Scott Robbins, composer

The Christ-Child Lay On Mary's Lap

SSA chorus

4:30

Peaceful setting for a cappella women's choir of G. K. Chesterton's poem. Click the button to hear the Converse Chorale perform this piece at the Ceremony of Lessons and Carols.

Demon and Violets

SSA chorus, piano(also SATB, piano)

16:00

Settings of four haiku. Quite atmospheric and nifty. The second and fourth movements provide opportunities for members of the choir to play percussion parts for bells and prayer stones.

2nd Prize: Composers' Guild 30th Annual Composition Contest

Herod's Throne

SATB chorus

4:00

Big a cappella Christmas carol, featuring text by Sarah Glendel. This piece has the feel of a lot of British choral music (think Holst or Vaughan Williams). Herod's Throne received first prize in the Amadeus Christmas Carol Competition in 2003 and was premiered by Toronto's 100+ voice Amadeus Choir. The recording appears on the information page.

1st Prize: Amadeus Christmas Carol and Chanukah Song Writing Competition, 2003

O God, Our Help In Ages Past/Isaiah 46:9-10

SATB chorus, organ

5:00

A millennial commission from Holt and Marcia Andrews for their choir at First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg, SC (a.k.a. my church). Holt was seeking a new setting of "O God, Our Help...," and I got the idea to incorporate the text from Isaiah into the middle of the piece. It's an interesting piece, and one that reminds me that writing for organ is tricky for non-organists (like me).

Passage

SSA, piano(also SATB, piano)

5:30

The third movment from Demon and Violets, which stands alone quite nicely as a contemplative, elegiac movement. The text is the death poem of 13th-century Bhuddist monk, Kozan Ichikyo (written on the day of his death), which I adapted into a double haiku. This is so sad (I think I love it).

3rd Prize: New York Treble Singers Composition Contest, 2001

Shall We Gather At The River?

SATB chorus, organ

5:00

Written for First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg choir. Performed at All Saints' Day service and on one of their community concerts. It's a fairly straight-forwarfd arrangement of the traditional hymn.

Sliver Moon

SATB chorus, piano

5:45

Commissioned by the Dale Warland Singers New Choral Music Program. This piece has seen a fair amount of action in the form of performances and prizes. It's a creepy poem (by Tomas L. McColt) and sets a creepy vibe--lots to like here.

1st Prize--Choral Music: Composer Guild 27th Annual Composition Contest

Finalist: G. Schirmer Young Americans Choral Competition, 1997

Finalist: South Bay Master Chorale Choral Competition, 1998

Finalist: Roger Wagner Contemporary Choral Composition Competition, 2000

Finalist: Greater Boston Choral Consortium Composition Contest, 2000 

Two Lullabies

SSA chorus

8:00

Written after the birth of my son, Aidin. These are two settings of William Blake's poetry, the first of which was used as Aidin's baptism song. Both are lovely--give a listen.

Unveiling

SSA chorus

4:30

So, my college has a statue of Marian Anderson in front of its auditorium. When it was installed in 2006, we decided to have an original composition to commemorate the occasion. "Unveiling" is that composition. It doesn't have anything specific to do with Marian Anderson, but Ruth Forman's poem about the joy of striving and creation seemed appropriate--and this work features some lovely opportunities for female voices to shine.

Wash Me Gently In The Black Water Of Heaven

SSA chorus, tubular chimes(also SATB chorus, tubular chimes)

4:30

This is a choral setting of one of Beverly Hay's poems from Windblown Secrets Where My Heart Should Be.