For AAM 2026 · Choir Directors

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Choir Directors.

Here's where you can explore Psalm 70 and some of my other choral music — plus perusal scores to take with you.

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Psalm 70

SSAATTBB

c. 4½ minutes • Lower-intermediate difficulty

Written in a period of total isolation during the pandemic, Psalm 70 is a meditation on isolation, loss, and hope.

Drawing on the therapeutic nature of the Anglican psalm tradition, the piece moves from quiet, broken prayer, through moments of emotional instability, to a brief but genuine climax of hope.

It sits well in Lent and other penitential seasons, memorial services, and concert programs exploring themes of struggle and hope.

This 8-part SATB a cappella setting of Psalm 70 was conceived during one of the most trying periods of the 2020 pandemic. Having lived in America for some years, I watched as the country became overridden with sickness, protests, riots, and instability. Eventually my visa expired, and with no prospect of renewal at that time, I had to leave.

Upon returning home, I found myself isolated in an empty, unfurnished apartment, with only a table, a chair, a stove, and a bed. Alone, torn from my community, and troubled by the rising disquiet I had witnessed in America, I turned to the words of Psalm 70. The text resonated deeply with me during that period of profound isolation.

I was reminded of the Anglican psalm chants I had sung multiple times per week with the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is often said in England that the mark of a good choir is how well they sing Anglican psalm chant, and it was at Cambridge that I discovered the therapeutic power of psalm singing. The nature of psalm singing allows for an immense freedom of emotional expression, even while the choir sings in total unity—it was the healing nature of psalms in times of trouble that I wanted to capture in this piece.

The work unfolds as a subdued prayer, moving through moments of instability before arriving at a brief climax of hope. The piece opens softly, mirroring a quietly broken prayer, gently calling out from the deep. The middle section embodies instability, whereas there is one brief moment of strength at the fleeting climax—a cry of hope in an otherwise troubled work.

The psalm chant sections need not be totally rhythmical. The rhythms were written to express the speech-like freedom that comes with psalm singing; the most important aspect is performing the subtle yet emotional expression of the text—the musicality comes from expressive delivery of the text itself.

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Complimentary Pack

AAM 2026 Choral Director Pack

Complimentary for AAM 2026 directors — perusal scores, high-quality recordings, and notes to help you explore this music properly.

If Psalm 70 was your first encounter with my work, I’ve put together a complimentary pack for AAM directors to explore further:

Complete perusal scores (PDFs) for recent choral works
Curated recordings to hear the pieces performed
Programming notes on seasons, services, and ideal forces
Simple information on how to order or talk about a commission

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Psalm 70 If Ye Love Me The Trisagion Commissioning

I’ll email you the pack directly. I may also occasionally send you new pieces suited for Anglican or cathedral-style choirs.

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If you liked this, you’ll probably like…

If Ye Love Me · SSAATTBB

A compelling exploration of mystical harmonies and intricate counterpoint, this piece transitions through flowing, meditative textures into a kaleidoscopic canon across all voices. The composition peaks in a moment of dissonance that resolves joyfully into climactic chords. Ideal for choirs looking for a rich tapestry of harmony and texture.

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The Trisagion · SSAATTBB

This piece explores charmolype – that “bright sadness” of communion with others, as we share in their hopes, fears, and longings. It came from this idea of exile and solitude, but then, in the middle section, this luminous sense of “leave your world and come into this Holy space” – before ending with a more resolved intimacy with the slow unfolding of the final chord.

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Thinking about a new commission?

I write for choirs who care deeply about text, atmosphere, and how a piece serves the emotional arc of a service or concert.

My background runs through Trinity College Cambridge and Yale, with years spent in film and media composing. That work forces a very particular kind of clarity about pacing, texture, and the emotional shape of a narrative. I like to bring that cinematic way of thinking into the usual commissioning process.

Recent choral commissions have come from Washington National Cathedral School, St Philip’s Cathedral Atlanta, University Church at Yale, the Yale Alumni Choral Festival, and BBC Radio 4. So I’m very comfortable writing for everything from parish choirs through to larger cathedral style forces.

If something is starting to take shape in your mind – even if it’s very early – I’m happy to talk it through and see whether we’re a good fit.

Tell me briefly about your choir and what you’re thinking about. I’ll reply personally.

Thank you — I’ve received your message and will be in touch.

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About Oscar

Selected Highlights

Choral works commissioned by Washington National Cathedral School, St Philip’s Cathedral (Atlanta), University Church at Yale, and the Yale Alumni Choral Festival
Original choral music for Requiem on BBC Radio 4, where I wrote and conducted the score for a nationally broadcast production
Former choral scholar with the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, recording multiple Hyperion discs and touring internationally under Stephen Layton
Choral music published in the Jason Max Ferdinand Choral Series with Gentry Publications
Creator of Inside the Score, an online channel where I teach orchestral and choral music to hundreds of thousands of students worldwide

I’m a British composer and conductor based in Atlanta, with one foot in Anglican choral tradition and one in cinematic, story‑driven music. I studied music at Trinity College, Cambridge (singing as a choral scholar under Stephen Layton) and completed a master’s in choral conducting at the Yale School of Music.

Alongside that, I trained in film and media composing and have written for theatre, film, radio, and artists internationally.

That mix means I think about choral pieces the way I think about film: atmosphere, pacing, and emotional arc are as important as the local musical detail on the page. The aim is that the music serves your text, your space, your singers, and your audience.

“Practically, I care that your singers enjoy living inside the piece, that it’s singable for the forces you actually have, and that it genuinely serves your worshipping or concert community.”

Where to next

If you're ready Order Psalm 70 now If you're considering Get the Director Pack If something's brewing Talk about a commission