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This short blessing was written for my choir St Mary’s Schola at St Mary’s College. It was composed for use in a performance at mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Auckland.

The text is based on traditional Irish blessing, with a version of the concluding blessing often used in many services added at the end.

David Hamilton

• Hamilton: A Blessing for this Day; computer-set  Year: 2009 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 3  Year: 2011 

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This piece was originally the fifth movement of a short Christmas cycle (“Angels and Shepherds and Wise Men All”) was written in 2012 for the end of year concert by South Auckland Choral Society to be conducted by the composer. The concert included my school choir, St Mary’s Schola, and I was keen to write something that the combined forces (including the soloists) in the concert could sing together.

The cycle doesn’t try to encapsulate the entire Christmas story, but focusses on those characters on the edge of the story – the angels, the shepherds and the wise man. In this piece, the characters who gathered around the infant Jesus are focussed on: the animals, the angels and the shepherds.

• David Hamilton: A Child Lay in a Little Crib - hardcopy score 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 4  Year: 2013 

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• Hamilton: A peace prayer; computer set 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 4  Year: 2013 

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• Hamilton: Benue Lullaby; computer-set 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol 1 

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This short work for treble-voice choir and guitar sets a poem by Australian poet Kylie Johnson. Kylie is a visual artist as well as a published poet. Her website www.paperboatpress.com says:
During her study of Visual Arts and Film at QUT in Brisbane (1990-1993) Kylie met a group of artists and potters and became part of the group known as Amfora. Amfora held many group shows throughout its 12-year run, of which Kylie was a part of all.

It was through these years that Kylie also published three books of her poetry: Distant Shoes (1992), forty-eight minus one (1997) and the ivory birds (2000), the poetry book launches also coincided with solo exhibitions of her painting and collage work. In 1996 Kylie set up her business paper boat press, in its early stages creating a boutique greeting card range featuring her own whimsical one or two line poems. This has now grown to include ceramic ornaments, ceramic jewelry, original illustrations and functional ceramic vessels.

In recent years Kylie has joined forces with a group of Brisbane artists to form the Umbrella Collective. The six women work together towards group shows and sales of their work as well as creating a dialogue and support network for all aspects of their work and creative business.

Count Me the Stars sets a text taken from her most recent poetry collection of the same name. The poem is untitled, so I used the first line as a title for my setting.

• David Hamilton: Count Me the Stars - hardcopy score 

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• David Hamilton: Count me the Stars; video 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 4  Year: 2013 

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This short lively piece was originally the final movement of “A Little Easter Cycle” written in 2007 for 3-part mixed-voice choir.

The text is from the Afro-American tradition of spirituals, and tells of the angel rolling the stone away and releasing the risen Christ on Easter Day. It also refers in passing to other characters from the biblical story – Mary arriving at the tomb, the soldiers not knowing what to do, and Pilate with his wise men not knowing what to say.

This re-working of the piece for SSA choir with piano was made early in 2008 for the choir at St Mary’s College, Auckland.

• David Hamilton: De Angel Roll De Stone Away - hardcopy score 

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• David Hamilton: De Angel Roll De Stone Away; audio 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 4  Year: 2013 

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This waiata (Maori song) was written around 1918 by Erima Maewa Kaihau (1879-1941). She was also involved in the complex gestation of the song Now is the Hour.

E moe te Ra is very much in the late Victorian tradition of song writing and owes little to traditional Maori song forms or styles. The English “translation” in the score begins: “Shadows of evening bring tender thoughts of thee beloved…”. The music has an unusual phrase structure and some unexpected harmonic turns. In this arrangement some re-harmonisation has been used, particularly in the first half. The second half fellows the original harmonies more closely. Rather than set the English of the printed music, the Maori words are sung through twice, with a short introduction and coda.

The arrangement was made at the request of choral director David Gordon of Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland.

• Hamilton: E moe te Ra; computer-set 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 2 

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Two versions exist of this work. Much of the vocal material is exactly the same – but the later version has developed and extended the final section.

In the original version Full Fathom Five (2001) is a work for three vocal parts with a digital soundscape. The generated sounds capture a watery submerged feeling as suggested in the text. The backing soundscape was created using an early version of the programme “Absynth” – much of the connection between the vocal lines and the backing was much a happy accident – the soaring sax-like solo is an example of this.

The later version (2007) retains and expands the vocal parts and has been scored for string quartet, replacing the digital soundscape. The string quartet carries through the hazy underwater atmosphere described in Shakespeare’s famous words from his play The Tempest.

The new version was revised and first performed to celebrate the 90th Birthday of Epsom Girls’ Grammar School, where the composer currently teaches music. She continues a long and proud tradition of composers who have taught in the Epsom Girls’ Music Department – Dorothea Franchi, Martyn Heath, and David Hamilton.


Jeni Little

• Little: Full Fathom Five; computer-set 

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This poem, by Australian poet Judith Wright (1915-2000) is a simple image of dogs chasing a hare in the light of the full moon. The hare is imagined as jumping into the moon, while the dogs can only howl at the moon in frustration.

Judith Wright spent much of her life involved in campaigning for Aboriginal rights and fighting against environmental destruction.

Full Moon Rhyme was written for Leading Notes choir from Westlake Girls High School (conductor: Fiona Wilson).

• David Hamilton: Full Moon Rhyme - hardcopy score  Year: 2008 

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• David Hamilton: Full Moon Rhyme; audio 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 4  Year: 2013 

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This piece for school choir, flute and piano (and/or guitar) with both lyrics and music by Helen Fisher, is about a cat having mean thoughts about a bellbird that is ‘just singing in the tree’ !

• Fisher: Just Singing in the Tree; facsimile 

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• Fisher: Just Singing in the Tree; facsimile 

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• Fisher: Just Singing in the Tree 

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