INCE JEFF AND DR. TAPPAN both shared about musical repertoire for choirs, I thought it would be nice to share my recent discovery at this time. About a month ago, I discovered a choral setting of Ave Verum Corpus by Philip Stopford on Facebook. This discovery led me to explore other choral works by the British composer and I am very impressed by his compositions!
Philip Stopford is an English sacred music choral composer and choir director. He is known for his contemporary a capella and accompanied settings of traditional Latin and English prayers and hymns. Personally, I enjoy his a capella pieces more than the accompanied ones. I think Stopford is very gifted in writing melodies and he arranges the voicing very effectively.
Mr. Stopford began his musical career as a chorister at Westminster Abbey. He went on to Oxford University to study music at Kelbe College. He has held positions at Truro Cathedral, Chester Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral and St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. Currently, Stopford is the music director of Christ Church Bronxville, NY. His works appeared in the Classical FM Hall of Fame in 2013 and 2014.
Here are three pieces by Stopford:
1. Ave Verum sung by Melisma
2. Do Not Be Afraid sung by Melisma
3. Te Deum sung by the Choir of St Polycarp’s Parish Church in Belfast
I hope you enjoyed his pieces. You can find videos of his works on his Youtube channel.
