for upper voices (SSAA) & piano
Text: English (Michael Symmons Roberts)
Duration: 6'00''
Difficulty: 2/5
Use: General Sacred


A setting of a nativity poem from "Her Maker’s Maker" by Michael Symmons Roberts, "New-made for a king" was commissioned by Andreas Klatt for Farnham Youth Choir and first performed on 23 June 2012 at Farnham Maltings. Scored mainly in four parts, the choral texture is homophonic, the harmony rich yet approachable by young performers, with a decorative piano accompaniment. In the mould of a lullaby, the piece’s over-riding calm is troubled towards the close by indistinct pp lontano interjections from the piano, in response to the poem’s portentous closing words.


James MacMillan
Born in Scotland in 1959, James MacMillan studied at Edinburgh and Durham Universities and now lives in Glasgow. His early successes as a composer in the 1990s included The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, premiered at the BBC Proms, and the percussion concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel written for Evelyn Glennie. MacMillan has a special interest in choral composition, ranging from simple liturgical settings for use in church services, to major works for choir and orchestra including Seven Last Words from the Cross, Quickening and St John Passion. His music has been championed and recorded by leading choirs and vocal groups including Cappella Nova, Polyphony, The Hilliard Ensemble, The Sixteen, Westminster Cathedral Choir and the Netherlands Chamber Choir. With their Gaelic inflections and characteristic mixing of ancient and modern, his works have also proved popular with amateur chamber choirs around the world.