As we approach the Summer Solstice, I’ve chosen A Summer Garland for this week’s piece. A suite of songs for SATB unaccompanied, it was commissioned by The Waltham Singers in 2002 as part of a project designed to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee – as well as writing the piece I also led composition workshops in Essex schools, and the resulting student compositions were performed alongside my piece, in concerts in Great Waltham and Dedham.
A Summer Garland has five movements, which can also all be performed separately.
The first, May, Queen of blossoms, sets a poem by the early 19th-centruy poet Edward Thurlow: it anticipates Summer with blossom, bees, and bird-song.
It is followed by The Rose in June (poem by Thomas Howell, 17th cent.) – rich harmonies depict the ‘mildest month of June’ which is also the ‘lustiest time’ – and a final key-change introduces the ‘beauteous red rose’.
I had a lot of fun writing the third song, Busy Fly, and the words of the 18th-century William Oldys gave rise to many effects and buzzes!
Calmness is restored in the expressive July Evening (Lewis Carroll), ending with the words ‘Life, what is it but a dream?’.
Finally, Summer Queen brings celebration with a poem by Thomas Dekker (17th cent.) in which a country fair welcomes the holiday season with dancing and singing.
A Summer Garland has been performed by quite a few choirs, and this summer they include The Kelvedon Singers (Essex) and Capella Nova (Bath).
Here’s a link to the first performance on YouTube I hope you enjoy it!
And here’s a link to the publisher