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The art of listening: how words, silence and resonance are shaping contemporary choral music

What happens when composers start with the words? We explore an approach to music-making shaped by listening, language and meaning.

For centuries, composers have wrestled with the relationship between words and music. From Renaissance motets to Bach's Passions and Anglican choral traditions, the challenge has remained much the same: how can music elevate a text without overwhelming it? At its best, choral writing doesn't just accompany words; it deepens our understanding of them.

Contemporary composition often draws attention through new sounds, techniques and technologies. The music gathered on new release Choral Contemplations takes a different path. Performed by the Phoenix Consort under conductor Adam Whitmore and released on Convivium Records, these works begin not with a compositional system but with listening: to language, silence and the sentiment placed within the text itself.

Starting with the words

The composers featured on the recording come from varied backgrounds – some having no formal compositional training. Some have worked primarily as teachers or church musicians, while others have pursued careers beyond music altogether. What unites them is a shared belief that composition should begin with the text.

Rather than reaching first for harmonic schemes or melodic ideas, they spend time with the words themselves. Scripture, poetry and sacred texts are explored for their emotional weight, structure and imagery. From that process, the musical material begins to emerge.

This way of thinking is to some extent influenced by the writings of British philosopher, Leon MacLaren. In Music: The Foundations of Harmony, he argued that music is rooted in natural relationships rather than purely theoretical systems. His ideas encouraged composers to observe and discover musical patterns rather than imposing them from the outset.

Medieval theorists understood harmony as an expression of order; Renaissance composers frequently spoke of serving text. Even today, rehearsals often focus as much on meaning and intention as on technical accuracy. In that respect, Choral Contemplations feels like a natural continuation of this conversation.

Sound, resonance and space

One result of this approach is a particular sensitivity to tuning and timbre. Almost all of the music in Choral Contemplations is written for unaccompanied voices, allowing singers to shape intervals with exceptional care. Freed from the fixed tuning of a keyboard, they can explore the subtle resonances that emerge naturally between voices. These adjustments may be almost imperceptible to the untrained ear, but they can have a profound effect on the overall sound.

These pieces don't rely on dramatic gestures or showy effects. Their harmonies develop gradually, the vocal lines grow naturally from the text and moments of silence are given as much care as the notes themselves. The result is music that draws the listener in through quiet concentration rather than obvious drama.

That commitment to listening extends to the performers themselves. Phoenix Consort and conductor Adam Whitmore have become advocates for contemporary choral music that deserves a wider hearing. Previous recordings for Convivium Records have explored the music of Alexander Campkin and Dan Locklair; Choral Contemplations continues that exploration of distinctive voices within today's choral landscape.

A shared musical outlook

What makes Choral Contemplations especially interesting is that it presents more than a collection of new pieces. Despite their individual styles, the composers share a common outlook: a desire to let music grow from close engagement with language and silence rather than from current trends.

Listeners will quickly recognise that these are not works that reveal everything at first hearing. Instead their unique character layers emerge gradually through carefully balanced textures, luminous harmonies and a close relationship between text and sound.

At a time when contemporary classical music embraces an extraordinary range of influences, Choral Contemplations offers a reminder that innovation does not always come from added complexity or novelty. Sometimes it comes from listening more closely: to words, to voices and to the spaces between them.

Choral Contemplations is available now on CD and digital platforms from Convivium Records. Purchase the recording and find out more here.