Watch! Take care! Your hearts prepare!

Written for SATB Choir, unaccompanied, this piece is a setting of and Advent text by John Dalles based upon Mark 13:33-37. It will be premiered during the season of Advent by the Basilica Choir under the direction of William Picher. Scores will be available for purchase after the premier.

A Year of God’s Favor

AYearofGodsFavorCoverOriginally written for the Diocesan Youth Choir formed to sing for the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, NY in 2005, This setting of Delores Dufner’s text “A Year of God’s Favor” is scored for SAB choir, piano and optional flute, oboe and violoncello. The audio below was generated by the Finale music notation program.

1. Listen now     


God, Your Golden Doorway Beckons

Written May 9-10, 2014 for the Bel Canto Choir of Gateway High School under the direction of Chris Barletta. The text is by John Dalles. Music is scored for three part women’s choir with piano accompaniment. It was one of two pieces written for use at the Baccalaureate service at the end of the school year. The piece celebrates the success of graduation while looking forward to all the possibilities and challenges of the future. It will be premiered (in unison) at the Graduation Mass for Holy Redeemer Catholic School.

Watchful Shepherd

WatchfulShepherdFor Good Shepherd Sunday this year, I had programmed an arrangement of J.S. Bach’s “Schafe können sicher weiden” from Cantata 208 with an English text. At each of the choir rehearsals I had however, I became more and more frustrated with the part writing and the irregularity of the text. Finally, in a fit of frustration, I decided I would make my own arrangement and fix both the voice leading and text problems. While I considered trying for a translation of the original German, I opted instead to paraphrase Psalm 23. This is an easy anthem for the choir as they sing a simple four part harmonization of the chorale melody supported at all times by keyboard accompaniment. The piece could also be performed by a unison choir singing the soprano melody.

A performance by the Choir of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen can be seen here.

Premier of The Chariot

The Bel Canto Choir of Gateway High School under the direction of Chris Barletta will give the premiere performance of The Chariot by Wm. Glenn Osborne during their spring concert on Monday, May 5, 2014 at 7 pm. The concert will be repeated on Tuesday, May 6 at 7 pm. Wm. Glenn Osborne will guest conduct the first performance on Monday. Tickets are $5.

A video of this first performance can now be seen here.

Explore the World of Romance (Sun)

CFCArts_ETWOR_Poster_p-667x1024Extending their Summer Classical Season into a year-round entity, non profit arts organization Central Florida Community Arts (CFCArts) is proud to present their inaugural Spring Classical Season concert, Exploring the World of Romance! Revealing the mystery of romantic composers, the CFCArts Classical Choir will sing selections such as Mozart’s Regina Coeli, Rossini’s I Gondoieri and Schubert’s Gloria. To be further guided through the musical foundations of the Romantic Period, the audience will also experience works of Neo-Romantic composers such as Randall Thompson and Jean Belmont in a beautiful concert that will feature the 75-voice choir and a feature chamber orchestra.

Exploring the World of Romance will be held at 7:30pm on Saturday, May 3 and at 2:30pm on Sunday, May 4, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1600 S. Orlando Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789. General Admission tickets are $10 each, and children age 12 and under will be admitted for free. Ticketing problems or questions? Contact Sarah.Mattingly@cfcommunityarts.com

Explore the World of Romance

CFCArts_ETWOR_Poster_p-667x1024Extending their Summer Classical Season into a year-round entity, non profit arts organization Central Florida Community Arts (CFCArts) is proud to present their inaugural Spring Classical Season concert, Exploring the World of Romance! Revealing the mystery of romantic composers, the CFCArts Classical Choir will sing selections such as Mozart’s Regina Coeli, Rossini’s I Gondoieri and Schubert’s Gloria. To be further guided through the musical foundations of the Romantic Period, the audience will also experience works of Neo-Romantic composers such as Randall Thompson and Jean Belmont in a beautiful concert that will feature the 75-voice choir and a feature chamber orchestra.

Exploring the World of Romance will be held at 7:30pm on Saturday, May 3 and at 2:30pm on Sunday, May 4, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1600 S. Orlando Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789. General Admission tickets are $10 each, and children age 12 and under will be admitted for free. Ticketing problems or questions? Contact Sarah.Mattingly@cfcommunityarts.com

God Is Gone Up

God is gone up with a merry shout.
Alleluia.

Written on April 29, 2014 for Dr. Carl MaultsBy and the St. Richard’s Schola of St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Winter Park, Florida, this piece in Baroque style is written for two-part choir. It could be done by women alone, a mixed adult choir, or even a children’s choir. The harmonic language is simple with very few accidentals. The accompaniment is a simple three-part texture that could be played on organ or piano.