CHRIS ARTLEY
Composer
TTB Choral
TTB Choral
I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes (Psalm 121)
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Scored for: TTBB, Organ and Trumpet* (* also available for SATB & Organ; SSAA & Organ)
Level: Medium
Duration: 4min30
Other info: Broad melodic arches and an enchanting sensuousness of sound, characterize Chris Artley’s setting of Psalm 121. He sets the choir, organ and trumpet in relationship to each other in an impressively atmospheric manner. It is a moving concert piece that will immediately fascinate the audience.
"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 New Zealand.
“It (Psalm 121) absolutely knocked me out – it was the most beautiful setting”.
Brian Kay, former member of The King’s Singers.
"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
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Scored for: TBB and Piano (also available for SATB and SSA and piano)
Level: Medium
Duration: 3min30
Other info: “Wherever you go, may you always have God’s love”. Chris Artley combines Reverend Reuben Hardie’s encouraging words with a wonderfully catchy and haunting melody that is delicately accompanied by the piano. This is a captivating highlight for choirs looking for new spiritual repertoire.
“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, Ware, Hertfordshire, UK.
"May God Bless You is a highly accessible work that is equally successful for a solo trio or a large SSA choir. The words are set with honest simplicity and it was an immediate success at our concert."
Gina Sanders, International Soprano based in Auckland, New Zealand.
O Magnum Mysterium
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Scored for: TTBB divisi a cappella, Glockenspiel ad lib (also available for SATB divisi a cappella)
Level: Medium
Duration: 5min
Other info: The magic of Christmas and the incarnation of Jesus have been beautifully blended in the music of this moving setting of O Magnum Mysterium by Chris Artley. This choral piece, which Artley composed for the Nelson Summer School Choir, begins with the voices arranged calmly arising while the words, “O Magnum” are reiterated. The soprano enters with an unostentatious melody in an almost ballad-like manner quietly accompanied by the rest of the choir, in order to celebrate the glorious miracle of Christ’s birth, in a Hallelujah that resounds together.
“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 in Denmark
'Well Chris, thank you for writing such a beautiful piece of music (O Magnum Mysterium). I received a lot of wonderful feedback on your composition, the audience were spell bound'.
Sue Densem, Director of Burnside High School Senior Chorale (winner of Platinum Prize at Big Sing Finale 2015)
Sanctus
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Scored for: TTBB and Piano (also available for SSAA and piano; SATB and piano)
Level: Medium
Duration: 3min50
Other info: This is a jubilant and very attractive setting of the timeless Latin text, featuring jazzy harmonies, catchy melodic lines and a range of textures. 'The girls really enjoyed the challenges that Sanctus provided. They particularly enjoyed exploring the harmonic worlds of your writing and the contrasts within the piece’. Rachel Sutherland, Director of Senior Choir at Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland
Songs of Joy
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Scored for: TBB & piano
Level: Medium
Duration: 3mins
Other info: This is a joyful song with appealing melodic lines accompanied by a Latin style accompaniment on piano. Written for the Auckland Welsh Choir and their director Diana Rhodes, she has commented, ‘We are all loving the piece and it will make an excellent pairing with Leisure. So pleased!!’
The New Zealand Bush
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Scored for: TTB and Piano
Level: Medium
Duration: 4min45
Other info: An evocative piece for TTB choir and piano with words by New Zealand poet David Hardy and features lush harmonies, which conjure up the beauty of New Zealand’s native bush, flora and fauna. Originally written as an SSA setting for Auckland Girls' Choir, this has been adapted for TTB voices.
"When I introduced ’The New Zealand Bush’ to my choir and we hummed and sang through for the first time the girls were so pleased and happy to enter into it. The piece seemed to speak to them not only through the text but through the delicious scene painting in music. They really appreciated the immediacy of the experience and the connection to their own world. They also really approved of the overall theme and especially appreciated a reminder to experience the world other than through social media".
Carmel Carroll, Director of Voice at St Mary’s College, Auckland
"Chris’s music composed for this beautifully descriptive text is equally sensitive to the words and demands interpretive performance with good phrasing and nuances, breath control and dynamics. It is an excellent art song and a wonderful repertoire piece for a good choir".
Leonie Lawson, Director of the Auckland Girls’ Choir