My choral setting of Christopher Marlowe's beloved poem. I have used the oboe to sort of metaphorically represent a kind of "shepherd's pipe." The painting pictured here is by William Holman Hunt, one of my favorite artists.

Sheet music available at: http://www.sbmp.com/SR2.php?CatalogNumber=1189

Soprano:
Hahna McGrath, Bethany Thornton, Laura Wilkerson, Kelsi Williams
Alto:
Savannah Brown, Christen Case, Megan McCollum, Esther Myers, Macayla Raney
Tenor:
Steven Blondo, Misael Dominguez, Jorge Pleitez, Carl Reiter
Bass:
Brendon Dodd, Joshua Farnsworth, Curtis Prevo, Robby Raney

Kelsi Williams, Joshua Farnsworth, vocal soloists
Tyler Rand, oboe; Heather Peel, piano
Ethan McGrath, conductor

Recorded live at Ackerman Auditorium on July 14, 2013. A big thanks to Gerald Peel for recording it.

Copyright 2014 by Santa Barbara Music Publishing.

The Passionate Shepherd To His Love

Julie Penner sings my musical setting of this poem by Walt Whitman:

"After the dazzle of day is gone,
Only the dark, dark night shows to my eyes the stars;
After the clangor of organ majestic, or chorus, or perfect band,
Silent, athwart my soul, moves the symphony true."

In the second half, which features the piano alone, there are allusions to Mahler's Symphonies No. 5, 1, and 2 (in that order).

After the dazzle of day

My musical setting of the opening portion of Walt Whitman elegiac poem in memory of Abraham Lincoln.

The choir in this recording is Southern Adventist University's I Cantori Chamber Choir, conducted by Gennevieve Brown-Kibble.

The artwork pictured is a drawing by my brother, Markus McGrath, intended to go along with this composition.

Sheet music available at http://earthsongschoralmusic.com/index.php?main_page=product_sheet_music_info&cPath=1_8_6&products_id=2773

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd

My setting of a wonderful poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, beautifully performed here by the I Cantori Chamber Choir of Southern Adventist University, conducted by Gennevieve Brown-Kibble. 

Printed score available at http://collavoce.com/catalog/item/over-the-land-is-april-15-95030

Over the land is April

My musical setting of the poem "Gold Leaves" by G.K. Chesterton. This recording features the Reading Phoenix Choir and Conductor Christopher Hann.

Music copyright 2018 by Ethan McGrath
Recording copyright 2020 by Reading Phoenix Choir

Gold Leaves - Reading Phoenix Choir

"Prayer of St. Patrick"
Music by Ethan McGrath, © 2020
Performed by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
Graham Ross, Conductor

Text attributed to St Patrick
Translated by Cecil Frances Alexander

Recorded during choral evensong at Clare College Chapel, Cambridge, on March 7, 2024

Prayer of St. Patrick - Clare College Choir

My musical setting of a famous poem from Shakespeare's play, "Twelfth Night."

Performed by I Cantori, Southern Adventist University's chamber choir, and conductor Gennevieve Brown-Kibble.

O mistress mine (choral setting)

Meine Vertonung von Psalm 23 aus der Luther Bibel. Dieses Werk habe ich früh in 2015 für den Chor der Theologischen Hochschule Friedensau komponiert, als ich dort im Deutschkurs gelernt habe.  Es wurde teilweise von der idyllischen Landschaft Friedensaus und seiner Nähe inspiriert, durch die ich oft gewandelt bin.

My musical setting of Psalm 23 from the Luther Bible. I wrote the piece for the choir at Friedensau Adventist University while I was studying German there. It was inspired partly by Friedensau's beautiful campus and surrounding countryside, which I greatly enjoyed exploring.

Esther Ferraz, soprano
Ethan McGrath, pianist

Der Herr ist mein Hirte (Psalm 23)

Sarah Tullock performs my setting of a passage from Whitman's "When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd," an elegy in memory of Abraham Lincoln.

Sing on there in the swamp

A setting of Matthew 11:28-30, performed by the combined choirs of Southern Adventist University, pianist Starr Stevens, and conductor Gennevieve Brown-Kibble.

The painting, inspired by this scripture passage, is by the danish artist Carl Bloch (1834-1890) and is entitled "Christus Consolator."

The Invitation

My musical setting of the opening portion of Walt Whitman elegiac poem in memory of Abraham Lincoln.

This is the men's chorus version of a work original published in 2010 for mixed voices, performed here by the inSpirit Men's Chorus of Collegedale, Tennessee, and conductor Gerald Peel.

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd - TTBB

My musical setting of a famous Shakespeare text (from the play "As You Like It"), performed here by Southern Adventist University's I Cantori Chamber Choir and conductor Gennevieve Brown-Kibble.

This work was the winner of the 2014 Lawson-Gould Composition Contest.

It was a lover and his lass

Claudia Ramirez sings my setting of Isaiah 9:6-7

The Prince of Peace

My second Nocturne for piano, as recorded on my CD, 'An Echo from Willowwood."

An Echo from Willowwood

Nocturne No. 2

The 2nd of "Three American Sketches," a very brief work based on the negro spiritual "Steal Away."

Song of the Free Spirit

My musical setting of "Go, lovely Rose" by the British poet Edmund Waller, a contemporary of Shakespeare. This is a performance by tenor Mark Laster with yours truly at the piano.

Ethan McGrath's Compositions

Go, lovely Rose

My music setting of a lovely poem by Robert Burns.

Sarah Tullock, soprano
Philip Daurte, violinist
Shauna Chung, pianist

The gallant weaver

My musical setting of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, performed here by tenor Mark Laster and me.

Music when soft voices die

A lovely performance of my Nunc Dimittis by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, conducted by Stephen Layton, recorded live at Brauweiler Abbey on 14 July 2018.

The text is the Latin version of the Song of Simeon from Luke chapter 2. This is the most common English translation:

"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel."
(Book of Common Prayer, 1662)

Abtei Brauweiler

Nunc dimittis - Trinity College Choir

My 2018 setting of the Sanctus, performed by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Stephen Layton, with Alexander Hamilton at the organ. This performance took place at Brauweiler Abbey (near Cologne, Germany) on July 14, 2018, as part of the Musica Sacra Nova Festival.
~Ethan

Sanctus - Trinity College Choir

A track from my new joint album with Ben Jenkins, entitled 'The Invitation.'  This is my setting of the wonderful poem by Horatius Bonar, featuring Ben both singing and playing the tin whistle, with yours truly at the piano.

I Heard the Voice of Jesus

Ethan McGrath's musical setting of a poem from 'Toomai of the Elephants,' a story by Rudyard Kipling. This poem is written from the perspective of Kala Nag, a domesticated elephant who escapes one night to join in the dance of the wild elephants in the jungle.

Jordan Otis, mezzo soprano
Ethan McGrath, pianist

Song of Kala Nag

From the CD 'An Echo from Willowwood,' available at www.ethanmcgrath.com/recordings.html

A setting of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Sarah Tullock, soprano; Ethan McGrath, piano
Music copyright 2011 by Ethan McGrath

The keen stars were twinkling

From the CD 'An Echo from Willowwood,' available at www.ethanmcgrath.com/recordings.html

"I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night" (Song of Songs 5:2).

Sarah Tullock, soprano; Ethan McGrath, piano
Music copyright 2010 by Ethan McGrath

The drops of the night

Recording from the CD 'An Echo from Willowwood,' available at www.ethanmcgrath.com/recordings.html

My setting of a poem from Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book.'
~

     Now Rann the Kite brings home the night
        That Mang the Bat sets free—
     The herds are shut in byre and hut
        For loosed till dawn are we.
     This is the hour of pride and power,
        Talon and tush and claw.
     Oh, hear the call!—Good hunting all
        That keep the Jungle Law!
     Night-Song in the Jungle

~
Sarah Tullock, soprano; Ethan McGrath, piano.
Music copyright 2012 by Ethan McGrath.

Night-Song in the Jungle

My setting of the Ave Maria, along with a verse from John 1:

And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
Blessed are thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Sopranos: Kirsten Herzog, Kristen Vradenburgh, Janelle Wagoner
Altos: Makayla Kyle, Cathy Laird
Tenors: Timothy Hawn, EJ Laird, Trevor Wagoner
Basses: Nick Davidson, Jeffrey Dean, Curtis Prevo

Recorded December 8, 2019, at First Baptist Church of Chattanooga.

Ave Maria

A setting of part of Isaiah 40—words famously quoted by Martin Luther King, Jr. in his 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Every valley shall be exalted

My musical tribute to Claude Debussy, the first version of which I composed at the age of 16, when I was very much under the spell of the French master.

Painting by Claude Monet, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ethan McGrath: Barcarolle (homage to Debussy)

Hi everybody!  This SoundCloud page features recordings of my compositions. Let me know what you think! If you like what you hear, you may want to acquire my CD, available at www.ethanmcgrath.com. My website also contains much more info about me and my work.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ethan

Ethan McGrath

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