Welcome Spring! (2005)
Cantata for SATB, optional youth choir, piano (or strings). Duration c. 10 minutes
Welcome Spring! (formerly titled Welcome May!’) is a portrait of Spring. Its four lighthearted and accessible movements begin as the snow melts and life beings anew: following this is a hymn to spring and new growth, which is followed by the humorous nonsense song `Spring is Sprung’ and finally the choir welcomes May in all its glory and promise of Summer. The words of the first and last songs, `The Snow Melts’ and `The Coming of May’, are by the nineteenth-century nature-poet John Clare, and the second movement `Hymn to Spring’ is by John Newton.
Welcome Spring was commissioned by the Maia Singers and Stockport Youth Choir, conductor John Pomphrey, and first performed on 17 May 2005.
A version with string orchestra accompaniment was made by the composer with financial assistance from the Ida Carroll Trust and was performed by the Maia Singers and the Manchester Chamber Ensemble, conductor John Pomphrey, on 10 May 2008, at St. Mary’s Church, Stockport.
The movements may be sung separately.
Scrolling score here – hear the music complete, and follow the score
Also, two movements are on YouTube with springtime images:
Hymn to Spring
Spring is Sprung
To buy:
Digital downloads (instant pdfs) worldwide, from Sheet Music Direct, or Sheet Music Plus(prices vary)
Printed copies (please allow time for printing and delivery) by contacting Colne Edition (£6.95 post free in UK but postage extra elsewhere, 5 copies minimum)
No. 3 (Spring is Sprung) is also available in a version for youth choir only.