Ave Verum Corpus

Harrap's inventive and dramatic setting of the well-known Eucharist hymn text provides a contemporary alternative to more familiar versions by Byrd, Mozart, and Elgar. In five unaccompanied and often interweaving parts, with meandering chromatic harmonies, Ave verum corpus is both challenging and rewarding to sing.

The motet's striking scalic passages, effective word painting and overall contrast to the other well-known settings will be welcomed by singers and listeners alike. Particularly suitable for Holy Communion and the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Stephen Harrap was born in Portsmouth in 1952 and studied at the LondonGuildhall School of Music and Drama and the London Opera Centre. As a conductor, he has collaborated with many leading musicians and ensembles, including Luciano Berio, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the London Sinfonietta, and the Orchestra di Santa Cecilia in Rome; he has also worked at prominent opera houses, including Covent Garden, Paris, and Salzburg. Since 1995 he has focused on the composition and performance of his own choral and orchestral works, which have been premiered at numerous venues and festivals across Europe.