Patrick Hawes

Patrick Hawes The Nativity

Voce

Label: Signum Classics
Format: CD
Barcode: 0635212075227

Catalog number: SIGCD 752
Releasedate: 03-11-23

- A whole album of new Christmas music by one composer
- World Premiere Recording of new Christmas choral works
- An abundance of attractive memorable melodies
- Contemporary music rooted in the past particularly in its use of polyphony
- A unique symbiosis in words and music by brothers Andrew and Patrick Hawes
- Continuing Voce’s championing of contemporary composers

One of Britain’s most popular contemporary composers, Patrick Hawes, has teamed up with the excellent Voce Chamber Choir of Connecticut to create an album of twenty brand-new Christmas choral works. Specially written for the choir, the first collection and album title, sets words by Patrick’s poet brother Andrew. The Nativity, for unaccompanied choir, moves through the Christmas nativity scene exploring the drama of this momentous moment in human history. For the second collection, Patrick has set Four Christmas Motets, the fragile ancient poetry giving rise to tender and heartfelt music for unaccompanied choir. The album goes on to explore the Christmas story through various texts, old and new, in works that are set to become extremely popular with choirs around the world.