A stunningly beautiful new setting of the Latin text, this work is vocally expressive and immensely rewarding in performance.

Three short pieces for mixed choir a cappella set to texts of American poets. May be performed separately or as a set. 1. Fire and Ice (Robert Frost) 2. Richard Cory (Edwin Arlington Robinson) 3. sweet spring is your (e.e. cummings) Recorded by Volti, Robert Geary, Director.

Duration ca. 5 minutes.

With a text adapted from a traditional hymn, this setting has an expansive and thoughtful feel about it, never bombastic, but instead rather grand. Also available in mixed and men's chorus editions. Recorded by Wellesley College Choir; Lisa Graham, director.

With a text adapted from a traditional hymn, this setting has an expansive and thoughtful feel about it, never bombastic, but instead rather grand. Also available in mixed and men's chorus editions. Recording by the Wellesley College Choir; Lisa Graham, director.

Legendary composer Kirke Mechem sets the Hebrew text that reminds us to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels. This inspirational text for SATB a cappella choir is accessible for all levels of choirs able to sing in an a cappella style and worthy of the best choirs as well.

From Psalm 137, "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion," this a cappella motet is filled with longing and deep emotion.

With a special connection to the poetry of Langston Hughes, Kirke Mechem has written a new, a cappella spiritual. Opening with a musical statement by a soprano soloist, the soloist is featured throughout. In a typical, Mechem musical style, this tour de force is lush and new and emotional. Duration: ca. 3:00.

Poetry By: Langston Hughes

This is a joyful and celebratory anthem that is perfect for worship or concert. The text is inspired by the writings of Martin Luther and celebrates the gift and healing power of music.

Written in a quasi Handelian/Bach dramatic style in order to give this brand new piece a timeless quality. And a timeless quality is exactly what the Truth requires of all of us as well. The text, adapted by the composer from old testament sources gives the singers a sense of fighting back against the falsehoods we encounter everyday.

The green movement seems so contemporary, it comes as a shock to find the words of this music were written by Hildegard von Bingen of the 12th century. Kirke Mechem has created a round that cleverly employs an unending circle-of-fifths progression to capture the never stopping reality of the round. Commissioned by the Peninsula Women's Chorus, Martin Benvenuto, Artistic Director. Duration: Ca. 4 minutes 30 seconds

Composer: Hildegard von Bingen

This setting is new music to the words of an old spiritual. Believed to come from the Gullah language of the South Carolina sea islands, this setting explores the rhythmic possibilities of the words and the striking musical qualities of the consonants and vowels.

The title of this song perfectly captures the spirit of the music: upbeat, happy, energetic and lots of fun to sing. With shifting tonalities and changing meters, this will be a choir and a concert favorite.

A duet from the Kirke Mechem opera The Newport Rivals, this setting for chorus makes a poetic and expressive work for either mixed or women's ensembles. Light and gracious, it would program nicely with other love-themed works.

Recorded by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, one of only three American works selected for the World Peace Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the United Nations. This setting shows the high-calibre choral skills Mechem achieved while studying with Randall Thompson at Harvard.
Psalms 100

Commissioned by the Stanford University Memorial Church Choir, these three mass movement miniatures are subtitled Trinity. The composer, Kirke Mechem, writes: the unity and universality of the human spirit whether expressed in religious, philosophical or personal terms. It is in this spirit that I have musically combined separate parts of the mass in each of its three movements. Movements include: Kyrie/Sanctus, Hosanna/Benedictus, Agnus Dei.

The great American composer, Kirke Mechem has taken this classic folk song of unknown origin and set it for SATB chorus, baritone soloist (playing the part of the poet of this text) and piano or organ with optional string orchestra. This is a theme and variations arrangement and one that will challenge any fine choir without challenging the ears of the listeners. Score and parts for string orchestra available on rental from the publisher.

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, the composer has set this 17th century text describing how children should behave in church. The music is light and allows lots of space to color this very funny, probably ineffective, and colorful text. This will lighten the mood of any concert.

With lyrics by the composer broadly inspired by Martin Luther, Mechem has crafted a comical work in a neo-Baroque style. The optional children's choir (or adult sopranos and altos) sing Bach's melodies of Sheep May Safely Graze and Sleepers Awake, with a simplicity that makes them perfect foils against the devilish music of Satan!

Duration ca. 3 minutes.

Adapting the text from the James Whitcomb Riley poem A Song of Singing, here is a song for men that celebrates the joy and exuberance of singing. With a fast and jazzy feel, the men sing some words but mainly they sing worldless sounds to capture the energy of the text.

Weaving together poems, writers, historical sources, legendary musicians and friends, the composer has crafted a compelling work that extols the importance of singing. Kirke Mechem continues to resonate as an important 21st century compositional voice and one that all singers will enjoy experiencing and sharing.

Kirke Mechem composed the Seven Joys of Christmas for the Chamber Singers of the San Francisco College for Women. He set out with the goal of setting lesser-known, but none the less attractive, carols from different countries in order to paint different aspects of joy for the Christmastide. He employed the number "Seven" because it is considered a magical number (as it is applies to mystery in the liturgy). The final carol, God bless the master of this house, is an amusing combination of all the carols in the composition, in addition to other well-known Christmastide melodies. In certain passages, two, three, even four different carols are being performed at the same time!

Kirke Mechem composed the Seven Joys of Christmas for the Chamber Singers of the San Francisco College for Women. He set out with the goal of setting lesser-known, but none the less attractive, carols from different countries in order to paint different aspects of joy for the Christmastide. He employed the number "Seven" because it is considered a magical number (as it is applies to mystery in the liturgy). The final carol, God bless the master of this house, is an amusing combination of all the carols in the composition, in addition to other well-known Christmastide melodies. In certain passages, two, three, even four different carols are being performed at the same time!

Kirke Mechem composed the Seven Joys of Christmas for the Chamber Singers of the San Francisco College for Women. He set out with the goal of setting lesser-known, but none the less attractive, carols from different countries in order to paint different aspects of joy for the Christmastide. He employed the number "Seven" because it is considered a magical number (as it is applies to mystery in the liturgy). The final carol, God bless the master of this house, is an amusing combination of all the carols in the composition, in addition to other well-known Christmastide melodies. In certain passages, two, three, even four different carols are being performed at the same time!

Kirke Mechem composed the Seven Joys of Christmas for the Chamber Singers of the San Francisco College for Women. He set out with the goal of setting lesser-known, but none the less attractive, carols from different countries in order to paint different aspects of joy for the Christmastide. He employed the number "Seven" because it is considered a magical number (as it is applies to mystery in the liturgy). The final carol, God bless the master of this house, is an amusing combination of all the carols in the composition, in addition to other well-known Christmastide melodies. In certain passages, two, three, even four different carols are being performed at the same time!

Kirke Mechem composed the Seven Joys of Christmas for the Chamber Singers of the San Francisco College for Women. He set out with the goal of setting lesser-known, but none the less attractive, carols from different countries in order to paint different aspects of joy for the Christmastide. He employed the number "Seven" because it is considered a magical number (as it is applies to mystery in the liturgy). The final carol, God bless the master of this house, is an amusing combination of all the carols in the composition, in addition to other well-known Christmastide melodies. In certain passages, two, three, even four different carols are being performed at the same time!

Kirke Mechem composed the Seven Joys of Christmas for the Chamber Singers of the San Francisco College for Women. He set out with the goal of setting lesser-known, but none the less attractive, carols from different countries in order to paint different aspects of joy for the Christmastide. He employed the number "Seven" because it is considered a magical number (as it is applies to mystery in the liturgy). The final carol, God bless the master of this house, is an amusing combination of all the carols in the composition, in addition to other well-known Christmastide melodies. In certain passages, two, three, even four different carols are being performed at the same time!

Kirke Mechem composed the Seven Joys of Christmas for the Chamber Singers of the San Francisco College for Women. He set out with the goal of setting lesser-known, but none the less attractive, carols from different countries in order to paint different aspects of joy for the Christmastide. He employed the number "Seven" because it is considered a magical number (as it is applies to mystery in the liturgy). The final carol, God bless the master of this house, is an amusing combination of all the carols in the composition, in addition to other well-known Christmastide melodies. In certain passages, two, three, even four different carols are being performed at the same time!

Using the tune The British Grenadiers and a text by Joseph Warren, Kirke Mechem has created a wonderful patriotic showcase for men's choirs with piccolo and parade drum. The robust melody and wonderfully singable harmonies will bring a spirit of pride to your concert.

Five very short pieces serve as a fine example of Mechem's ability to weave separate poems into a connected story. The texts, about the joy and despair of love, are by one of America's great masters of the short lyric, Sara Teasdale.

Poetry By: Sara Teasdale

Written for the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, this setting of the famous Wordsworth sonnet explores the conflict between the material world and nature. Word painting and vocal imagery create a compelling world of sound and texture in this short a cappella work. Duration: ca. 5:20.

The third in a suite of four, the text forms a requiem in miniature, with varied vocal textures and harmonies and dynamic contrasts.

Kirke Mechem's choral works consistently reflect his ability to create memorable, meaningful and artistic experiences for performers and audiences. The first in the set, I Will Sing Alleluia, is written for mixed voices, piano, flute, triangle and temple blocks. It Is Good To Give Thanks is for unison voices and piano or organ and the third, Psalm 23 is for mixed voices a cappella with a ground bass (cello, bassoon, or organ).

With Baritone Solo.

Duration ca. 8 minutes.

An old American folksong provides the text for this setting. The composer has adapted into an original madrigal, using fa-la-la refrains to replace the traditional nonsense syllables.

Country: United States

Beautiful poems by American poets Sara Teasdale and Phyllis McGinley, each telling a very human Christmas story. Teasdale's Carol contrasts the magnificence of the songs of angels and kings with the baby Jesus, who fell asleep before the song was done. McGinley's Ballad is a retelling of the ancient legend of Befana the Housewife, always too busy to greet the new-born babe until it is too late. The Choral Journal called these two pieces brilliant choral writing...enthusiastically recommended...

Poetry By: Sara Teasdale

Beautiful poems by American poets Sara Teasdale and Phyllis McGinley, each telling a very human Christmas story. Teasdale's Carol contrasts the magnificence of the songs of angels and kings with the baby Jesus, who fell asleep before the song was done. McGinley's Ballad is a retelling of the ancient legend of Befana the Housewife, always too busy to greet the new-born babe until it is too late. The Choral Journal called these two pieces brilliant choral writing...enthusiastically recommended...

Poetry By: Sara Teasdale