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When the 90th birthday of Betty Somerville was approaching, members of Auckland Choral were asked to sing at a special birthday gathering as a surprise. Betty had been a long-time member of the choir, maintaining a strong active involvement behind the scenes after retiring as a singing member.

In searching for a suitable text for a piece to mark the occasion, I found that almost all birthday poetry fell into one of two categories – it was either tied to a specific age, or was incredibly saccharine and trite. I finally chanced upon Richard Wilbur’s “For K.R. on her Sixtieth Birthday” which contained more general sentiments and wishes. The K.R. of the title is the poet Kathleen Raine, and the reference to William Blake in the poem notes her devotion to that poet’s work.

• David Hamilton: A Birthday Offering - hardcopy score 

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Written for a Registered Music Teachers’ Conference in 1999, this SATB setting of a text from an American Indian source is suitable to be sung at weddings, family occasions, or farewells.

• Caskie: A blessing; computer-set 

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• Caskie: A blessing; computer-set 

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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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While the word ‘charm’ is mostly used to mean something pleasing, it can also mean an action thought to have magical power, or the chanting of a magic word or verse – an incantation. It can also be used as a collective noun, usually of birds.

This traditional text in Maori is a plea for the rain to depart and blue skies to appear. Preceding this, I have added several Maori terms for different types of rain – from misty rain through to drenching heavy rain. Rhythms in the work are often suggestive of typical Maori chant and kapahaka rhythms.

“A Charm for Rain: He Tua I Te Rangi” was written for Cantare (Westlake Girls’ High School) and conductor Fiona Wilson.

• David Hamilton: A Charm for Rain: He Tua I Te Rangi - hardcopy score 

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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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• David Hamilton: A Child Lay in a Little Crib; audio 

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

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This celebratory work for choir and orchestra consisting of three Christmas ‘scenes’ brings together arrangements of 15th, 16th and 17th century carols with some of the well-known traditional carols. The audience can be invited to join in with a carols in each section including O Little Town of Bethlehem, The First Nowell and O Come All Ye Faithful.

• Farquhar: A Christmas with Carols; facsimile 

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• Farquhar: A Christmas with Carols; facsimile 

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A Maori Suite was commissioned by the Royal Youth Concert given the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on 26 April, 1966.

• Heenan: A Maori Suite: facsimile  Year: 1984 

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• Ashley Heenan: Orchestral Music  Year: 1996 

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A lyrical, yet rhythmic setting of Robert Burns’ famous love poem for SSA choir.

• Camm: A red, red rose; computer-set 

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• Camm: A red, red rose; computer-set 

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• David Hamilton: A Song of Ruth; audio 

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• The Big Sing Finale 2000  Year: 2000 

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

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• Mews: A Sound came from Heaven; computer-set 

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• NZ National Youth Choir on Tour North America  Year: 1994 

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• A Sound Came from Heaven  Year: 2007 

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