O the snow!

O the snow! was commissioned by Phoenix Chamber Choir (Vancouver, BC), – Artistic Director, Nicholle Andrews – and premiered on December 11, 2021 in Vancouver.

Edition updated: January, 2025.

I first heard Phoenix perform live when they performed in early 2020 at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity as part of the Choral Art program. The performance was full of energy and featured a range of musical styles and challenging repertoire, and I remember being really pulled into their artistry and excellence. And so, when Dr. Andrews asked me to write for them, I was excited to explore some challenging musical ideas that I knew Phoenix could really dig into! The vision was for a rhythmic, faster work with a light dancing quality, and this excerpt from John Whitaker Watson’s poem Beautiful Snow was the perfect fit.

This piece has changing textures throughout; sometimes using a double-choir texture with one SATB group singing the melody and another group providing the dancing snowy texture, sometimes dividing upper and lower voices, and ending with an extended coda section that begins homophonic and plays with changing textures as it goes along. Conductors – you are welcome to play around with the divisi in the double-choir sections (such as the very beginning) if it’s appropriate for your group to have more voices on the melody.

This is a challenging, fun piece with lots of play in the rhythm and layering of sonorities.