"It’s (Psalm 121) very attractive indeed Chris – and has a “ring” of crossover with American (Clausen et al) and the UK (Rutter et al) with your OWN stamp on it. Thank you for sending me the file".

Terence Maskell, Director of the Graduate Choir NZ

 

“It (Psalm 121) absolutely knocked me out – it was the most beautiful setting”. Brian Kay, former member of The King’s Singers

 

“The Ashwell Carol is written in an eminently approachable idiom with an appealing and catchy melody. It rightly received one of the best performances of the evening”. Ken Bayliss for the Bury Times

 

“O Magnum Mysterium’ by New Zealand composer Chris Artley is remarkable for its obvious charm, unity and beauty. It works fine and easily a cappella and creates a brilliant sound due to its well balanced unity between the voices. It works fine for both smaller and larger choirs and I believe would give great pleasure to choirs of very different standards. And audiences as well!! I would like to welcome highly a publication in New Zealand as well as internationally in general of some of Chris Artley’s music.”

Ebbe Munk, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir 

 

“Chris Artley’s setting of my poem, ‘What is this thing called love?’, is cool yet spicy. So neatly balanced and crafted. Terrific work.”

Kevin Ireland, OBE

 

"Once again you’ve nailed it! Love the piece (Magnificat)".

Neil Shroff, Director of Music, St Andrew’s Church, Auckland

 

"Chris Artley's Ave Maria is a perfect marriage of soaring melody, intricate harmony, evocative texture, and rich vocalism. Prayerful, reverent, and soulful, it quickly became one of my choir's favourite pieces and it offers something for every choir".

Ravil Atlas, Artistic Director, Atlas Voices Ensemble

 

"On behalf of the choir I congratulate you on writing such an uplifting and well-crafted piece (Psalm 121), which we thoroughly enjoyed performing. You not only write beautiful music but you write well for singers. "I will lift up mine eyes" really suited secondary school students. We all loved the trumpet solos and the organ accompaniment was a new experience for most of the students. Other choir directors were very positive in their comments too - I gave one of my copies away. Another commented enthusiastically "I am glad he didn't resolve that Amen". Thanks again. Your music has given a lot of people joy - we loved performing it and it seemed to be very well received by the audience".

Roger Powdrell, Head of Music, St Patrick's College, Wellington

 

“May God Bless You by Chris Artley is a beautifully crafted piece. My chamber choir (SSA) absolutely loved it from the moment we started rehearsals. We have used it on several occasions and have always had a tremendously favourable response from the audience. It may be used either as part of a church service, or for concert performance. In either case, it provides a lovely moment of reflection”.

Paul Burrell, Assistant Headteacher/Director of Music – Presdales School, Hertfordshire, UK

 

“From humble beginnings (an attractive unaccompanied piece written in 2010) The Ashwell Carol has burgeoned into a full-blown Christmas carol of significant proportions with a superb orchestration and a reworking of the choral parts (2013). This metamorphosis of Artley’s carol echoes the origins and development of the river Cam: it has its genesis as it wells up from the spring in the village of Ashwell (hence the carol’s name) in Hertfordshire (UK) until it grows into a strong river, especially as it reaches Cambridge – arguably the home of contemporary British carol writing and arrangement (for example David Willcocks, John Rutter and others). Chris Artley was drawn to this text (written by the Rev. Catterick of St Mary’s, Ashwell) because of its traditional nature and the Latin burden at the end of verses. The choral piece is eminently singable and equally enjoyable for the listener. As always, Artley (originally from the UK but now resident in New Zealand) distinguishes himself with an accessible and original piece”. Terence Maskell, Director of The Graduate Choir, New Zealand

 

"Just to say that your Ashwell Carol made the final selection for the 2014 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Spirit of Christmas Concerts - colleagues were well impressed - many congratulations! Do please continue to send us stuff as there was much interest on the panel...you already have a group of fans in RLPS (as well as its chorusmaster!)" Professor Dr. Ian Tracey, Chorusmaster Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society

 

"A beautifully crafted and vibrant piece, Chris Artley’s Birthday, set to text by Christina Rossetti, represents a successful marriage between the words of the Romantic poem and toe-tapping Jazz. Tremendous fun to sing, this piece is a must for small ensembles but equally could be a great challenge for a larger choir". Sarah Harris, Director of Laudamus

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"There are two stand-out features that contribute to the success of Chris Artley’s music: a natural, almost instinctive feeling for choir sound, and a lush ‘crossover’ effect that arises from his fascination with jazz". 

Heath Lees, Emeritus Professor of Music, University of Auckland

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"The music (O Magnum Mysterium) has a meditative glow that remains with you long after the piece has finished".

Heath Lees, Emeritus Professor of Music, University of Auckland 

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"Congratulations and thank you for your great piece (Agnus Dei)!" 

Ko Matsushita, Director of The Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo 

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"The melody, laid-back feel and interesting chord progressions of 'What Are We?', took me back to my first exposures to the wonderful compositions of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn".

Stu Johnstone, Auckland bass player, composer and arranger

 

"Missa Brevis is a very fine piece and shows his great knowledge of composing for choirs. As he (Chris Artley) is also a singer and a pianist he knows exactly what choirs and instrumentalist can manage and like to perform. We are really looking forward to receive the final version after the first performance and to publish the full scores, choir parts and also the instrumental material". 

Thorsten Weber, Editor at Helbling Verlag, Innsbruck, Austria  

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"I must say that I am very proud to be the one who invited Chris to compose this work (Missa Brevis) for Choir, Organ and Orchestra. It’s a beautiful composition and I am really looking forward to rehearsing and performing it. I already know that the performers will relish playing this work, and that the audiences are in for a real treat. Chris manages to create music that is well-crafted, which provides a sense of accessibility, while also giving depth and meaning. His melodies are lyrical, his harmonies are warm and lush, but include a few surprises, while his rhythms will at times keep us on our toes".  

Peter Thomas, Director of Auckland Symphony Orchestra 

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"Chris Artley’s premiere of his take on “Deck the Halls” airlifted the tone into fun jazz sounds. Here the especially shiny sopranos led the melody with real confidence and beauty. Along with the delicious end piece of Peter Gritton’s “Follow that Star”, the Artley was a welcome lift of style and rhythm". 

Clare Martin, Radio13 concert review of NZ Voices Midwinter Yulefest Concert, Auckland, July 2019

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"What a pleasure to perform Chris' Missa Brevis Akarana at the Teapot Valley Choral Summer School! Such memorable tunes and lush harmonies, with a great sense of musical line and harmonic structure. The choir and I have had great fun preparing the Mass for performance" 

Ben Parry, Director of National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, July 2019

 

"Chris Artley’s Missa Brevis Akarana is an outstanding composition for choir and orchestra. The work's soaring melodies, rich harmonic language and rhythmic subtleties capture singers, instrumentalists and listeners in a web of sonorous delight. Such qualities guarantee a place for this work in the genre of the concert Mass". 

John Rimmer, Composer and Emeritus Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, January 2020 

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" The Great Invocation by Chris Artley is so beautiful and I enjoyed your melodies very much."

Kim André Arnesen - Grammy Nominated Norwegian Choral Composer, September 2022

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