Selected works / Choral
There is no rose
- Forces
- SAATB, unaccompanied
- Duration
- c. 3′30″–5′, depending on interpretation
- Year
- 2010
- Language
- English
- Text
- Anonymous, 15th century
- Suited to
- Advent, Christmas
- Difficulty
- Within reach of a good amateur choir
- Written for
- The Rhinegold Singers, 2010
- World premiere
- the Rhinegold Singers, conducted by Tom Lydon, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, London, December 2010
- Availability
- Published (Novello)
A setting of an anonymous fifteenth-century Marian text, this piece was written in 2010 for the Rhinegold Singers, the staff choir of Rhinegold Publishing (publisher of Classical Music, Choir & Organ &c.), and subsequently published by Novello in 2012. It has since appeared in Novello’s Noël! 3 collection and has been recorded by the RSVP Singers under David Hill, and by Concanenda under Xann Schwinn. It has been sung at Westminster Abbey, and by Calmus Ensemble at the Lincoln Center, New York.
Perusal scores may be obtained from the publisher.
If you are performing this work, do let Andrew know so it can be added to the map.
Where it has been heard
Also performed in New York, Montreal.
London
Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, London · December 2010 · the Rhinegold Singers, conducted by Tom Lydon
Westminster Abbey, London · c. 2012–13 · carol concert
All Saints' Church, Fulham · 2 December 2012 · All Saints Fulham Choir, conducted by Jonathan Wikeley · Advent carol service
Oxford
Merton College Chapel · 3 December 2011 · Commotio
Woolhampton, Berkshire
Douai Abbey · 31 December 2011 · Commotio
Montreal
Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal · December 2012
Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal · 25 December 2012 · Christmas Day
Great Missenden
Church of St Peter and St Paul, Great Missenden · 8 December 2012 · Commotio
New York
the Lincoln Center, New York · Calmus Ensemble · Christmas concert
Recordings
- Bright Shadows, Concanenda, directed by Xann Schwinn, 2013
- Noël! 3, RSVP Singers, directed by David Hill, 2012
What others have said
This is a piece whose effect greatly exceeds its simple means and it would be welcome in any serious carol service.
The whole piece is well paced and telling use is made of rests and silences which would suit a generous acoustic. Most effective.
A fantastic new carol that's a little bit different. It's easy to sing — in fact I conducted it with my choir last night, and it went down a storm.