Colin Britt

Today I received my complimentary copies of two newly published pieces, “I long to see” for SATB chorus, piano, and cello, and “Whenever beauty looks,” for SATB chorus a cappella. I’m deeply honored that Peters has decided to include these works in their catalogue, and humbled by the beautiful editions they published. Here is a recording of “Whenever beauty looks,” recorded before my wedding by my friends Tessie Prakas, Arianne Abela, Noah Horn, and Tian Hui Ng:

As it’s the summer, when many of us are programming for our ensembles, I’m also going to use this post to shamelessly plug a few more of my published (and unpublished) choral works. I’m not great at self-promotion, though I’m trying (Tori does a much better job at promoting my work). So please forgive the infomercial that follows.

Since the holiday season is approaching, I will re-share two of my holiday compositions: First is “There is no rose,” which I wrote in 2007 for the New Haven Chorale, under the direction of Edward Bolkovac. It’s published with the Evoking Sound Series at GIA Publications. Here is a lovely recording from 2014 by the Rutgers Kirkpatrick Choir:

Also published with GIA is “Come, thou Redeemer of the earth,” a relatively simple, chorale-like setting of a lesser-known Advent hymn.

If you’re looking for secular pieces, I have four a cappella settings of Edna St. Vincent Millay poems, published by both Alliance and GIA. Originally conceived as a trilogy, “Afternoon on a Hill,” “The Dream,” and “World, I cannot hold thee close enough” are each available for purchase. I’m honored that “Afternoon on a Hill,” my first choral composition, has enjoyed quite a few wonderful performances, including this first-rate recording by the Connecticut-based choir VOCE, conducted by Mark Singleton:

Also published by Alliance is “As there are flowers,” which was featured on Seraphic Fire’s incredible CD, Reincarnations, alongside works by Dominick DiOrio, Jake Runestad, Frank Ticheli, Dan Forrest, and Samuel Barber. That gorgeous recording, conducted by Patrick Dupré Quigley, can be heard here:

Finally, you can visit the Choral Music page on my website to see some other new works from the past year, including a trilogy of Emily Dickinson pieces for SATB choir and piano, my “Quem vidistis pastores” for TTBB choir and optional percussion, and a cappella choral setting of Rumi’s “The Agony and Ecstasy.”

If you made it to the end of this post – congratulations! That’s more self-promotion than I can usually stomach. If not… no harm, no foul.