Born in Australia and now living in the United States, composer/arranger Joe Twist is a versatile and eclectic musician. Straddling film music and concert music arenas, his music crosses genres ranging ancient vocal music, opera, contemporary orchestral music, jazz, musical theatre and cabaret. Twist has a wealth of experience in Choral Music as both a singer and composer, receiving numerous commissions and performances of his music from choirs both in Australia around the world, including The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Chanticleer, Voces8, The Idea Of North, The Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, L.A. Choral Lab, Gondwana Voices, National Youth Choir of Australia, Brisbane Chamber Choir, Sydney Chamber Choir, The Choir of St James Sydney, The Australian Voices, Adelaide Chamber Singers and many others.
joetwist.com/| Title | Description | Composer | Voicing | |
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Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep |
A lovely setting of this beloved text by Mary Frye, which speaks comfort as it were, beyond the grave. For unaccompanied SATB choir, Joe Twist wrote it for Graeme Morton and the National Youth Choir of Australia. Highly recommended. |
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Hombres, Victoria, Victoria (from Three Motets after Victoria) |
The third of Joseph Twist’s “Victoria Triptch”. Suitable for concert use, and liturgically especially at Christmas. The recording (below) is by the Choir of St James Church, King Street, Sydney. A pronunciation guide is also here. Victory, mankind! Because against all of hell, The crying of a tender child ensures our glory. Available in the set of Three Motets after Victoria, found here – not available singly. |
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Lament |
Lament is a piece for mixed choir and cello. The text comes from the 17th-century oratorio ‘Jephte’ by Giacomo Carissimi. The words are those of anguish, for Jephte promised to sacrifice the first thing he laid eyes upon if he returned victorious from war. He fulfilled this vow, even though this happened to be his only daughter.
The recording is of the Brisbane Chamber Choir, for whom the piece was written. The cellist is Gwyn Roberts. |
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Lamentation of Jeremiah (from Three Motets after Victoria) |
The second of Joseph Twist’s “Victoria Triptych” this piece quotes from Victoria’s Lamentation, adding new modern elements clothed in a rich, plaintive harmonic language. Suitable for concert and liturgical use, and making musical references to Victoria’s Lamentations throughout. Available in the set of Three Motets after Victoria, linked here – not available singly. |
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On The Night Train |
Composer Joe Twist writes, On The Night Train sets the scene of a train dashing through the Australian bush at dusk, as described by Henry Lawson’s graceful poetry.The emptiness of the Australian outback is represented by long, sustained pitches in the opening and closing sections of the work, above which a simple, folk-like melody is sung. This melody is also used throughout a rhythmic contrasting section where the singers create the impression of a moving train with ‘scat-like’ nonsense syllables and whispered vocal effects. |
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Rain Dream |
A highly imaginative choral piece for SSAA choir and piano. In it a young child who lives in the dry central Australian outback and has never seen rain dreams of what it would like to be in a thunderstorm. The work eventually becomes a sort of rain dance with chanting of “Wandjina”, an Australian Aboriginal rain spirit. |
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Three Motets After Victoria (Victoria Triptych) |
This “Victoria Triptych” was written in 2011, the 400th anniversary of the death of the great Spanish polyphonist, Thomas Luis de Victoria. For unaccompanied SATB choir, and with divided parts, these wonderful Latin motets remind us that the great motet tradition is still vibrant and flourishing. The individual titles, recorded by the choir of St James King Street, Sydney, one of three commissioning choirs, are: Versa est in Luctum Lamentation of Jeremiah Hombres, Victoria, Victoria! |
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Ubi Caritas |
COMING SOON This piece is a part of the Sacre Australis series, which will be released in June 2023 |
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Versa est in Luctum |
Number one of Twist’s “Victoria Triptych”. My harp is tuned for lamentation, and my flute to the voice of those who weep. Spare me, O Lord, for my days are as nothing (trans. Miguel Iglesias) Available in the set of Three Motets after Victoria, linked here – not available singly. |
