Tantum Ergo
This SATB setting (including some divisi in all parts) of the beautiful Tantum Ergo text was commissioned by St. Michael and All Saints’ Church, Edinburgh in memory of Elisabeth Swan in 2017. It was first performed by them under the direction of their music director Philip Redfern.
Recorded in 2018 by St Martin’s Voices, conducted by Will Todd, Tantum Ergo is available on the album Passion Music and Jazz Missa Brevis on the Signum Classics label.
“Tantum Ergo should have a chant-like feel especially on the repeated pitches. Keep the tempo flexible to enable effective contrast in dynamics and a sustained sound throughout. The accompaniment may be used to fill out the sound and texture, but should always be blending with the voices in terms of dynamics.”
– Will Todd
Songs of Peace
Written in memory of the composer’s mother, Will Todd’s Songs of Peace is a six-movement work about love and loss. Two of the movements are scored for upper voices. Although it is not a conventional Requiem, it might be appropriate in a memorial context, but should by no means be confined to it: in many ways it is a very ‘life-affirming’ work, characterised by Todd’s recognisable jazz-infused harmonic language, memorable melodies, and powerful and personal texts.
“The overall structure of Songs of Peace gradually made sense as I worked on individual movements; I didn’t originally set out to write a six-movement piece, but these various choral songs seem to work very well together and share a certain atmosphere.
– Will Todd