Christian hermit in Lincolnshire.

DURATION
25 minutes

CHORUS
TTBB

INSTRUMENTATION
Piano OR
Percussion, Harp & Strings

YEAR OF COMPOSITION
1992

PUBLISHER
Hawes Music

SHEET MUSIC

View Score

Available from
Hawes Music

By the twisted black waters of
this desert-fen, a man of God came.
On Crow land his hermit hut made
where the grave-robbed barrow lay.
In this landscape of lostness he
journeyed to find the pearl of great price;
The Way, Truth, Life of all mankind.

A warrior by birth; “Guthlac” his name,
“The fruit of war” in the English tongue,
“Bella Munis” in Latin’s more elegant frame.
With the torrents of youth had Guthlac swam;
by sword and spear fame his right hand had gained.
‘Till one deep night, in still dreams of dark,
his hungry heart woke to the waste of his days.

In the merciful light of the sun’s morning rays
the enemies of Christ he promised to slay;
courage, mind, spirit and strength sacrificed
to the service of God to the close of his life.
At Repton the three-fold vows he made;
the armour of Jesus on his body he laid;
faith’s shield, hope’s helmet, the word’s double blade.

This warrior still hungered the fiercest fight;
The endless wrestle of the hermit’s life.
With prayers and blessings to the fen he came
the battle to join in the Devil’s domain.
On Bartholomew’s Day did the Holy Man land,
and in the saint’s company took his stand
to vanquish the demons who reigned the Crowland.

Words: Andrew Hawes (1954 – )

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