Songs For All Seasons

Summer is the season of love, of marriages and betrothals. What better time of year to share the latest recording I have received back from one of my Beta choirs? Today's Song of the Day was written on the theme of engagement, but it would be equally suitable for a wedding. It is a setting of Christopher Marlowe's poem "The Passionate Shepherd to his Love." Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), a brilliant contemporary of Shakespeare, held the esteemed title of the preeminent Elizabethan playwright until Shakespeare took the mantle. He earned both his BA and MA from the University of Cambridge, yet his life was tragically cut short at the tender age of 29, under circumstances that remain mysterious to this day. Speculation abounds regarding the nature and reasons behind his untimely demise—ranging from a bar-room brawl to accusations of blasphemy, whispers of homosexual intrigue, betrayal by a fellow playwright, and even espionage connected to the highest echelons of Eliza...

I have received another recording from one of my Beta choirs I would like to share with you today.  25th March in the Christian calendar is the Feast of the Annunciation, which commemorates the visit of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, during which he informed her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  The poem I have set to celebrate this feast day is called The Annunciation by American poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886 - 1918), known as Joyce Kilmer. As well as writing poetry, Kilmer was also a journalist, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Kilmer enlisted in the New York National Guard and was deployed to France with the 69th Infantry Regiment (the famous "Fighting 69th") in 1917. He was killed by a sniper's bullet at the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the young age of 31. He was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre (War Cross) by the French Republic. It is performed here by the 20-strong Heriot-Watt University Chamber Choir...

Today's Song of the Day is seasonally out of sync, but I wanted to share the latest recording I have received from one of my partner Beta choirs.  Maundy Thursday, set to a poem by Christina Rossetti, was recorded by the Cathures Chamber Choir on Tuesday 17th June 2025 as part of WestFest , Glasgow's biggest cultural and community festival. When Cathures first approached me to be part of the Beta testing they explained that their summer concert, called "Windows of Wonder", was to be held at Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church, Glasgow, and that the songs were to be relevant to the beautiful stained glass windows in the church. Together, we chose the song Maundy Thursday with its reference to Jesus as "The Great Vine" because of the window described on the church's website as: "Jesus turning water into wine at the marriage in Cana (by Cottier, 1893). Appropriately, the background is of vines and grapes." The windows appear as the first image in t...

So I have been spreading the word about my Beta Choir programme for a couple of months now and I have had some choirs sign up that I am very much looking forward to working with. If you have been contacted by me or have seen my posts and have been sort of vaguely thinking maybe you’d like to sign up for this and get some free music and also incidentally help out this lovely lady composer who only wants to get her music out there (and maybe get published), or are wondering what the heck this is all about, today is the FINAL DAY to sign up for my Beta Choir programme. It closes at 9pm tonight - Sunday 22nd December 2024. Yes, I know it’s Christmas, I know you are busy, but it only takes a minute! And did I mention, FREE MUSIC!! If you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about but would like to know more, click the red arrow below, that will take you to the page with all the information on it. If you...

Happy Winter Solstice everyone! So I have been spreading the word about my Beta Choir programme for a couple of months now and I have had some choirs sign up that I am very much looking forward to working with. If you have been contacted by me or have seen my posts and have been sort of vaguely thinking maybe you’d like to sign up for this and get some free music and also incidentally help out this lovely lady composer who only wants to get her music out there (and maybe get published), or are wondering what the heck this is all about, there is only  ONE  day left to sign up for my Beta Choir programme. It closes at 9pm tomorrow night - Sunday 22nd December 2024. Yes, I know it’s Christmas, I know you are busy, but it only takes a minute! And did I mention, FREE MUSIC!! If you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about but would like to know more, click the red arrow below, that will take you to the page with all the informat...

So I have been spreading the word about my Beta Choir programme for a couple of months now and I have had some choirs sign up that I am very much looking forward to working with. If you have been contacted by me or have seen my posts and have been sort of vaguely thinking maybe you’d like to sign up for this and get some free music and also incidentally help out this lovely lady composer who only wants to get her music out there (and maybe get published), or are wondering what the heck this is all about, I have good news for you – there are only  TWO  days left to sign up for my Beta Choir programme. Yes, I know it’s Christmas, I know you are busy, but it only takes a minute! And did I mention, FREE MUSIC!! If you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about but would like to know more, click the red arrow below, that will take you to the page with all the information on it. If you’d like to read the terms and conditions...

So I have been spreading the word about my Beta Choir programme for a couple of months now and I have had some choirs sign up that I am very much looking forward to working with. If you have been contacted by me or have seen my posts and have been sort of vaguely thinking maybe you’d like to sign up for this and get some free music and also incidentally help out this lovely lady composer who only wants to get her music out there (and maybe get published), or are wondering what the heck this is all about, I have good news for you – there are still three days left to sign up for my Beta Choir programme. Yes, I know it’s Christmas, I know you are busy, but it only takes a minute! And did I mention, FREE MUSIC!! If you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about but would like to know more, click the red arrow below, that will take you to the page with all the information on it. If you’d like to read the terms and conditio...

So I have been spreading the word about my Beta Choir programme for a couple of months now and I have had some choirs sign up that I am very much looking forward to working with. If you have been contacted by me or have seen my posts and have been sort of vaguely thinking maybe you’d like to sign up for this and get some free music and also incidentally help out this lovely lady composer who only wants to get her music out there (and maybe get published), or are wondering what the heck this is all about, I have good news for you – there are still four days left to sign up for my Beta Choir programme. Yes, I know it’s Christmas, I know you are busy, but it only takes a minute! And did I mention, FREE MUSIC!! If you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about but would like to know more, click the red arrow below, that will take you to the page with all the information on it. If you’d like to read the terms and condition...

So I have been spreading the word about my Beta Choir programme for a couple of months now and I have had some choirs sign up that I am very much looking forward to working with. If you have been contacted by me or have seen my posts and have been sort of vaguely thinking maybe you’d like to sign up for this and get some free music and also incidentally help out this lovely lady composer who only wants to get her music out there (and maybe get published), or are wondering what the heck this is all about, I have good news for you – there are still five days left to sign up for my Beta Choir programme. Yes, I know it’s Christmas, I know you are busy, but it only takes a minute! And did I mention, FREE MUSIC!! If you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about but would like to know more, click the red arrow below, that will take you to the page with all the information on it. If you’d like to read the terms and conditions, click the...

  So I have been spreading the word about my beta choirs programme for a couple of months now and I have had some choirs sign up that I am very much looking forward to working with. If you have been contacted by me or have seen my posts and have been sort of vaguely thinking maybe you’d like to sign up for this and get some free music and also incidentally help out this lovely lady composer who only wants to get her music out there (and maybe get published), or are wondering what the heck this is all about, I have good news for you – there are still six days left to sign up for my beta choir programme. Yes, I know it’s Christmas, I know you are busy, but it only takes a minute! And did I mention, FREE MUSIC!! If you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about but would like to know more, click the red arrow below, that will take you to the page with all the information on it. If you’d like to read the terms and condition...

So I have been spreading the word about my beta choirs programme for a couple of months now and I have had some choirs sign up that I am very much looking forward to working with. If you have been contacted by me or have seen my posts and have been sort of vaguely thinking maybe you’d like to sign up for this and get some free music and also incidentally help out this lovely lady composer who only wants to get her music out there (and maybe get published), or are wondering what the heck this is all about, I have good news for you – there is still a whole week left to sign up for my beta choir programme. Yes, I know it’s Christmas, I know you are busy, but it only takes a minute! And did I mention, FREE MUSIC!! If you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about but would like to know more, click the red arrow below, that will take you to the page with all the information on it. If you’d like to read the terms and conditi...

  🎵 Two more days to go! Two more days to go-oh Two more days till the application window opens Two more days to go-oh  🎶

We're all getting very excited down here at SFAS HQ - just three more days until the Beta choir application window opens! I have my list of choirs all ready to email out invitations to. I just hope it's worded well enough that they don't just think it's spam and junk it, because that would be very sad. If you're reading this and you don't get contacted by me on Sunday, you can still apply! I compiled the list from a website called British Choirs on the Net . A lot of the choirs on there no longer exist as the links were dead. But there may be MANY more choirs who are suitable who are not on there. So if you are reading this and you run an SATB choir anywhere in the world who can sing at a reasonable standard, you are very welcome to submit your application on Sunday! The more the merrier! Just bookmark this page and check back on Sunday for all the details!

Four days to go till the Beta choir launch!  Join the fun - check out our Facebook event:  Songs for all Seasons Beta Choir launch

Beta choir applications will be opening on Sunday 20th October! The application window will run for four weeks and will close on Sunday 17th November at 9pm. Everything is in place, the invitation letter is written, the Agreement and Expression of Interest form are ready. I just have "day job" stuff to do, hence launching it at the weekend! So, it will be coming soon, watch your inboxes!