Alexander Campkin

• Biography

  

  Alexander Campkin studied Music at Oxford University, where he was Choral Scholar, Assistant Organ Scholar, and conductor of the Oxford Chamber Choir and Arcadian Singers of Oxford University. He completed a Masters at the Royal Academy of Music and a Postgraduate Diploma in Vienna. Alexander was Finalist in the 2008 British Composer Awards, prize winner in the 2010 'Musica Sacra' International Composition Competition of Poland and winner of the 2010 NCEM Composers Award. Alexander was appointed Composer-in-Residence of Neresheim Abbey, Germany, and of the Fulham Camerata Choir and Orchestra. His choral and instrumental works have been performed and broadcast throughout Europe, North and South America.

  Performance venues for his compositions include the Berliner Philharmonie, Ulster Hall (Belfast), Theater des Augenblicks (Vienna), St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Cal Poly Performing Arts Centre (San Luis Obispo, USA), Grace Catheddral (San Francisco), Vor Frelsers Kirke (Copenhagen), St. Catherine's Church (Lithuania), Czestochowa (Poland) and Kunstlerhaus Bethanien (Berlin).

  Sleep, holy babe
  Whilst still at university the young composer Alexander Campkin set words by the 19th-century poet Edward Caswall and two days later the work received its premiere. As Campkin explains "I was struck by the beauty of this short text and was immediately inspired. I sat down and wrote the piece that evening; I wanted to create something of great beauty and simplicity, a challenge which can be deceptively hard".

  More like this: Francis Poulenc - 'Videntes Stellam' from Quatre Motets pour le temps de Noël
  Another work in which simplicity produces a sparkling, sophisticated gem, Poulenc's motet tells of the Magi on their journey, and uses breathed gestures to capture the magic of the scene.

• More Carols

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  • Carl Rütti - O patre unigenitas
  • Hermione Roff - The Virgin's Song
  • Andrew Simpson - I saw three ships
  • arr Malcolm Archer - Angels from the realms of glory
  • Sir Richard Rodney Bennett - The Holly and the Ivy
  • Sir John Tavener - Cradle Song
  • arr Sir David Willcocks - I saw three ships
  • arr Bob Chilcott - Sussex Carol
  • Richard Lloyd - St Joseph's Carol
  • Francis Pott - Balulalow
  • Bernard Hughes - I am Christmas
  • Peter Cornelius - The Three Kings
  • Kristina Arakleyan - New Year!