tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24301643832427184142025-10-04T15:38:20.433-04:00Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-62799618944889608772018-03-10T13:02:00.001-05:002018-03-10T13:02:42.705-05:00

An interview with Pierre Massie - Director and founder of The Stairwell Carollers - on the choir's 40th Anniversary Part 3 - Milestones and Moments    (this post appears originally in the Stairwell Carollers Choir Blog)                      Part 1              Part 2 I understand that

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-55436972407803169412017-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-23T08:00:08.953-04:00

Part 1 - Canadian Composers for the 40th - is here An interview with Pierre Massie (fellow tenor) - Director and founder of The Stairwell Carollers - on the choir's 40th Anniversary  (this post appears originally in the Stairwell Carollers Choir Blog) Part 2 - A Babe is Born by David Rain I understand you have also written a special composition to honour the choir’s 40th

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-76265259029592243762017-10-20T12:00:00.003-04:002017-10-20T12:08:35.783-04:00

An interview with Pierre Massie (Director and fellow tenor) - on The Stairwell Caroller's 40th anniversary  (this post appears originally in the Stairwell Carollers Choir Blog) Part 1 - Canadian Composers  by David Rain  How are you feeling about having led the choir for 40 years? It gives me great pleasure to have been singing with so many fine people over these past 40

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-64678596379531461142017-05-07T14:27:00.002-04:002017-08-25T12:34:48.005-04:00

(adapted from a post in The Stairwell Carollers Choir Blog) David Rain, tenor:  How on earth  do you hear everyone, including our mistakes, while singing along at full throttle? Pierre: I'm not sure, but you're definitely right about my being able to hear everything.  It's not necessarily that I can pin point a specific individual culprit, but I immediately know there's

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-9745826569991789782017-03-22T08:00:00.000-04:002017-03-29T14:27:32.551-04:00

The sheet music for my original bilingual arrangement of the classic Christmas Carol, O Holy Night,  is now available for digital download from SMP Press.  If you have been looking for that voice only choral version of this famous carol for your SATB choir -- here it is! The signature organ accompaniment to this piece made it challenging to set a cappella.  This

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-47853836025686524262017-03-20T14:19:00.001-04:002017-03-20T14:19:49.180-04:00

The sheet music for my original Christmas Carol,  Laudemus cum armonia,  is now available for digital download from SMP Press.  Laudemus cum armonia, "Let us praise with harmony",  is hymn-like in nature and one of the favorites of my choir. The song works well as a sacred song of praise and also as a Christmas carol as it describes the festival of the child's birth.

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-33192144274861271382017-01-26T16:14:00.003-05:002017-01-26T16:14:58.435-05:00

(Article also posted to the Stairwell Caroller Choir Blog) Another fun trip up the Tower for a very special Carillon Concert. This time, our Dominion Carillonneur, Andrea McCrady,  treated me with a program all my own! The elevator was out of service, so we all huffed and puffed our way up to the keyboard room. As Holly mentioned in the post announcing this upcoming concert,

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-14301039698256110132016-12-09T13:31:00.002-05:002017-03-29T14:18:13.512-04:00

I am so proud to announce that my compositions and arrangements are to be featured in a special noon hour Carillon Concert, Monday Dec 12, 2016! If you are in Ottawa, take a stroll to the Peace Tower, Centre Block, Parliament hill and have a listen! To be considered a favourite composer by our Dominion Carillonneur, Andrea McCrady is truly humbling. She has created exclusive

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-61718087544405928872016-09-30T14:16:00.003-04:002016-09-30T16:07:45.624-04:00

After years of singing traditional versions of The First Nowell, I felt it was a good time for a change.   This arrangement has everything a choral director could want; lower voices singing a verse, upper voices singing another and a finale that ends with two choirs and a soaring descant.   Have a listen and enjoy.   Your choir will get a 

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-54803792000770428972016-09-30T13:38:00.001-04:002017-03-29T14:14:36.117-04:00

I saw a swete semly syght is an original composition I wrote in 1998, based on words from the 15th century Ritson's Manuscript. It became the title track on my choir's most popular Christmas Carol CD to date, "I saw a sweet semly syght". The composition placed First in the Amadeus Choir International Carol Competition and premiered Dec. 5, 1999, at the Ford Center for the

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-33273700020135674082016-09-30T11:41:00.001-04:002016-09-30T16:07:45.613-04:00

Choir directors... I hope you enjoy my arrangement of Do You Hear What I Hear.  This particular version is reminiscent of "The Little Drummer Boy" - with lower voices mimicking the sound of the drum. I had long intended to do a choral setting of this piece,  and now -  with publisher's permission - here it is! Unfortunately, the only audio sample I can provide is of my

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-49091547064175096462016-09-13T21:26:00.001-04:002017-03-29T13:52:41.307-04:00

Eya, eya gaudeamus took first place in the 2007 Amadeus Choir International Songwriting Competition, where it was premiered by the Amadeus Choir under the direction of Lydia Adams. Each line speaks of the joy and festive nature of the Christmas season. Like most of my original pieces, I couldn't explain where the inspiration comes from - it just does. And a few hours or days later, I have a

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-30335359529078505972016-09-06T13:17:00.004-04:002016-09-30T16:07:45.609-04:00

The sheet music for my original setting of this beautiful French Christmas Carol is now available for digital download from SMP Press. The hire process is easy, and you don't have to wait for the sheet music to arrive in the mail. View the sheet music and listen to a sample mp3 of my Ottawa choir, The Stairwell Carollers, singing this arrangement.My arrangement of Dans cette étable is underscored

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-91590602275661740002016-09-06T13:13:00.001-04:002016-09-30T16:07:45.640-04:00

Attention, choral directors! My contemporary arrangement of Ça, bergers, assemblons nous has several sections providing variety from verse to chorus, unlike the Ernest Gagnon traditional version. The piece opens with the chorus sung by the sopranos and altos first as a duet and then as a quartet. It is then repeated by all voices. The sopranos and altos sing verse 1 alone. Tenors and basses

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-73446357757907476372016-09-05T13:19:00.001-04:002016-09-30T16:07:45.635-04:00

The sheet music for my original setting of this classic Christmas Carol is now available for digital download from SMP Press. The hire process is easy, and you don't have to wait for the sheet music to arrive in the mail. View the sheet music and listen to a sample mp3 of my Ottawa choir, The Stairwell Carollers, singing this arrangement. My Away in a Manger has a pure and

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-66286171741777727492016-08-31T13:46:00.000-04:002017-03-29T13:54:09.972-04:00

Calling all Choral directors! I really enjoyed working my New contemporary choral arrangement of "We Three Kings of Orient Are" with my choir, The Stairwell Carollers, and now you can too. It has a modern feel with an Eastern aura, evoking ancient Persia and the Wise Men who visited the baby Jesus in the stable. The sheet music for my original setting of this classic Christmas Carol is now

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430164383242718414.post-62602897869350112112016-08-31T13:29:00.000-04:002016-09-30T16:07:45.628-04:00

Tenors in rapturous song -- The Stairwell Carollers I am pleased to announce that my original Canadian Choral Compositions and Arrangements are now available for digital download from SMP Press, partner to Sheet Music Plus. For many years now Sheet Music Plus has been one of my favourite sources for sheet music for my choir, The Stairwell Carollers. I will keep you posted as I upload new

Holly Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08102929751215840202noreply@blogger.com0