Choral Music by Victor Davies
This page contains music for sale or rent (see buttons below each score or work). For perusal scores click Rent Score & Parts.
The works below have been performed on many kinds of concerts. For ideas about how to include them in your programming feel free to contact us.
Explanation of Instrumentation
AN ITALIAN BOUQUET (1997) 8’
SATB/piano and optional ad lib percussion - 2 triangles, bell tree, maracas, tambourine, and claves. (can or to be played by singers)
A medley of traditional Italian Folk Songs (in Italian): Santa Lucia; O Sole Mio; Vieni Sul Mar; Il Carnevale Di Venezia (The Carnival In Venice); La Paloma; Funiculi Funicula.
Commissioned by The Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir for their Italian tour.
BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED (2000) 4’
SATB unaccompanied motet with Latin, English, and French scriptural text.
Commissioned by Theodore Arcand for The Sovereign Military Hospitaler Order Of Malta.
Premiere: on the occasion of the National Investiture, at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Ottawa. May 13, 2000.
Dedicated to and premiered by The Cathedral Singers, Michel Guimont conductor. Other performances: North American Welsh Choir Argentina tour 2008, Mari Morgan, conductor.
Piano vocal/rehearsal score.
CELEBRATE CANADA (1984) 3’
A patriotic song in a rock idiom composed for a Canadian Heritage Festival tour.
SATB/piano (also arranged for brass band, and symphony orchestra). Lyrics Victor Davies.
Brass band premiere: Toronto Mendelsohn Youth Choir, Robert Cooper conductor.
Symphonic premiere: Royal Tour TV gala, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Polson, conductor, July 1, 1985.
Instrumentation: 2222/4330/timp/perc/strings.
Piano/vocal score for sale. (Brass Band and combo and orchestral versions available on rental)
Warner Chappell/Gordon V. Thompson publisher.
CHILDREN OF THE WORLD (1999) 3’
Rock ballad with a touch of ’90s rap, with dreams of a better future to come.
For treble voices in two parts with piano accompaniment.
also: longer version (6’ ) Male, female, children solos/children’s choir/rhythm: piano/bass/guitar/drums/
2 saxes/2 trombones/2 trumpets.
Lyrics: Victor Davies, French lyrics: Gerard Jean.
Piano/vocal for sale (score, band parts - rental). Also see Vocal
On the CD - Music Of The Pan Am Games
CHILDREN’S SONGS
For high voices, unison or two parts.
Victor Davies has written over 600 songs (music and lyrics) in a variety of popular styles for the CTV children’s television series Let’s Go! and The Rockets. Golden Toad Music is in the process of arranging many of these for publication and intends to put them into Victor Davies Songbooks, ten selections in each. Please inquire.
Some can be heard on the CD - Songs from Let’s Go! (for list of some additional song titles click here)
CITY OF THE PLAINS (1999) 7’
Mezzo soprano, baritone solos, chorus SATB/orchestra.
Lyrics: Victor Davies, French Lyrics: Gerard Jean.
A story in hoedown style, of a prairie city built by the force of dance and song.
The song is followed by dance variations in multi-cultural styles, (Chinese, East Indian, African/Caribbean, Ukrainian, French, Irish, Greek etc.) and builds to a rousing conclusion.
Piano/vocal/chorus score and orchestra score for sale (orchestra parts – rental).
Instrumentation: 2222/4331 /timp/2/harp/strings/rhythm (piano, bass, guitar drums) Also see Orchestra
On the CD - Music Of The Pan Am Games
THE DAFFODILS (1999) 5’
SATB/piano. Text - William Wordsworth
Commissioned by the Manitoba Choral Association for Choral Fest 1999,
Premiered at Choral Fest by massed high school choirs conducted by the composer
Piano vocal/chorus part for sale.
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (1986) 3’
SATB/piano or harp accompaniment,
A new arrangement of an old favourite.
Commissioned by CBC and featured on the Elmer Isler Singers CBC disc Welcome Yule.
Warner Chappell/Gordon V. Thompson publisher
HUSH-A-BYE-HUSH THE CHRIST CHILD IS SLEEPING (1997) 3’
SATB/piano Text: Victor Davies
A Christmas carol for choir dedicated to the Heinrichs on the occasion of their Lessons & Carols, Christmas 1997.
Premiered by the Shaftesbury Singers and The Elmer Isler Singers.
Piano vocal/chorus part for sale. Also see Orchestra With Solo and Vocal (soprano solo).
LIFTING THE SKY (2001) 10’
SATB/piano/narrator/Salish drum.
Text - Carolyn Maddux poetry, and traditional Salish story
Commissioned by the North American Welsh Choir, Mari Morgan, conductor.
Premiere May 2001 Shelton Washington
Performances: North American Welsh Choir - tour of Wales (UK premiere – Saint David’s Cathedral, Wales July 5, 2002); Trinity Wall Street, New York for 9/11 Remembrance Services; Washington - Smithsonian Institute;
tour of Atlantic Canada etc.
Piano/vocal/chorus score for sale.
ODE TO THE ATHLETES (1999) 7’
2 sopranos/chorus SATB and orchestra.
A mini cantata, a tribute to the art of sport. (text - Victor Davies)
Lyrical and mythic on a grand scale, sung by Tracy Dahl & Henriette Schellenberg at the Pan American Games closing ceremony for the extinguishing of the flame, with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Bramwell Tovey, conductor, and the 400 voice Pan Am Choir.
Instrumentation: 2 sopranos/chorus SATB/2222/4331/timp/2 perc/harp/strings.
Piano/vocal/chorus score and orchestra score for sale (orchestra parts - rental) Also see Orchestra, Vocal
On the CD - Music Of The Pan Am Games
REACH OUT GO FOR GOLD (1999) 5’
A call to triumph over all obstacles. Pan Am Games Opening Ceremonies theme song. (Lyrics: Victor Davies)
Female solo (pop voice) with gospel & massed choirs both SATB.
Instrumentation: 2222/4331/timp/2 perc/ harp/strings /piano, bass, guitar, drums.
Piano/vocal/chorus score and orchestra score for sale (Orchestra parts - rental) Also see Orchestra, Vocal
On the CD - Music Of The Pan Am Games
REVELATION (An oratorio) (1992-1996) 160’ (or less)
For soprano, mezzo soprano, 2 tenors, baritone, chorus and orchestra.
Based on the Biblical text of the Book of Revelation. Text adapted by the composer. (preface suggests cuts)
Commissioned by the Fast Family - (Bernhard, Luise (Goosen), Cornelius, Cornelia (Dahl) and William)
Premiere: Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Mennonite Oratorio Choir (William Baerg and Rudy Schellenberg conductors), Bramwell Tovey, conductor, February 3, 1996.
2 CBC radio broadcasts, first CBC broadcast on the Internet.
1 hour documentary by CBC TV’s Adrienne Clarkson Presents on the creation & premiere of the work.
Other performances: Festival Canada, Ottawa, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Ottawa Choral Society and St. Lawrence Choir (Montreal) (Iwan Edwards, chorus master), Bramwell Tovey, conductor, July 1997;
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Reason, conductor, Bach Elgar Choir and Vox Nouveau, May 2000.
Choral selections performed at PACEM Summer Sing - San Diego, 2005.
Instrumentation: 2222/4331/timp/2 perc/harp/synth=acoustic piano/strings.
Complete piano/vocal score, orchestra score, selections for piano and chorus (SATB) solos and duets, for sale. (Orchestra parts - rental)
Selections:
Chorus SATB:
How Long Oh Lord
Sing Unto the Lord a New Song
Salvation To God Who Sits on the Throne
Worthy is the Lamb Who is Slain
Now Has Come Our Salvation & Strength
Amen
The Kingdoms of This World
Praise Ye the Lord
Hallelujah! Let Us Be Glad & Rejoice
Baritone solo:
These Are They Which Came
Soprano/mezzo soprano duet:
That Great City Babylon Shall Be Thrown Down
Tenor solo and chorus:
True And Righteous Are Your Judgments
“Davies’ extraordinary work Revelation was an electric performance. For me it was the most stunning musical event in recent memory” Adrienne Clarkson - CBC TV.
“I have little doubt Davies’ work is a masterpiece. It is gloriously tuneful, brilliantly orchestrated and has all the aleatory chaos, harsh, brassy dissonances and driving percussive rhythms...used ...in stunning effective emotional contexts that tells a tale the human ear not only can easily comprehend, but is aching to hear.."
Hugh Fraser - Hamilton Spectator, May 29, 2000.“... a masterful oratorio ... The music is focused and graspable, its intentions genuinely heartfelt and sincere. It is Handelian inspiration viewed through a cinemascopic prism, with Mahlerian scaled heaven-storming aptly placed and effective. Revelation is a celebration of life, faith and music.” James Manishen - Winnipeg Free Press.
“Davies’ melodic skill assured that his ‘gospel with a swing’ Salvation to God And To The Lamb could stand next to the choral successes of Handel’s Messiah or Mendelssohn’s Elijah.” Professor John Martens - Concord College Winnipeg.
“Grand in scope, fervent in expression, apocalyptic in its vision, the oratorio Revelation made a deeply moving impression ...as the grand finale to Festival Ottawa’s four week program at the National Arts Centre......only the second performance.....but the work has already made its mark as one of the most significant large-scaled Canadian compositions of the late 20th century. ....the chorus delivers one memorable number after another: the rhythmically powerful...infectiously joyful...the poignant...and the radiant... Masterpiece may be too strong a word, for Revelation, but in its simplicity and sincerity, it seemed to touch virtually the entire audience.”
Robert Markow - The Globe and Mail
Overture I Was On The Island Patmos
SONGS from SEIZE THE FIRE (1976) (Various Lengths)
SATB unison and/or two parts.
Selections from William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience from Seize the Fire - Donald J. Unruh libretto.
Jerusalem
Echoing Green
Children of a Future Age
The Land of Dreams (Awake, Awake)
A Divine Image (Cruelty)
Tyger Tyger
London (Chimney Sweeps)
Hear The Voice Of The Bard
The Morning Comes
I Saw A Chapel All Of Gold
The Poison Tree
Piano vocal score/rehearsal piano part for sale. (orchestra score and parts - rental) Also see Theatre, Vocal.
THE STRIFE IS O’ER (1996 and 2007) 4’
SATB and brass/timpani.
Well known hymn often sung at Easter arranged by Victor Davies.
Premiere: CBC Broadcast, Sunrise Easter Service, 1996; and quintet version, 2007.
Instrumentation: Organ, brass quintet (2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba), and timpani;
or organ, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, and timpani.
Organ/chorus/rehearsal part for sale. (score and brass parts- rental) Also see Brass
WALKING IN THE FALL, KICKING LEAVES (The Journey Home) (1999) 4’
Children’s song, one or two parts with piano.
Text: Victor Davies: Walking In The Fall, Kicking Leaves; Christina Rossetti: Who Has Seen The Wind;
Anon: A Peanut Sat On A Railroad Track; I’m Glad The Sky Is Painted Blue; Bug In A Jug.
Commissioned by Manitoba Choral Association for Choral Fest 1999.
Premiered by massed school choirs conducted by the composer.
Piano/vocal/chorus/rehearsal part for sale. Also chorus part alone.