How did you come to compose ‘En Natus Est Emanuel, Dominus’’?
When she was Artistic Director of FYC, Joanna Tomlinson was kind enough to programme several of my works for the Senior Choir. I was keen to write a piece as a thank you to Jo, and also to showcase FYC's extraordinary musical talents. I wanted to write a joyful piece that celebrates Christmas and that I would have enjoyed singing when I was a teenager.
Why did you choose this text?
‘En Natus Est Emanuel, Dominus’ tells the story of Christ’s birth with joy, rather than solemnity, and this was my objective in writing this piece. I want the singers to feel as though they are having a party when they sing it! Also, the English translation scans almost identically to the original Latin text, so choirs singing this piece have a choice between the two languages.
What was your journey towards becoming a choral singer and composer?
I was lucky enough to sing in Swansea's St Paul's Parish Church choir for twelve years, starting as a six-year-old chorister. The choir's director, the late Dr Ian Graham, taught me music theory, piano and singing, which in turn provided lessons for numerous life skills like organisation, preparation, and hard work. I then went to the University of Bristol to study music and continued singing with choirs there, as well as being a Lay Clerk at Bristol Cathedral. (Lay Clerks are professional singers in cathedral choirs). That’s really where I learned about the importance of writing music that choirs would be able to pick up and sing quickly. There is rarely enough time for rehearsal for a choral evensong, so I really learned to write music that could be easily sung.
Which composers inspire you?
I love Stanford, J.S. Bach (obviously), Haydn, Mozart, and Poulenc - their music seems to me to be divinely inspired. Their sound worlds are extremely focussed, but nonetheless each produces a musical language that is easy to access.
Do you have a favourite Christmas tune?
While I love the famous version of ‘Away in a Manger’ by William Kirkpatrick, there is a setting arranged by Reginald Jacques of a traditional tune from Normandy in France that I love. I can hear it over and over again - a valuable thing in a Christmas carol.
I also love ‘The Angel Gabriel’, more for nostalgic reasons. I remember opening the associated carol book as a child - they were always covered in wrapping paper to protect them - and I remember singing this one with a smile.
What will your Christmas look like?
I’ll be working - singing - nearly every day in December. I am fortunate that several of my works will be premiered this Christmas. One of which will involve me singing in the premiere itself. ‘Shepherds in the Fields Abiding’ will be performed in Swansea's Brangwyn Hall by the BBC National Chorus of Wales - a choir with whom I once sang as a Choral Scholar whilst studying at Cardiff’s Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The performance will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Christmas Day itself will be a family occasion as I will be celebrating with my wife and three children.
