Author Description

Product Description for treble solo and SATB unaccompanied This atmospheric carol sets the well-known 'O magnum mysterium' text in the version famously used by Victoria, with its tender, devotional additions. Set in four parts, the work unfolds simply, from stillness and silence, in awe and contemplation. The choral writing is effectively punctuated with ahigh solo voice singing phrases that call to mind fragments of the plainsong chant on the same text, appointed as a Responsary for Christmas Day. About the Author After graduating from Magdalen College Oxford, James Whitbourn started his career in broadcasting, composing many works for the BBC. Annelies, the setting of The Diary of Anne Frank, is among the most performed large-scale choral works of the twenty-first century. Other scores reflect his eclectic interests, from a planetary portrait of C. S. Lewis (The Seven Heavens) to a portrayal of Ada Lovelace, a Carnatic-influenced work for dance (Luminosity) and a narrative work on the NASA Apollo missions. He has written for several national occasions, including a D-Day anniversary and the Queen Mother's funeral. Among the renowned ensembles who have recorded his music are the choirs of King's College, Cambridge, Magdalen College, Oxford, Clare College, Cambridge, and Wells Cathedral. James Whitbourn is also an award-winning conductor who, as a member of Oxford University's music faculty, directs the university's choral summer courses.