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| A Divine Voice Sings Through All Creation | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051475179 (2004) | ||
| Commissioned by the Music Ministry of First United Methodist Church, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in memory of our friend and fellow choir member, Robert Colegrove Meacham, Jr., 1947-2000 | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with organ | ||
| Text: Jewish prayer | ||
| Duration: c. 3' | ||
| First Performance: 15 September 2002, First United Methodist Church, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, David Brunner, conductor | ||
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| The commissioning of David Brunner to write a piece in memory of a fellow choir member was a great experience for the First United Methodist Church Chancel Adult Choir of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. David's suggested text and the way that he chose to set it was superb! He was sensitive in the creative ways that he used the voices with the aggressive organ accompaniment. The work was enthusiastically received by the choir from the very first rehearsal and was made even more special by a visit from the composer himself, who conducted the premiere. David's eagerness to learn of the choir's strengths, the church's acoustics, the organist's ability along with the organ's registration possibilities greatly assisted him in creating a work that is destined to make its mark in the world of church choral music. | ||
Tim Ward Director of Music First United Methodist Church |
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| A Hymn to God the Father | ||
| (from Three Sonnets of John Donne) | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051468621 (1996) | ||
| For the Schola Cantorum of Florida, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor | ||
| Voicing: SATB divisi chorus a cappella | ||
| Text: John Donne | ||
| Duration: c. 2'20' | ||
| First Performance: June 1992, The King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, Florida. The Schola Cantorum of Florida, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor. | ||
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| These pieces, part of Doreen Rao's
Conductor's Choice series, go far in achieving a goal of that series:
"education through artistry." The seventeenth-century metaphysical
poetry of John Donne evokes a sensitive musical response from David
Brunner, who states that the three settings should be 'performed together
without pause.' The first selection begins with a chant-like opening given to baritone solo and divided basses in canon. The other parts also divide briefly throughout this piece. The central portion of the work is built on sequential repetition of five-note melodic cells, creating a haunting build to a climax in which the bass voice emerges with a powerful melody. A choir with good control of intonation and vibrato would serve this music well. The baritone solo part is not difficult but requires a solid f1. 'A Hymn to God the Father' uses the chanted phrase 'God my Father' in varying tempos and repetitions to create a pedal-point or drone under a simple, flowing chant line. The soft dynamics and low tessituras (tenors and sopranos will need reinforcement from lower parts) create a mood of prayerful mystery. This piece would be most effective in a cathedral acoustic. At approximately five and one-half minutes, the third setting is the longest and most challenging of the set. The descriptive poetry of the last judgment summons a musical response that begins with voices imitating trumpet calls. Each part is required to negotiate a quick, octave leap on the word 'blow.' The modal writing and effective use of divided voices combine to create colorful chords in many passages. The melodic and harmonic use of major and minor seconds instills a tension throughout the work that is not resolved until the final 'amen' chord. The only problematic range is that of the bass part, which calls for some Ds and Es, as well as a final C. These could be sung an octave higher and should not detract from the use of this fine work by college ensembles or competent church choirs. |
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| The Choral Journal |
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| David Brunner's music is a voice easily distinguished from the crowd. Based on richly poignant texts, his inventive harmonies, fresh melodies and keen sense of structure make David's music immediately endearing. I have had the doubly distinct privilege of both commissioning Three John Donne Sonnets, We Are the Music Makers and the SATB version of O Music, and of recording the compact disc We Are the Music Makers: The Choral Music of David Brunner. From these collaborations, I can attest that David is among the preeminent compositional voices of the latter half of our century. David's music has the uncanny ability to soothe, excite, challenge, endear, and spiritually move both listener and performer. It is, without exception, the quintessential music of our time for the voice. | ||
| Jeff W. Reynolds Music Director International Cathedral Music Festival Chair, Department of Music University of Alabama at Birmingham |
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| A Living Song | ||
Boosey & Hawkes 48019360 |
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In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Choral Music Experience Institute for Choral Teacher Education, York, England 2006, and Doreen Rao, good friend, Founder and Artistic Director |
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Voicing: SATB with piano (48019360) |
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Text: Joseph Freiherr von Eichendrorff (1788-1857) and a 19th c. rattle fragment from the Northwest Canadian Coast |
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Duration: c. 3’ |
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First Performance: The Children’s Chorus of San Antonio, Marguerite McCormick, conductor, York, England, August 3, 2006; orchestral version, the New Millennium Festival, Doreen Rao, conductor, York, England, August 4, 2006 |
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This piece grew out of my love and admiration for Doreen Rao and what she has created with the CME Institute and series of publications through Boosey & Hawkes. Our friendship stretches back over twenty-five years and I have learned much from her about music and life, passion, authenticity and conviction, contemplation and reflection. This is a fitting gift for the 20th anniversary of the CME Institute. |
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My admiration extends to Marguerite McCormick and the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio, who premiered this piece at the 2006 institute in York, England, and with whom I have collaborated on a number of happy occasions. I thank them for their joyful music-making. |
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In addition, I have loved the text for which this piece is named and which was given to me some years ago by Doreen. It is a vision song found on a 19th century rattle fragment from the Northwest Canadian coast which was sung to a woman when she was sick: she then used it to cure others. I have wanted to set this for a long while and it was upon finding the additional poem of Joseph Freiherr von Eichendrorff that I sensed a natural connection between the two. The occasion of the CME anniversary and the long-held wish of Doreen and I to write an “anthem” of sorts for a wide community of singers converged as the perfect opportunity for this piece. |
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| After the Fire | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051468669 (1996) | ||
| For the University of Central Florida Chorus | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus a cappella | ||
| Text: Sandra Chapman | ||
| Duration: c. 5' | ||
| First Performance: April 1993,
Orlando, Florida. The University of Central Florida Chorus, David
Brunner, conductor. |
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| After the Fire was written on an original text by music educator and poet Sandra Chapman. The repetitious, agitated nature of the words is echoed in insistent, rhythmic, whirling musical figures, which lead to a close of optimism and hope. | ||
| All My Trials | ||
| Somerset Press SP 778 (1985) | ||
| Voicing: SATB divisi chorus a cappella | ||
| Text: Bahamian Spiritual | ||
| Duration: c. 3' | ||
| A lush setting of this well-known and popular spiritual. Easily sung and effective. | ||
| Amazing Grace | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051474806 (2004) | ||
| Commissioned by The Scottish Arts Council for The Stewarton Academy Choral Project, Mandy Miller, Director | ||
| Voicing: SATB and treble choruses with piano and flute | ||
| Text: John Newton (1725-1807) | ||
| Duration: c. 5' | ||
| First Performance: 18 June
2002, Glascow, Scotland, Mandy Miller, conductor |
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| (see listing under Treble Voices for annotation
and audio sample) |
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| At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners | ||
| (from Three Sonnets of John Donne) | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051468638 (1996) | ||
| For the Schola Cantorum of Florida, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus divisi a cappella | ||
| Text: John Donne | ||
| Duration: c. 5'30' | ||
| First Performance: June 1992,
The King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, Florida. The Schola
Cantorum of Florida, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor. |
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| (See listing under "A Hymn to God the Father" for annotation) | ||
| Batter My Heart, Three Personed God | ||
| (from Three Sonnets of John Donne) | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051468614 (1996) | ||
| For the Schola Cantorum of Florida, Jeff W. Reynolds, Director | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus divisi a cappella, baritone solo | ||
| Text: John Donne | ||
| Duration: c. 3'30' | ||
| First Performance: June 1992, The King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, Florida. The Schola Cantorum of Florida, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor. | ||
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| (See listing under "A Hymn to God the Father" for annotation) | ||
| Benedicto | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes (TBA) | ||
| Commissioned by The Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) for the International Honor Band and Choir Festival 2006; Waterloo, Belgium | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus and symphonic wind ensemble | ||
| Text: Edward Abbey (1927-1989) | ||
| Duration: c. 10’ | ||
| First Performance: International Honor Band and Choir Festival, David L. Brunner, conductor, Waterloo, Belgium, March 18, 2006 | ||
| Benedicto is a dramatic, ten minute work, on an evocative text by environmentalist Edward Abbey. We tend to think of a Benediction as a blessing of good things. This text, however, begins with the words “May your trails be crooked, winding, dangerous…” The journey continues through pastoral valleys, temples, castles, poet’s towers, mysterious swamps, deserts of red rock and grottos of endless stone, “and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm”. The destination, however, is “where something strange and beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you”. The orchestration is colorful and features an extended percussion section. This is an important contribution to the band and chorus literature. | ||
| Blest By Everything | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes HL48019690 | ||
| For The Florida Voices in celebration of their 10th Anniversary | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus and piano | ||
| Text: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) | ||
| Duration: C. 3’ | ||
| First Performance: The Florida Voices, David L. Brunner, conductor, Holley Hall, Sarasota, Florida, February 19, 2006 | ||
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| “We must laugh and we must sing. We are blest by everything.” These words of contentment and thankfulness honor the tenth anniversary of The Florida Voices and are set in a lyrical manner. | ||
| Cantate Domino | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051473564 (2002) | ||
| For Betty Mullet with appreciation and thanks from the students and parents of the Riverview High School Chorus | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano (Brass Quintet, timpani and piano version also available) | ||
| Text: Psalm 95 (96): 1-4 | ||
| Duration: c. 3'25' | ||
| First Performance: Florida Ambassadors of Music European Concert Tour, June 2002, David Brunner, conductor | ||
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| This festive and dance-like original composition is a celebration of song on the traditional text from psalm 95. Latin and English lyrics alternate through vibrant meter changes and leaping melodic lines, all within sensible vocal ranges and an eighth-note constant inner rhythm. A tapestry of joyful sounds for more capable choirs. | ||
J. W. Pepper &
Son, Inc. |
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| "Singing a new song" happens each time we approach a new piece. This setting of the familiar Cantate Domino text is full of rhythmic vitality, forward momentum and playful metrical surprises. | ||
| Cloth of Glory | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes 48019258 | ||
| Commissioned by the Zeta Tau chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota and the Mu Eta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfornia at the University of Central Florida. Dedicated to all those who rise from the ashes. | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus, cello and piano | ||
| Text: Mike Harding | ||
| Duration: c. 5' | ||
| First Performance: American Composer's Recital, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, April 14, 2003, David Brunner, conductor, Melissa Kraut, cello | ||
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| It is not often that composers have
the opportunity to write a piece for people they know well and who
are part of their everyday lives. When such opportunities arise, the
collaboration is often special and serendipitous. Such was the case
when the sisters of the Zeta Tau chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota and the
brothers of the Mu Eta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at the University
of Central Florida asked me to write a new work for their American
Composers concert in the spring of 2003. These were my students, and
soon to be collaborators and performers. What a privilege and pleasure. Their initial idea was to commission a piece to honor all those involved in and affected by the circumstances revolving around September 11th , all of us in one way or another. They wanted a song of mending, of rising from the ashes. This little poem from Mike Harding's 'A Little Book of Stained Glass' seemed to me to reflect their sentiments. Indirectly, yet in a powerful way, these few words speak of forging of something new and beautiful and radiant out of bits of lead, molten sand and ash. Out of the fire, the tribulation, shines the brittle, fragile cloth of glory. There is an emotional progression from the somewhat austere beginning, through a sense of hopefulness and expectancy, and finally warmth and assurance as the glass 'takes hold of the light'. |
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| The Dodger | ||
| Copland 2000 Series | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051472338 (2000) | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: Campaign Song | ||
| Duration: c. 2' | ||
| SATB adaptation of solo song from Copland's Old American Songs. Orchestral version parts available on rental from Boosey & Hawkes. | ||
| Eagle Poem | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051472031 (2002) | ||
| For the Singers of New Canaan Country School and their director Marsha Whitman | ||
| Voicing: SAB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: Joy Harjo | ||
| Duration: c. 3'20' | ||
| First Performance: 26 May 1999, New Canaan Country School, New Canaan, CT, David L. Brunner, conductor. | ||
| There is no way to simply characterize David Brunner's music! Each composition takes on a significantly different aspect, depending on the text... His choice of texts is remarkable. He is as comfortable with the poignant poem of a ten-year-old (Winter Changes) as he is with the sonnets of John Donne. Brunner is clearly a significant contemporary American choral composer, and for both variety of texts and beauty of choral sound, he is unsurpassed. | ||
Marsha Whitman New Canaan Country School |
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| This exquisite and evocative text by Joy Harjo is another of the Native American poems that have attracted the composer of the past few years. It speaks of beauty, of openness, of movement, of knowledge, of reverence, of prayerfulness, of authenticity. Our identity is with the eagle -- it's circles of motion reflect the circles of our lives, the circles of our knowing. | ||
| Earthsongs | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes (TBA) | ||
| I The World is Full of Poetry II In Safety and Bliss III We Join With the Earth and with Each Other |
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| Voicing: SATB chorus with oboe and piano (full score and orchestral version parts on rental from the publisher) | ||
| Text: James Gates Percival; Buddhist from the Sutta Nipata; United Nations Environmental Sabbath Program | ||
| Duration: c. 9' | ||
| First Performance: March 25, 2007, David L. Brunner, conductor, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY | ||
| (See listing under Treble Voices for annotation) | ||
| For Spacious Skies | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051469680 (1997) | ||
| For the 1996 North Carolina Middle School All-State Chorus, David L. Brunner, conductor | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano full score and orchestral version parts available on rental from the publisher |
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| Text: Katherine Lee Bates | ||
| Duration: c. 4' | ||
| First Performance: 10 November 1996, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The North Carolina Middle School All-State Chorus, David L. Brunner, conductor. Orchestral premiere: 27 June 1999, Carnegie Hall, New York City. The Young Singers Festival Chorus, David L. Brunner, conductor. | ||
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| You and your piece made a great impact on North Carolina. For Spacious Skies is a stunning piece, especially for patriotic occasions, and would bring the crowd to their feet. It did in North Carolina! | ||
Kathryn Sauls, Jr.
High/Middle School Chairperson North Carolina Music Educators Association |
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| Dr. Brunner lead the 1996 NC Middle School/Junior High Honors Chorus in an exciting and invigorating program. His selections were technically challenging as well as culturally diverse. The commissioned piece, For Spacious Skies, was truly elegant with a rich and sumptuous piano accompaniment. It was a rendition that stirred the senses, uplifted the soul and made you proud to be an American. | ||
Tred Berry, Jr.
High/Middle School Chairperson North Carolina Music Educators Association |
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| This sturdy setting of the text to America The Beautiful gives way to a tender rendition of the traditional tune, then combines both melodies before concluding with a powerful 'from sea to shining sea.' | ||
J.W. Pepper &
Son, Inc. |
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| I Am in Need of Music (Sonnet) | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes 48019254 | ||
| Dedicated to the memory of David Nott, Director of Choral Activities, Illinois Wesleyan University, 1964-1995 | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979) | ||
| Duration: c. 4’ | ||
| First Performance: Illinois Wesleyan University Collegiate Choir, J. Scott Ferguson, conductor, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Illinois, April 9, 2006 | ||
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| I Am In Need of Music was written as a memorial to David Nott, long-time director of choral activities at Illinois Wesleyan University. In honoring Nott, Brunner, one of David's fomer students, has written a lush, lyrical setting of a poem by Elisabeth Bishop that will appeal to a wide audience. The text speaks eloquently of the power of music to soothe and comfort, and Brunner's setting matches the eloquence of the words with delicate, sensetive gestures and effective word painting. | ||
J. Scott Ferguson |
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| An extremely sensitive setting of an extraordinarily beautiful poem. This is the sort of piece that speaks directly to the heart of the singer and the listener. | ||
David C. Rayl |
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| I have been attracted to Elizabeth Bishop’s Sonnet for some time. Each phrase seems to sing itself off the page: “I am in need of music that would flow over my fretful, feeling finger-tips”; “O for the healing swaying, old and low, of some song, sung to rest the tired dead”; “There is a magic made by melody”; “Held in the arms of rhythm and of sleep.” These seem appropriate words for David, his family, and the extended community of his former students | ||
| I See the Universe | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051471225 (1999) | ||
| For the Traverse City East Junior
High Symphonic Chorus, Wendee Wolf-Schlarf, conductor |
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| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: High Eagle, Osage/Cherokee Tribes | ||
| Duration: c. 2'05' | ||
| First Performance: 15 March
1998, Traverse City, Michigan. The Traverse City East Junior High Symphonic Chorus, David Brunner, guest conductor. |
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| When I started the commissioning projects at EJH, my goal was to have my students work with composers who also understood the artistry of making good choral music. Your music and teaching allowed that goal to be met. | ||
Wendee Wolf-Schlarf,
Director Traverse City East Junior High School Choirs |
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| An Osage/Cherokee text is plaintively set to flowing piano lines, haunting, angular melodies and warm harmonies in this captivating original work. An excellent choice for concert or festival activity. | ||
J. W. Pepper &
Son, Inc. |
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| In Celebration | ||
| Shawnee Press A-1460 (1978) (P.O.P.) | ||
| Voicing: SSATB chorus a cappella | ||
| Text: Walt Whitman | ||
| Duration: c. 2'45' | ||
| In the Beauty Way | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051470846 (1999) | ||
| For Doreen Rao and the 1997 Choral Music Experience Teacher Training Institute | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus and treble voices with piano | ||
| Text: Leo Platero | ||
| Duration: c. 6' | ||
| First Performance: 1 August 1997, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois. Doreen Rao, conductor. | ||
| In this meditative and strikingly beautiful setting, a Navajo prayer is featured with SATB voices and a smaller group of treble voices. The text is predominantly English, but the use of the Navajo language in a hushed whisper is particularly compelling. The prayer is 'That we your children might sing in the beauty way'. Gorgeous! | ||
J.W. Pepper &
Son, Inc |
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| Jubilate Deo | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051471683 (1999) | ||
| Commissioned by the Kentucky chapter of the American Choral Directors Association for the Kentucky 1998 Fall Convention All-State 5th and 6th grade Elementary Choir and MS/JH SSA and SATB Choirs | ||
| Voicing: SA(T)B with brass and organ full score and orchestral version parts on rental from the publisher |
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| Text: Sacred Latin text | ||
| Duration: c. 3'10' | ||
| First Performance: 14 November 1998, Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 1998 Kentucky All-State Choirs, David L. Brunner, conductor. Orchestral version premiere: 28 June 1999, Carnegie Hall, NYC, Young Singers Festival, David L. Brunner, conductor. | ||
| (See listing under Treble Voices for audio sample) | ||
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| David Brunner was a great composer to start our Kentucky ACDA commissioning journey. Having our All-State students work with the composer as conductor brought the music to life! | ||
Robert C. Paugh KDCA R&S Chair for Jr. High/Middle School Choirs |
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| David Brunner, an absolutely innovative composer and conductor! | ||
Donna T. Barnett KCDA R&S Chair for Children's Choirs |
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| The Lake Isle of Innisfree | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes (TBA) | ||
| Commissioned for its 25th Anniversary by the Capital District Youth Chorale, Diane Warner, Founder and Director |
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| Voicing: SAB chorus with oboe and piano | ||
| Text: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) | ||
| Duration: 3'45" | ||
| First Performance: Capital District Youth Chorale, Diane Warner, Conductor, May 18, 2008 |
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| The Little Horses | ||
| Copland 2000 Series | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051472659 (2000) | ||
| Voicing: SATB with piano | ||
| Text: Traditional Lullaby | ||
| Duration: c. 2'20' | ||
| SATB adaptation of solo song from Copland's Old American Songs. Orchestral version parts available on rental from Boosey & Hawkes. | ||
| The Lord is a Great God | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051474820 (2004) | ||
| Commissioned to glorify God on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, Tampa, Florida; Melissa Chivington, Director of Music Ministries; David E. Matthews, organist | ||
| Voicing: SATB with organ | ||
| Text: Isaiah 43: 1-3, Psalm 95: 1-6 | ||
| Duration: c. 4' | ||
| First Performance: 10 November 2002, Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir, Melissa Chivington, conductor | ||
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| Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church had the great honor and privilege to have David Brunner compose a commissioned anthem to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of our church which was celebrated in November of 2002. David's willingness to work with the goals we had for an anthem, his insight into the Biblical text we hoped could be used, and his wonderful sense of creativity that shows through in his musical style culminated into a wonderful celebratory anthem entitled 'The Lord Is A Great God' -- one that I am sure that will be a favorite for years to come. | ||
Melissa Chivington Director of Music Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church |
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| Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida celebrated its 75th anniversary year in 2002. They had much to be thankful for: the richness of their past, their recovery from an arson fire in recent years, and their optimism for the future. The choice of texts was a mutual endeavor, the Isaiah text chosen, in part, for its reference to 'passing through the fire and not being consumed by the flame'. The Psalm text reflects their joy at this milestone in their history. The recurrence of the text 'do not fear', with its related musical material, has been purposefully used as an architectural support, and a textual reassurance, as well. | ||
| O Music | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051468003 (1995) | ||
| For the Brevard Community Chorus, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with cello and piano | ||
| Text: Kahlil Gibran | ||
| Duration: c. 4' | ||
| First Performance: 15 November 1994, Brevard Community College, Melbourne, Florida. The Brevard Community Chorus, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor. | ||
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| An expressive work for chorus, cello and piano which is becoming a popular choice for regional festival lists. | ||
J.W. Pepper &
Son, Inc. |
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| Kahil Gibran's words reflect profoundly personal feelings of our experience with music. Beautiful long-breathed phrases and broad, arching melodic lines and an achingly beautiful cello solo characterize this setting. | ||
| Ode to the Present and Future Days | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes (TBA) | ||
| For the International Cathedral Music Festival at Canterbury, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus and mezzo soprano
soloist with orchestra full score and orchestral version parts on rental from the publisher |
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| Text: Pablo Neruda | ||
| Duration: c. 23 minutes | ||
| First Performance: Canterbury
Cathedral, Canterbury, and Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, England, July 2000. The International Cathedral Music Festival, Jeff W. Reynolds, conductor. |
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| David's newest work for Soprano soloist, chorus and orchestra , 'Ode to the Present and Future Days' , is his most glorious and imaginative to date. Based on texts by Pablo Neruda, the music captures the very essence of the poet's admonishment to chase our dreams with abandon and to seek lives filled with beauty and purpose. A macaronic work, David's 'Ode' intertwines elements of chant, soaring melodies for the chorus, a beautifully haunting cello solo, and reminiscences of cathedral bells from the orchestra. Commissioned and premiered for the millennium celebration of the International Cathedral Music Festival in Canterbury Cathedral, the work and its composer were received with great excitement by those who filled the church. David has surpassed even his own previous mark with this one! | ||
Jeff W. Reynolds,
Music Director International Cathedral Music Festival |
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| Of Such I Dream | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes (TBA) | ||
| Commissioned by the Trouveres of All Saints Church, Pasadena, California, Stephanie Mowery, Director |
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| Voicing: SAB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: Langston Hughes | ||
| Duration: c. 4' | ||
| First Performance: the Trouveres of All Saints Church, Stephanie Mowery, Director, Pasadena, California, April 20, 2008 | ||
| Of Such I Dream | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes (TBA) | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: Langston Hughes | ||
| Duration: c. 4' | ||
| (See listing under SAB version above for annotation) | ||
| Of Thee I Sing (America) | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051474219 (2002) | ||
| For the 2002 Secondary All-County Choruses, Kanawha County, West Virginia | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: Samuel Francis Smith (1808-1895) | ||
| Duration: c. 3'20' | ||
| First Performance: 8 March 2002, Charleston, West Virginia. The combined High School and Junior High/Middle School All-County Choruses, David L. Brunner, conductor. | ||
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| Few songs in the rich heritage of American patriotic music are as widely known and sung as America. Here the words of Samuel Francis Smith are set to a new melody which is sturdy yet lyrical, fresh yet familiar. Interspersed throughout are instrumental flourishes which lend strength and fanfare. The final verse gives way to the traditional tune, but in duple time and with a new harmonization. The effect is one of strength and solidity. | ||
| Psalm of Praise | ||
| Boosey and Hawkes (TBA) | ||
| Commissioned in honor of the 30th anniversary of the St. Louis Children's Choirs, Barbara Berner, Artistic Director | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: Psalm 104: 1-3, 24, 31, 33 | ||
| Duration: c. 3' | ||
| First Performance: St. Louis Children’s Choirs, Barbara Berner, Artistic Director, St. Louis, Missouri, May 18, 2008 | ||
| The Painted Book | ||
| Boosey and Hawkes M051472048 (2001) | ||
| Commissioned by the Venice High School Concert Choir, Stephen Johns, director | ||
| Voicing: SATB chorus with piano | ||
| Text: late 15th c. after Nezahualcuyotl. Nahuatl, Texcoco | ||
| Duration: c. 4'10' | ||
| First Performance: May 1999, Venice, Florida. The Venice High School Concert Choir, David Brunner, conductor. | ||
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| The harmony and voice leading in the composition were well within the capabilities of the group. Students enjoyed exploring the beauty of the melody and the layering on of harmonies. This composition quickly became a favorite of the singers. Along with the pride they felt singing a piece written for them, they were very aware of the striking beauty of the music. I have had the pleasure of performing and directing students in many of Dr. Brunner's compositions. One thing that interests me about his compositions is the treatment of the text. He very carefully crafts his music to the natural stress of each syllable. His melodies seem to sing themselves. The music and text of his pieces flow very nicely together and are quite beautiful. | ||
Stephen Johns, Director Venice High School Concert Choir |
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| While the tradition, it seems, was oral, some writings took the form of paintings on vases, books, or screen folds. Fewer than twenty of these 'painted books' have survived from Meso America, and their exact reading remains a mystery. The central image, however, is that of a life lived with some hope of meaning. "Your heart is a book of paintings, you have come to sing, to make your dreams resound. You are the singer!" | ||
| Simple Boat | ||
| Boosey & Hawkes M051476138 | ||
| Commissioned by Weerter Gemengd Koor 'VIVACE', Kammerfoor Cantate Venlo, Beeker Liedertafel & Chevremonts Mannerkorr 1912 Kerkrade, Dion Ritten, Artistic Director, in his 25th anniversary as conductor. For the Sierra Leone project of War Child Netherlands. | ||
| Voicing: SATB and treble chorus with piano (full orchestra version also available) | ||
| Text: Irish Fisherman's Prayer/The Way of the Bodhisattva | ||
| Duration: c. 7:15 | ||
| First Performance: October 1 and 2, 2004, Weert Munttheater, Kerkrade Wijngrachttheater, Dion Ritten, conductor | ||
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| The refrain “a simple boat” recurs throughout the piece, not only as a unifiying device, but also a reminder that we, personally, possess the simple means to bring about the benefit of beings. That we, individually, can be a bridge or boat for those who have need of one. I know David Brunner as a very fine composer and person. For his compositions he always chooses interesting and profound texts. Simple Boat is a perfect combination of texts from an Irish Fisherman's Prayer and a Buddhist text. It is an expressive work, composed with great musical integrity and beautiful melodies. The first performance of Simple Boat was very emotional and moving and had a marvelous response by the audience, who gave a standing ovation. Thank you, David, for, again, a very valuable enlargement of the choral literature. | ||
Dion Ritten Conductor, Weerter Gemengd Koor "VIVACE" The Netherlands |
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The occasion of an anniversary is always a reason to celebrate. When my friend Dion Ritten approached me to write a piece for his 25th anniversary with his choirs, I was eager to do so. What made the project even more compelling was his wish that the concert become an opportunity for greater awareness and a way to contribute to a greater cause. His choice was the Sierra Leone project of War Child Netherlands. It was a collaboration I had to be a part of.
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