SATB Secular Concert Choral Music

Only 18 measures long, this brief plea for peace is based on the words by Rabindranath Tagore: "Be still, my heart; these great trees are prayers."

Two of our greatest choral artists, Charles Silvestri and David Dickau, have united to celebrate the powerful ability of music to heal, unify, and inspire. The piano accompaniment adds energy and strength

"catch me in my youth e'er passing, leave not a single breath in want of mem'ries..." As the poem encourages us to live every moment fully, the musical setting reinforces this idea in both a pensive and

Presenting a message of inclusivity and acceptance, this delicate piece was given new life by a performance from music activist and conductor Alexander Lloyd Blake's award-winning ensemble, Tonality.

If there was ever a piece that describes a text in song, this is it. Sara Teasdale's descriptive words about the clouds become sound in this exquisite composition.  Accompanied by piano and celesta, a

"Come with me, under my coat, and we will drink our fill..." This love poem by James Stephens is set to a beautiful melody by David Dickau, placed above his signature harmonies and tasteful dissonances, and

This piece is an exploration of sounds with the human voice in a language created by the composer. Inspired by his own poem, the setting captures the magical moments of a day's beginning and end through a

John Magee's text is so inspiring it has been set to music many times, but this setting displays artistry, sounds, and excitement that make it stand out. The piano part is exquisite, almost completely

The lyrics of Persian poet Hafez are often quoted as proverbs and sayings to be pondered. The musical treatment of this choral adds an intensity and depth to those words. This contemplative piece has a

Have you ever awakened from a dream and wished you could return to it? This work begins with whispering noises before stating the Shakespeare text, and later brings some Chinese text into the mix, by

The poem in this motet proclaims the value of living in the moment in colorful ways. Each verse is followed by a Latin phrase that coalesces the thoughts in flowing counterpoint. The middle section plays

Using the sonnet that was written by Emma Lazarus to raise money for the Statue of Liberty as the text, this composition with fairly free tonailty and close harmonies offers the mature ensemble an

The text by Bliss Carman paints beautiful pictures of the seasons and expresses the joy of love in all, while the music provides a colorful accompaniment and flowing choral lines that paints the picture in

A beautiful setting of the Robert Burns poem. Some close harmonies and creative use of dissonance mixed with more traditional harmonic applications make the mild harmonic surprises delightful. Divisi in all

This setting of Emily Dickison's poetry was the Winner of the North Dakota State University Edwin Fissinger Choral Composition for 2022, laid out in a fluid, hymn style, highlighted by subtle tonal

Commissioned by the Manhattan Concert Productions, this piece was premiered at Carnegie Hall in 2017. The use of Tibetan bells and wind chimes provides an ethereal atmosphere that is echoed in the music and

William Blake's famous poem The Tyger has been the inspiration for many pieces of choral music. This interpretation was the winner of the 2013 NDSU Edwin Fissinger Choral Composition Contest.

Using "Ode" by Arthur O'Shaughnessy, Kevin Memley has composed a piece that celebrates music in dramatic fashion.  Beginning eloquently as a concert piece, it evolves into epic proportions that could

Opening and closing with Debussy's Arabesque No. 1, the artistic piano accompaniment provides a flowing texture that propels the lovely lyrical lines of the choral parts along in this original work. This