Howard Skempton

I am the song is an imaginatively-conceived showpiece setting a fine and thought-provoking poem by Charles Causley.

A chromatic but bare setting of a poem by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge, a descendant of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Its sparse texture reflects the eerie, haunting atmosphere created by the evocative imagery...

This quiet and spacious miniature challenges the performer's ability to play within the lowest dynamic range of the piano. The gently sonorous opening bars return after a lightly animated central sect...

Extending his repertoire for the guitar, Skempton this time introduces it into the realm of a chamber ensemble in the form of five miniatures. The mix of mellow timbres creates a soothing but thoughtf...

Set to text by John Drinkwater, this work is deceptively simple, making use of repetition and carefully placed harmonies which shift subtly to match the text. A beautiful and unusual setting which wou...

Commissioned by the Atopos Fondazione in Italy, this piece was premiered by John Tilbury on 10 June 2008. A homage to Morton Feldman and a companion piece to his Triadic Memories, Skempton's Notti ste...

This is the first of two books of preludes and fugues for solo organ by Howard Skempton. Each book comprises 25 pairs of preludes and fugues based around the 24 major and minor keys with an additional...

This is the second of two books of preludes and fugues for solo organ by Howard Skempton. Each book comprises 25 pairs of preludes and fugues based around the 24 major and minor keys with an additiona...

This short meditative work for piano is composed in Skempton's typical minimalist style. The piece has been recorded by its dedicatee, William Howard, and is included on an album entitled Sixteen Noct...

Suitable for remembrance services, Ramsey's six-voiced setting of 'How are the mighty fall'n' is one of the finest sacred madrigals of the early 17th century, alongside works such as settings of 'When...

This important contemporary Requiem demonstrates Gabriel Jackson's gift for writing mesmerising choral music on a large scale. Combining sections of the traditional Requiem text with selected poems fr...

Spirited in tone, this anthem sets a text based on Psalm 148 that praises God's glory. Opening with an uplifting unison melody, the vocal parts gradually open out into jubilant harmonies, which are su...

The Unexpected Early Hour brims with energy as the vibrant melody passes between voices and the rocking crotchet-quaver movement drives the piece towards its climactic ending. Offprinted from Carols f...

This setting of the Vesper Responsory exudes a confident radiance and sure belief that the 'Lord he shall be with you'. First published in Advent for Choirs, this setting is both approachable and grip...

Winter: My Secret is a setting for soprano, recorder, cello, and harpsichord of a poem by Christina Rossetti. It was commissioned by the Ida Carroll Trust for a concert to mark the 80th birthday of Ho...

For guitar & ensemble. Extending his repertoire for the guitar, Skempton this time introduces it into the realm of a chamber ensemble in the form of five miniatures. The mix of mellow timbres creates...

For oboe, violin, viola, and cello. Garland demonstrates the composer's typically thoughtful approach to form and melodic material, the title of this work reflecting the circularity of both.

For oboe, clarinet, viola, harp. The opening movement of this five-movement work features the oboe, being a setting of a solo piece written by the composer in memory of Barbara Hepworth. The second is...

Featured on pianist William Howard's album Sixteen Contemporary Love Songs, this evocative miniature is simple but rewarding, with a repeating eight-bar chord progression that produces a kaleidoscopic...

For solo piano. This quiet and spacious miniature challenges the performer's ability to play within the lowest dynamic range of the piano. The gently sonorous opening bars return after a lightly anima...

These twenty easy piano pieces were written to accompany a television programme which celebrated 150 years of photography. The volume contains eight Preludes, two Songs, a set of Variations, eight Int...

For unaccompanied SSA chorus. This slightly sombre setting of five poems is homophonic, giving the impression of a single vocal line. The very close harmony throughout conveys a sense of restraint and...

Six miniatures for guitar, these instrumental 'songs' were a set work for the final of the London International Guitar Competition 2015. With lilting rhythms and simple lines, these folk-like pieces e...