Dominick DiOrio : When I Was Eight

A modern poem is set to music in this choral work. Its sense of nostalgia and child-like wonder is carried along in both the text and melody, taking both the singer and listener back in time. A work of deep beauty for choirs of distinction!

Composer Dominick DiOrio has been called a forward-thinking young composer, ready to tackle anything and this exciting piece definitely falls under anything. Written for the virtuosic Houston Chamber Choir and their artistic director, Robert Simpson, this piece makes use of a virtuosic marimba player as well as choir. All musicians must be able to produce a stark pianissimo and a flexible and powerful fortissimo, all with exceptional tonal clarity and expressive declamation of the poerty. Duration ca: 15:00

Here is an anthem about inclusivity, equality, and equity of opportunity inherent in the Amy Lowell poem The Congressional Library. Commissioned by the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, the Cincinnati Children's Choir, and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra as a celebratory statement to rededicate historic Memorial Hall.

Dominick DiOrio has chosen the vivid and striking poetry of Amy Lowell for this powerful work. Lowell's poetry explores the awakening of one's passions by the arrival of a before-absent lover. DiOrio paints this internal exultation with glissandi in the voices, richly-harmonized chords and high chromatic ululations of a solo soprano. This was the first prize winner of the Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble's Emerging Composer's Competition. Duration: Ca. 3 minutes 30 seconds

This music is restless and unbridled, like a child who fusses and pouts when not wanting to be restrained. And it is optimistic like a child is naïve, until the final warning words of the work.

A finalist composition in the 2006 New York Sings! A Composer's Symposium, this work is an energetic and rhythmically exciting setting of E. E. Cummings's take on excess noise in modern society. In it, the power of singing is echoed and restored through the blessing of silence.

Poetry By: e.e. cummings

As one of America's exciting young composers, Dominick DiOrio is stretching the boundaries of choral music. In Alleluia, he explores the percussive qualities of the voice and the lyrical quality of the marimba and the result is an energetic and exciting new experience for all. Duration: ca. 6:00

This setting of the poignant and evocative Christina Rossetti poem Dream Land paints dark and brooding images of shadows, stars, and sunless rivers. The center point of the poem is the sad singing of the nightingale which the composer underlines by the sound of the flute. This is a companion piece to I Am.

This is a simple and repetitive composition. The use of repetition is deliberate as we examine our patterns of behavior through Megan Levad's poetry. The Joni Jensen Choral Series for advanced women's choirs is quickly becoming the Go To destination for all of the best treble choirs.

Winner of the Cantate Chamber Singers 2006 Young Composer's Competition, this setting of Psalm 98 highlights both the rhythmic and lyrical qualities of the text through exciting use of the vocal registers and the piano writing. The simple but effective ABAB form makes this an excellent piece for opening or closing a program.

Using the image of barley bending in the breezes to represent overcoming struggle and adversity, poet Sara Teasdale has created a pastoral and optimistic poem. This move from pain to joy is echoed in the music, with the feisty and exuberant rhythms and harmonies of Latin jazz.

Poetry By: Sara Teasdale

Not every bridge has a song written for it! The title translates Golden Gate--the piece honors the Golden Gate Bridge--and was premiered in celebration of the bridge's seventy-fifth birthday. The intense drama of the music reflects that of this famous American landmark. This selection is an outstanding piece for the adept choir.

Country: United States

This jaunty little work is on a text from William Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost, one of his earliest comedies. The tongue-in-cheek text talks of married life and the woe that comes from being unable to pursue the frolicsome fruits of spring. Keeping with the profile of the Rollo Dilworth Choral Series, this piece is designed for upper level high school singers, honors choirs and festivals.

Poetry By: William Shakespeare

Commissioned by Earl Rivers and the CCM Chamber Choir with a text chosen to celebrate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. Composer DiOrio has chosen Bass Clarinet, Violin and Vibraphone to accompany while using a liberal dose of tenor solo alternating with the chorus to mirror the alternating representation of the original text. The chorus takes on many emotional frames, depicting the colors and shapes inherent in each line of the poety. This music is high but never serious, just like Shakespeare himself.

Capturing both the wonder and the joy and optimism of winter. Words and music of possibility and energy of life in motion. Unlike many of Sara Teasdale's poems which struggle with depression, here she exudes the joy of a bright and fabulously frigid winter afternoon.

Alternating between quiet and fervent, this music struggles to give form to memories that exist no longer as sharp images but as blurry clouds. With a piano part that never quite settles as it reaches back into the past, the poetry of young poet Eleanor Wikstrom is always front and center as the singers wrestle with the unsettling emotion of Feeling Infinite.

This musical setting of the famous Mary Elizabeth Frye poem Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep begins very placidly, and takes the refrain of I am as a mantra for existence. The use of a dramatic soprano solo is both a musical and theatrical choice, with the soloist communicating as if from beyond death to those still alive. The chorus is also a character interaction, at times reclusive or electric, but always with a steely presence.

A beautiful love poem is here set in a rhythmic and energetic fashion. The kind of energy brought to real romance and relationships. The melodies are angular and unsettled like a good marriage. And the piano accompaniment propels the music forward with hope for a long and prosperous future.

With a text adapted from the Bible, the composer has crafted a universal statement of peace. The oboe obbligato soars over this beautiful text while the choral writing is homophonic and establishes a beautiful foundation for both the text and the solo.

Setting an anonymous poem, the message is beautiful and relevant. Music truly is a magical art. It has the power to move and transform us. It gives deeper meaning to the important milestones of our lives. It gives voice to feelings and emotions too complex to put into words. Powerful and insightful.

This is a rousing anthem about the power of each person to make positive change with our actions - even the smallest but most committed of our convictions can lead to a better world, and it starts with the courage in the heart.

A setting of a sonnet by Amy Lowell commissioned by the Smith College Chorus explores conflicting emotions one finds in a relationship. The broad and lyrical music evokes the passion of new love and the fear that one day it may end. With piano, two violins and viola.

Grounded in the ideas, symbols, and threads of songs that have been born out of adversity, Dominick hints at South African freedom songs, 6/8 Gospel anthems and other styles indicative of this style. Megan Levad's text speaks to our need for neighborhood as we all search for ways to be connected to those around us. This is a moving and vital work for those looking for a socially conscious work.

Using the magnificent text of Sara Teasdale, this musical setting depicts the charms, joys, and excitement of the everyday moments we encounter in our lives. The music is energetic, spirited and perfect for youth choirs.

Poetry By: Sara Teasdale

This is a bold reimagining of Hildegard's chant, both tune and text. Actively quoting the source material, DiOrio's setting takes Hildegard's music as a launching point from which to imagine new sonic possibilities. This piece is meant to be experienced in the round, as the voices surround the audience and attempt to create an enactment of Hildegard's visions. Duration: ca. 5 minutes.

Composer: Hildegard von Bingen

One of the fresh young voices among American composers, Dominick DiOrio pulls apart Henry Purcell's song Thou Knowest, Lord, The Secrets of Our Hearts and weaves in his own original music to the Gerard Manley Hopkins poem Henry Purcell. Together, with Hopkins text and Purcells music, we are given a fresh context with which to examine both of these men and their artistic voices. For advanced choirs. Duration: ca. 5 minutes.

Composer: Henry Purcell

This is a work about the inspiration of creation in the observed wonder of nature. It is playful and ferocious, imbued with fire, flourish, and a relentless momentum.

This is the third work by DiOrio for chorus and marimba. Where A Dome of Many Coloured Glass (50498607) explores the virtuosic capabilities of this combination and Alleluia (50498734) is a work of extroverted exuberance, this work is concerned instead with the narrative demands of telling a story.

Here is music that is bright and partnered. The clarinet and viola weave opening lines from the bottom of their ranges skyward, while the piano has a simple repetitive walking motive. The chorus walks the path with the instruments, always moving and rarely static, even in the final chords which are both reflective and expectant.

This short minute-long work is joyous, enthusiastic, and full of expression - a whirlwind ride for any chorus, full of agile rhythms, lots of words and great positive emotions. A superb closer for better high schools, collegiate and adult choirs!

Commissioned for the 25th anniversary of the Cincinnati Children's Choir, We Will Do Miracles is a fun, inspirational, and boisterous tune for treble voices. The text is adapted from Walt Whitman's Song of the Open Road and is perfect for any occasion of joy and celebration. From the riveting dynamics to its strong lyrical message, this piece is a wonderful choice for any treble voice choir.

Honoring the humanitarian spirit of Dr. Richard Gieser, this is a work about the difference one can make by caring for those in need, and about the divinity inherent in every human. Musically, this exciting new work borrows traditional elements from the blues.

Commissioned by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington D.C., this new voicing becomes even more meaningful in turbulent times. This traditional Irish blessing speaks of those who give support in times of trial with a musical tapestry of unadorned, a cappella mixed chorus. The occasional divisi creates a sonic wash of color and overtones. Together in song, we do not walk alone.