News
January 2019
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Paraclete Press have now published:
Three Pieces Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes (organ) Jubilate (organ) I Sing of a Maiden (SATB a cappella) |
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September 2018
Paraclete Press have accepted for publication two more of Chris's organ pieces (Invocation and Paean and Prelude & Fugue) and two more of his choral pieces (Hark! hark! glad tidings charm our ears (the 2017 carol for St Matthew's Bethnal Green) and Love is...).
September 2018
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Toccata Nuptiale has been commercially recorded for a fourth time. It is the final track on organist André de Jager's new disc, Musical Expressions, recorded in the Sankt Maria Magdalenakirche, Goch.
For information about all the commercial recordings of Toccata Nuptiale, please see the Discography. |
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August 2018
Chris has a new Composer page on the Stainer & Bell website. Click here to see it.
June 2018
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Paraclete have published Chris's Elegy for Organ. A synthesised performance of the piece may be heard on the website.
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May 2018
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In March of this year Chris was commissioned to compose six jingles (in the styles of various choral composers) for the new BBC Music Magazine podcasts. The jingles were duly composed and recorded, and they can now be heard in the podcasts.
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January 2018
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Stars of the Morning has been published by Paraclete (see it here).
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October 2017
Chris has been on BBC Radio 4, speaking with Roderick Williams as part of the Choral History of Britain series. The programme can be heard here.
September 2017
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An article, 'Lift Ye Then Your Voices: Observations on descants and hints on composing them' has been published in Laudate, the magazine of the Guild of Church Musicians.
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September 2017
Several of Chris's Anglican chants have been published in Cantica Nova 2.
Forthcoming performances
Friday 29 March 2019 7.00pm
Sunday 14 April 2019 6.00pm
Chris will play the organ for a performance of J H Maunder's Olivet to Calvary at St Margaret's, Lee.
Saturday 29 June 2019
Chris will play the organ for Choral Evensong at Rochester Cathedral, accompanying the choir of St Margaret's, Lee.
Saturday 6 July 2019 6.00pm
Chris will play the organ part in a performance of Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony, given by the Harmony Sinfonia at St Margaret's, Lee.
July 2019
Giltspur Singers Summer Concert. Exact date and venue TBC.
Wednesday 11 December 2019 7.00pm
Giltspur Singers Christmas Concert at St Clement Danes.
29th-30th August 2020
Chris will conduct the St Teilo Singers, singing the services at Worcester Cathedral.
Some recent performances of Chris's compositions
16th December 2018
Chris's 2018 carol The World's Desire, together with several of his descants, were performed at the Christmas Carol Service at St Matthew's Bethnal Green. The performance of The World's Desire can be heard on YouTube.
16th December 2018
The choir of St Margaret's Lee (Director: Duncan Atkinson QC) performed Let Christians all with joyful mirth (score / YouTube performance).
12th December 2018
Giltspur Singers Christmas Concert included Chris's Felix Namque and the world premiere of his 2018 carol The World's Desire, plus his descants to 'O come, O come, Emmanuel', 'Come, thou long-expected Jesus' and 'Lo, He comes with clouds descending'. All the choral items in the concert may be heard on YouTube.
11th November 2018
The choir of St Mary's Catholic Church, Blackheath (Director: Tim Murray) performed Bring us, O Lord God (original version with divisions) at their Mass for the Centenary of the WWI Armistice.
21st October 2018
The choir of St Margaret's Lee (Director: Duncan Atkinson QC) performed Bring us, O Lord God at Choral Evensong.
26th August 2018
The St Teilo Singers sang Chris's Missa Sacerdotes Domini at Exeter Cathedral, marking 20 years since the premiere of the work, which also took place in Exeter.
4th August 2018
The Giltspur Singers performed a new commission (Two Doves) at the wedding of Mr Jonathan Stoneman and Ms Antonia Mott.
24th June 2018
The choir of St Margaret's Lee (Director: Duncan Atkinson QC) sang Chris's Third Service (composed in 1996) at Choral Evensong.
27th May 2018
Chris's Missa Sancti Teili was sung at Choral Eucharist at Llandaff Cathedral under the direction of Alex Thacker.
8th March 2018
Christine Wells performed Toccata Nuptiale in a recital at St Nicolas Church, Newbury.
10th December 2017
Chris's new setting of the Benedictus was premiered at the Christmas Carol Service at St Mary's Catholic Church, Blackheath. Conductor Tim Murray commissioned this piece.
3rd December 2017
A transcription by Martin Cordner of Chris's arrangement of 'Winchester Old' was performed by the Cambridge Citadel Salvation Army brass band and Salvation Army Songsters, along with the audience the the 'Christmas Begins Here' concert at the West Road Concert Hall.
8th October 2017
Chris's Descant to 'Westminster Abbey' was sung at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, Portage, Michigan, USA.
14th September 2017
Andrew Caskie performed Toccata Nuptiale in a recital at Kidderminster Town Hall.
Week of 14 August 2017
Toccata Nuptiale was broadcast in the Pipedreams programme on United States radio. The episode was called Toccata, again! The version played was Michael Stairs' recording.
8th July 2017
Chris's setting for organ of Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl -- one of the chorale tunes that Bach would have set in his Orgelbüchlein (if he had got round to it) -- was played by Nick Morris in a concert on Saturday 8 July, at St George's Church, Hanover Square, having been chosen for the short list in the Royal College of Organists /Orgelbüchlein Project Chorale Prelude Competition. Chris's piece won the Audience Vote for Es spricht.
4th July 2017
Laurence Caldecote performed Toccata Nuptiale in Winchester Cathedral. His recording may be heard here.
10th May 2017
Piers Maxim (no relation!) performed Toccata Nuptiale in a recital in Aylesbury Methodist Church.
23rd April 2017
Chris's Missa Sancti Teili was sung at Choral Eucharist at Llandaff Cathedral, conducted by Alex Thacker.
27th November 2016
Chris's arrangement of Helmsley was performed in Christ Church Cathedral Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
11th December 2016
Let Christians all with joyful mirth was sung at the Christmas Carol Service at St Mary's RC Church, Blackheath, under the direction of Timothy Murray.
29th October 2016
The première of Love is... was sung at the wedding of Mr Mark Honan and Miss Katy Turner in the church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Salisbury. This piece has since been accepted for publication by Paraclete Press.
10th July 2016
Dr John Kitchen MBE performed Toccata Nuptiale in The Jim Lodge Recital on the Binns Organ in the Albert Hall, Nottigham.
14th May 2016
Dr Gillian Ward Russell performed Toccata Nuptiale at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Coggeshall in her final recital as President of the Essex Organists' Association.
8th May 2016
The choir of St Mary's Catholic Church, Blackheath (Director: Timothy Murray) gave the première performance of Chris's motet I have loved you, commissioned by Simon and Elizabeth Scott Plummer to mark their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
17th April 2016
Heather Boyd performed Toccata Nuptiale in her recital at Christ Church St Lawrence, Railway Square, Sydney, Australia.
April 2016
Chris's arrangement of 'Lobe den Herren' was performed in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.
