Sacred Music by Sheena Phillips

 

SEE ALSO Christmas & Advent

 

To purchase unpublished music please email me (sheenaphillips at gmail.com). For most scores there is a modest fee per singer for permission to copy from a licensed PDF file. Payment by Paypal or check.

 

NEW or FEATURED

Easter Service

SATB, organ, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani

Commissioned by First Congregational Church, Columbus, Ohio, Music Director Tim Smith, 2006

Introit, Anthem, Offertory, Communion Anthem, Postlude

Full details below under Other Titles

 

Evening Prayer

SATB divisi

Concert setting of lyrics by Thomas Ken, with bell-like choral tolling, traditional bell-ringing patterns and a quote from Thomas Tallis

Duration c. 5:15

Perusal score

Recording by Icosa Choir, dir. Luke Mather, London, June 2017

Other recent performances by The Exon Singers dir. Joseph Judge and by King’s Voices dir. Ben Parry

Published by Canasg Music

 

How Can I Keep From Singing?

SATB

Setting of the 19th c. American hymn by Robert Lowry

Commissioned by the Lancaster Chorale, Ohio, dir. Robert Trocchia, May 2005

Perusal score

Recording by the Magpie Consort, Columbus, Ohio

Published by Canasg Music

 

Lead Me To The Rock
SAB chorus, keyboard, cello obbligato and optional congregation and drums
Setting of Psalm 61
Commissioned by Summit on 16th United Methodist Church, Columbus, Ohio in 2016 to commemorate the life of George Ryerson. Slow and serious leading to upbeat and joyful!
Perusal score
Performance by the choir of Summit UMC, 20 May 2017 (music starts at about 2m23s into the clip)

 

Love triptych 

SATB divisi

Setting of three medieval English devotional lyrics

Premiered by the Lancaster Chorale, Ohio, dir. Robert Trocchia, February 2002

Duration c 6:00 

Recording by the Lancaster Chorale, Ohio, dir. Robert Trocchia

Published by Lorenz

 

OTHER TITLES

Amazing Grace 

SATB divisi

Jazz arrangement 

Published by Canasg Music

 

Amazing Grace 

SATB and alto solo

Commissioned and first performed by the Lancaster Chorale, Ohio, 2002

"Simply outstanding.  I highly recommend it for unaccompanied choirs--and it won't take long to learn it."   Philip Copeland, Director of Choral Activities, University of Alabama (Birmingham)

Perusal score

Recording by the University of Alabama (Birmingham) Concert Choir, dir. Philip L. Copeland. Solo by Sarah Green

 

Aurora rutilat (Dawn glows red) 

SATB divisi

Setting of a medieval Scottish plainchant hymn

Published by Canasg Music

Recording by Rudsambee Company of Singers from the ablum citrus and honey

 

Blest be the love 

SATB piano

Setting of a hymn text by Charles Wesley, using tunes from the Scottish Psalter

Commissioned and first performed by the choir of St Andrew's Episcopal Church, San Antonio, Texas, 2004

 

Come Down, O Love Divine 

SATB, soprano solo, violin, violincello

Also scored for SAB, piano or organ, solo violin

Setting of the tune DOWN AMPNEY by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Words by Bianco di Siena (trans. Richard Littledale) 

Written for and first performed by the Magpie Consort, Columbus, Ohio, for holiday concerts in December, 2010.

 

Deep Peace 

SATB organ and optional congregation

Setting of traditional Celtic blessings 

First performed by Worthington United Methodist Church, Worthington, Ohio, 2003

 

Easter Service 

Commissioned by First Congregational Church, Columbus, Ohio, Music Director Tim Smith, for Easter 2006

 

1. Introit: Christ will rise

SATB organ 2 trumpets 2 trombones timpani

Words by Phillips Brooks

Perusal score

Recording by the choir of First Congregational Church with Tim Smith, organ

 

2. Anthem: Easter Carol

SATB organ

Words by Christina Rossetti

Perusal score

Recording by the choir of First Congregational Church

 

3. Offertory:  Thanks be to God

SATB organ 2 trumpets 2 trombones

Based on words from the Easter Proclamation

Perusal score

Recording by the choir of First Congregational Church

 

4. Communion: The Voice of Jesus

SATB flute

Words by Horatius Bonar

Perusal score

Recording by the choir of First Congregational Church with Sarah Lange, flute

 

5. Postlude: Rejoice O Earth

SATB organ 2 trumpets 2 trombones timpani

Based on words from the Easter Proclamation

Perusal score

Recording by the choir of First Congregational Church

 

Foresta spessa e viva

SATB divisi, soprano solo, viola da gamba or cello, cymbal

Depiction of the sacred forest from the end of Dante's Purgatorio

Written for The Magpie Consort, Columbus, Ohio for Visions of Heaven, 2002

perusal score

 

I shall light a candle

SATB a cappella

Setting of an Apocryphal text combined with a Bengali folk song about finding one’s path

Published by Canasg Music

 

Lesson of love

SATB, flute, viola

Setting of texts by Julian of Norwich

Commissioned for the ordination of Kathryn Clausen, Columbus, Ohio, June 2001

 

A Medieval Christmas Story 

SATB chorus, soloists, handbell choir, drum, 2 oboes, SATB recorder consort, viola da gamba

Music drama based on medieval mystery plays

Written for and first performed by the Magpie Consort, Columbus, Ohio, December 2001

 

Song of praise

SATB a cappella 

Wordless song of praise

Composed for Voz Nua of Portugal

perusal score

We open our hearts

SATB, organ and congregation

A sung prayer, commissioned by First Congregational Church, Columbus, for the Region V Convention of the AGO (American Guild of Organists), 2007. Words by T E Smith

Recording  by First Church Choir, directed by Tim Smith from the organ, June 26, 2007

 

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