Commissioned by Paul John Layzell, DL, CEng, FBCS, FHEA, First Service has been specially written as the first canticle setting for the Choir of Royal Holloway University of London.

Initial thoughts

Although I have been surrounded by Magnificat and Nuns Dimittis settings for many years (from Byrd to Weir), as both a singer in liturgical settings to my work as a conductor of choral groups, I have always found the task of composing a canticle setting really daunting. Not least down to the pressure of knowing how many good settings there are in existence (Howells and Sumsion springs to my mind), but as the Magnificat in particular is quite wordy. From my usual happy place of setting short prose or haiku, setting the Magnificat and the meanings laden therein is far from my comfort zone.

As part of my residency with the Choir of Royal Holloway, Rupert [Gough] approached me early-doors and mentioned that a canticle setting has not been specifically written for Royal Holloway (much like Howells many settings, but most famously Collegium Regale). The task was set…

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