Matthew Emery : Be Still, My Heart

Sometimes profundity emerges through simplicity. Composer Matthew Emery specializes in making musical statements that carry all the harmonic weight of a divisi choir, while using only four voice parts. This meditative piece matches his musical artistry with the wisdom of polymath Rabindranath Tagore. Sing it through on sounds without words, then add the text, and you will be transported.

This text welcomes the long-awaited arrival of the railway system and the benefits it will bring, bidding good riddance to the slow, rough-riding stage coaches of the era. The music has a folk-inspired melody while utilizing contemporary harmony and voice leading. The piano part changes throughout the short work, adding interest while providing a stable foundation for the choir.

This lyrical Christmas anthem is composed in three sections with the opening section built on a melody passed among voices. The middle section is slower and the final section features the basses singing the melody with the upper voices floating above as if they were the angels gathering to witness the birth. Overall, the song speaks to the serene and delicate moments inspired by the original latin text Puer Natus.

Three French Canadian folk songs make a superb set for any concert program. Roll On, My Ball, Roll On tells a tale of ducks and hunting and silver guns and an evil prince, all the while you can picture a small child rolling a ball down a lane. Provided in the original French, all three songs enable an exploration in French-speaking Canada. The complete set includes J'ai Cueilli la Belle Rose, Petit Rocher, and En Roulant Ma Boule Roulant.

Country: French Canadian

An enchanting piece, the text and melody pair beautifully to paint a picture of a peaceful evening during which the singers can wish their love "Good-Night." Don't worry, the music is too imaginative and charming for the audience to actually fall asleep.

This Emily Dickinson poem illuminates themes of generosity and selflessness. It asks us to think of others before ourselves, encouraging us to reflect the need in today's society for humility and thoughtfulness. The melody weaves in and out of the piano line creating a contemporary feel.

Poetry By: Emily Dickinson

Although the diatonic harmonies seem a bit unexpected at times, they are well worth any extra attention you might have to pay them! And the homophonic treatment of the piece allows the listener to comprehend and appreciate the seventeenth-century text, which tells of Jesus as the light dispelling the darkness.

This beautiful text by Canadian poet Bliss Carman speaks to themes of peace, thankfulness and humility. The texture is mostly homophonic with brief sections of divisi to illuminate colors and images in the text. There are short passages for SSA and TBB that add interest in color and texture and also offer opportunity to feature sections.

Three French Canadian folk songs make a superb set for any concert program. This selection shares the spring pastime of a young girl collecting the first white rosebuds of the season. Provided in the original French, all three songs enable an exploration in French-speaking Canada. J'ai Cuelli la Belle Rose, Petit Rocher, and En Roulant Ma Boule Roulant.

Country: French Canadian

Setting the poem by Australian poet John Shaw Neilson, composer Emery combines a memorable melodic line and a steadfast piano accompaniment to deliver the message that everyone has a voice and the right to be heard and valued.

In the tradition of lullabies past, "Lie Still and Slumber" encompasses the soothing comfort of angelic voices with tender words like those of this text by Isaac Watt. Delicate and smooth, this piece recreates the rocking of a cradle or a mother's arms through the rhythmic sway created by the rising and falling of the arpeggiated accompaniment.

Canadian composer Matthew Emery is a name to watch. This piece was chosen as the winner of the 2012 Nova Scotia Choral Federation Choral Competition. Last year Pavane published his When the Sun Comes After Rain which became one of the best-sellers of the year. Although still a college student, Matthew speaks the musical language of the 21st century while selecting time-honored texts with great meaning. For high school, college and community choirs.

Long, legato lines and shifting tonal centers describe this setting by Matthew Emery of this famous James Joyce poem. Speaking of the power of both love and music and how they intertwine and collide, the musical setting is sensitive and powerful and will be a favorite of a good high school or collegiate choir.

Poetry By: James Joyce

This musical setting of the Dekker poem employs a warm, lush harmonic language along with a lovely, lyrical treatment of this familiar bedtime poem. Commissioned and premiered by the NW ACDA Women's Honor Choir, this is a wonderfu addition to serious treble literature.

There are certain texts that have been set to music for centuries. Texts from the liturgical mass carry a rich legacy, and in the right hands, can breathe fresh sounds. Matthew Emery is a Canadian composer who only recently emerged onto the scene. Here a steady 4-part writing, beautiful sonorities and a 21st century musical vocabulary present a delightful new work appropriate for high school, college, community and church groups. Medium difficulty.

This was the winning entry in the DaCapo Chamber Choir (Canada) 2014 New Works competition. As each phrase moves to and from chords in inversion, the music ebbs and flows depicting life's flow, until the final phrase sweeps into a starry night toward the road's final ending.

Here is a work about light. Light which brings peace, hope, awareness and wholeness. The a cappella writing is descriptive and transparent and a wonderful vehicle for exploring choral colors.

While we as humans are rooted here to the ground, why do we always look up when searching for answers? This music explores this ancient theme with long phrases, repeated words and the seemingly unending musical lines.

Three French Canadian folk songs make a superb set for any concert program. The Small Rock finds our poet climbing the hills to find comfort, wishing for wings like the birds she hears, and finally praying to God and the Holy Virgin for help. Provided in the original French, all three songs enable an exploration in French-speaking Canada. J'ai Cueilli la Belle Rose, Petit Rocher, and EnRouland Ma Boule Roulant.

Country: French Canadian

Who doesn't remember musical moments in their past, when singing became transcendent and the moment became a memory never to be forgotten? Henry Van Dyke's poem recalls that time and Matthew Emery, the young Canadian composer attracting everyone's attention, set it to song. You just want to sing it, that's all that needs to be said. High school, college, festival, community choirs. Easy to medium.

This is the perfect song of encouragement from the poem by Katharine Tynan - be yourself - sing your song. Matthew Emery's setting maintains a vitality that not only encourages but celebrates it. An excellent festival song for high school and college choirs, and community choirs too. Easy to Medium.

This beautiful text by Metaphysical poet John Donne brings a poignant message that as long as you keep what is most loved in your heart, you are never truly parted. This lovely idea is held together by a common melody, sung by the sopranos, which transforms through various key changes, symbolizing life's always changing pulse.

Neilson's poem speaks to something that is immortal, a companion to guide us through life. The unison voices are independent from the accompaniment and provide an important opportunity for your singers to develop strong musicianship.

From the pen of rapidly rising young composer Matthew Emery and winner of the 2013 ACDA Raymond W. Brock Memorial Student Composition Contest, this a cappella setting of the Robert Herrick poem is a beautiful addition to serious choral repertoire. With dramatic use of dynamics, a fresh harmonic language and a timeless text, this is a wonderful selection for college and community choirs.

With a text written by the members of the Atlantic Girl Choir and adapted by the composer, this music is strong and forceful and a powerful statement for women to stand together, hands together, unified and ready to make a better world.

Matthew Emery is an emerging composer that writes with a maturity beyond his age. This imaginative setting of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem brings a freshness as real as the smells after a summer rain. A great choice for high school and college choirs.

Poetry By: Robert Louis Stevenson