Howard Skempton

For lute. This is based on the opening bars of the Sarabande from Bach's second cello suite in D minor. 'Par la bande' means 'in a roundabout way' and suggests a circularity of form and a less than di...

Skempton's simple and reflective setting of John Clare's poem was commissioned by the Aldeburgh Festival and composed for The Abbey Chapel Choir, Woodbridge. With its fluid changes of time signature a...

A simple setting of this popular medieval Advent carol which has great originality and impact. The style is controlled, almost austere, and the effect is hypnotic. This is an unsettling but poignant p...

This serene and reflective setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis was commissioned to mark the 300th anniversary of the death of Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells. With expansive harmonies and...

A short Mass setting for unaccompanied chorus, written for the Exon Singers recording, The Cloths of Heaven, on Delphian Records.

Skempton's Third Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis setting was written for Wells Cathedral and premiered in May 2012. The simplicity and purity of the setting is typical of Skempton's style, ideal for male...

This is a simple and elegant miniature in characteristic Skempton style, with graceful choral homophony, seamlessly fluctuating time signatures, and hypnotic, meandering harmonies. The text, by Willia...

O Sapientia is a tender setting of one of the seven Advent 'O' Antiphons. The rhythmic unison in this chorale-like setting brings an element of purity and calm, typical of Skempton's musical language.

Skempton's setting of the Preces and Responses is simple, well-crafted, and harmonically rewarding, and is perfect for choirs seeking new material for the liturgy.

This contemplative setting of Psalm 23 presents the well-loved 'The Lord is my Shepherd' text within a four-part, homophonic texture. Hymn-like and lyrical, this unaccompanied composition is illustrat...

This contemplative setting of Psalm 23 presents the well-loved 'The Lord is my Shepherd' text within a four-part, homophonic texture. Hymn-like and lyrical, this unaccompanied composition is illustrat...

This is an imaginative setting of a sequence of nine poems from 'Viking Poetry of Love and War' by Judith Jesch. The war poems are formal and celebratory, making vivid use of figures of speech known a...

This is an imaginative setting of a sequence of nine poems from 'Viking Poetry of Love and War' by Judith Jesch. The war poems are formal and celebratory, making vivid use of figures of speech known a...

Originally published in The Ivy and the Holly, this lively setting of a text by Francis Kinwelmershe features a lilting melody and homophonic texture throughout, allowing the spirit of the text to shi...

Skempton's setting of one of the fool's songs from Twelfth Night is poignant and sombre, featuring angular melodies and homophonic textures that clearly convey Shakespeare's moving words. Originally p...

In Grown about by fragrant bushes, Skempton sets a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson using gentle, lilting melodies. The theme of loss is sensitively conveyed in a tonal language that is made more expres...

From the collection Epiphany to All Saints for Choirs, this lively and spiritual-influenced piece features a constantly shifting time signature and a text by the composer narrating the journey of the...

This short Missa brevis setting is perfect for choirs looking to bring a fresh soundworld to their worship. Each movement is distinct in character, but with an overall cohesiveness of harmonic languag...

Skempton's After Rain sets an evocative text by Edward Thomas with a contemplative choral part over a rich and slow-moving cello line. Skempton alternates between contrasting upper-voice duets and ful...

A short, eloquant piece commissioned by Winchester College reflecting the spirit of Advent. Offprinted from the collection Cantica Nova.

In Skempton's effective minimalistic style, this short work sets a well-known sacred text from Ecclesiastes 3, 1DS8. Emphasis is given to the text through the homorhythmic texture and flexible metre.

Setting William Johnson Cory's translation of Callimachus's epigram, this poignant piece exemplifies Skempton's minimalist aesthetic. Using a restrained rhythmic palette of minims and crotchets, the w...

For ATTBB solo voices unaccompanied. Skempton's setting of the text from the Book of Revelation is reflective rather than ferocious, and trusts in the power of understatement.

For SATB unaccompanied. New Horizons showcases the wealth of exciting, innovative, and occasionally challenging choral music being written today. It encompasses the whole gamut of small-scale choral g...

For SATB unaccompanied. These beautiful motets provide inspiring new repertoire for choirs. Locus iste is rhythmic and uplifting; Ave Virgo sanctissima is a gentle setting of a Spanish antiphon, full...