Composer

:

Grayston Ives

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Average_duration

:

3:02

"Listen sweet dove" is a choral piece composed by Grayston Ives, an English composer and conductor. The piece was composed in 1993 and premiered in the same year by the choir of Magdalen College, Oxford. The piece is a setting of a text from the Song of Solomon, a book of the Bible. It is a love poem, with the speaker addressing a dove and asking it to carry a message of love to his beloved. The text is full of imagery and metaphor, and Ives's setting captures the beauty and sensuality of the words. "Listen sweet dove" is a four-movement piece, with each movement exploring a different aspect of the text. The first movement is slow and contemplative, with the choir singing in unison and the music building to a climax. The second movement is faster and more rhythmic, with the choir singing in harmony and the music evoking the fluttering of wings. The third movement is slower again, with the choir singing in a more complex harmony and the music becoming more introspective. The final movement is the most joyful, with the choir singing in a bright and lively rhythm and the music celebrating the power of love. The characteristics of "Listen sweet dove" are typical of Ives's style. He is known for his choral music, which is often characterized by rich harmonies, complex rhythms, and a sense of joy and celebration. His music is also influenced by his background in the Anglican church, and many of his pieces are settings of religious texts. Overall, "Listen sweet dove" is a beautiful and evocative piece of choral music, full of rich harmonies and complex rhythms. It is a testament to Ives's skill as a composer and his ability to capture the beauty and sensuality of the text.

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