Blow the trumpet in the new moon

Ps 81: 1-4 (Geneva Bible) (English, 16th century)

This short work was written as a "choral fanfare" for David Hill to mark the 140th anniversary of the Bach Choir. It is a setting of some joyful lines from Psalm 81, evoking musical instruments and especially the trumpet. I used to be a trumpeter myself and I try here to fuse the sound of the brassy fanfare into a purely choral sound, unaccompanied and full of extrovert and bold figures and passagework.

Reproduction Rights
This programme note can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to the composer.