Compositions by Neil V. Hawes
I compose choral music, mostly for four-part church choir, but recently I have worked on a number of secular pieces for four or more parts.

I publish and print the music myself using Mozart music notation software.
All the examples on this page are created using this software and the midi files are also generated by it.
Note that the tone and quality of the midi files will depend solely on your sound card.

A communion setting I wrote in 1980 has been sung regularly since 1982 at St. Mary's, Osterley, and a small number of other churches in the UK have also had copies and have sung it. It was originally written for the Anglican "Series 3" service, was adapted for the "Alternative Service Book" of 1980, and in 2001 I adapted it for use with the new "Common Worship" service book. You can hear a midi version of the Gloria by clicking here.

I have written a number of anthems for three- and four-part choirs that have mostly only been sung at St. Mary's.
I had a psalm setting published in a book of Responsorial Psalms in 1994 by Harper Collins.

Some of the music linked to below is not complete, it is missing the last page or two.
If you are interested in getting a full version, or in using any of the music, please email me.

    Recent projects:
      Editing and translating a late choral piece by Brahms - Im Herbst (Autumn).

      Editing the madrigal Now is the month of Maying by Thomas Morley for SATB.

      Editing the words and music of the madrigal To shorten winter's sadness by Thomas Weelkes.

      New words to two Madrigals by Thomas Weelkes on the theme of the London Olympic Games in 2012 - email me if you are interested in seeing these.

      An arrangement of O Lord increase our faith by Henry Loosemore (previously attributed to Orlando Gibbons) for three parts (S/A/Bar).

      An edited version of Crux fidelis attributed to King John of Portugal.

      New words to Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations The Song of Simeon for SATTB, although the first tenor part is optional.

      The first snow of the year - a secular winter piece with original words and music for six-part unaccompanied choir (SAATTB). This had its first public performance at a concert on Sunday 14th December 2008 by The Hythe Singers.

      An unaccompanied piece to modern words "This is where we are" SSATB version 2008 and SATB version 2010 based on a well-known theme by Alexander Courage. This is intended to be the first in a trilogy of pieces using original words with a cosmological theme, using jazz styles of harmony.

      Arrangements of the Spanish Carol A La Nanita Nana and the rather more local folk song Twickenham Ferry

    Anthems for church choirs. Many of these are arrangements of well-known hymn tunes, all are for 4-part choirs (SATB), unless otherwise stated.

    The following have all been sung by the choir of St. Mary's, Osterley:

      A three-part (SAB) anthem setting of the Palm Sunday hymn to the tune "Winchester New":
      An anthem setting of:
      An anthem setting of a hymn by Charles Wesley to the tune "Little Heath" by David G. Wilson:
      An arrangement of the tune "St. Helen" by G. C. Martin:
      A new tune and arrangement of Harriet Auber's words:
      An anthem arrangement including tunes from other well-known hymns in the accompaniment of:
      An anthem arrangement of the famous words of Isaac Watts to an English traditional melody:
      A setting of words by John Mason Neale for Eastertide:
      An anthem I wrote in 1994 to words of Christopher Wordsworth:
      An anthem setting I wrote in 1986 of the third collect from Evening Prayer:

      Anthems that are based on well-known hymn words and tunes have some advantages:

      • I find them a lot easier to write
      • they are easier to learn for the singers
      • the words are often familiar
      • where the singers have the tune, that section can be sung with just one run-through
      I think a listener will often get more out of them on one hearing
      • they may already be familiar with the words, so they know what is being sung about
      • they may be able to follow the words in a hymn book
      • if they know the tune, they may then be able to get more out of the nuances of performance
      • even a relatively non-musical listener may find themselves remembering it afterwards
      I generally feel that hearing an unknown anthem once is not enough for a listener to get much out of it.
    Arrangements of Christmas carols for church choirs:

    An arrangement for four part choir and organ (from the original 7 parts, plus solos, with piano) of "Someone's going to change my world" by Andrew Parmley, words by Terry Rogers, arranged with permission for the Mothers' Union service in 2004 - See first verse
    Two non-religious pieces for SATB choir:
      A light-hearted item I wrote in 1979 based on the well-known rhyme "Thirty days hath September":
Instrumental music