Gabriel Jackson (b.1962)

One of Britain's foremost composers, after three years as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral, Gabriel Jackson went on to study composition with Richard Blackford and John Lambert at the Royal College of Music. Particularly acclaimed for his choral works, his liturgical pieces are in the repertoires of most of Britain's cathedral and collegiate choirs and he is a frequent collaborator with the leading professional groups of the world. From 2010-2013 he was Associate Composer to the BBC Singers. In 2014 his hour-long The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, commissioned for the 750th anniversary of Merton College, Oxford, was premiered in its chapel. May 2015 saw the premiere at the Latvian National Opera of Spring Rounds for soprano, choir and orchestra, commissioned by the Riga-based youth choir Kamer for their 25th anniversary. He was recently commissioned by The Marian Consort to write Stabat Mater to mark their 10th anniversary.

"Gabriel Jackson's music is in the repertoire of many cathedral and collegiate choirs, though it has a reputation for being difficult and few parish choirs attempt it. But these two pieces ['Tantum ergo' and 'O salutaris hostia'] would be well within the capability of many choirs, with a bit of effort to learn them initially, and most rewarding for those who try them. The words are of the two hymns traditionally sung at Benediction, but each would make a good communion anthem. They are however a pair, both in E flat and sharing much musical material: indeed the final three-bar Amens are identical. Yet each piece also has a distinctive sound, O salutaris hostia notably featuring drones that underpin the melodies. Both are on YouTube sung by the Byron Consort of Harrow School for whom they were written; do listen to them and enjoy this expressive, contemplative music." - James L. Montgomery, www.rscm.com, June 2017