Nunc Autem Manet (Novello New Choral Series)

Nunc autem manet was written for the wedding of Paul and Angharad de Cates in 2010. The text is taken from Corinthians 13:13 – ‘Now but three things remain: faith, hope, love. But of these three the greatest – this is love.’ The piece reveals the three fundamental tenets of Christian life with contrasting austere and lush harmonies and brief, contrapuntal episodes, ending with a gently pulsing chord-shift on the word ‘caritas’, over which the well-known plainsong melody ‘ubi caritas’ can be heard.

The Novello New Choral Series is an inspiring selection of new works from a range of contemporarycomposers, offering pieces for all types of choirs, including sacred and secular works from simple, four-part settings to more expansive, yet accessible, repertoire in an exciting variety of styles. This collection is perfect for choirs looking to broaden their repertoire and explore some of the best new music around.

Born in 1963, John Duggan was a chorister at Westminster Cathedral and studied music at Oxford. Whilst still a boy he dreamed of writing in the choral tradition of Victoria, Tallis and Palestrina. His vocal music has delighted both singers and audiences across Europe and the USA. He has written for a number of choirs including Commotio, Westminster Cathedral Choir, the Hildegard Choir and Sospiri, and has received commissions from the Edington Music Festival, Crossover Intergenerational Dance Group, Oxford Youth Dance and The Oxford-Grenoble Association. He composers regularly for film and dance, and performs as a singer and choral director whilst working as a recording engineer and producer.