Harriet Wybor

Lully, Lullay

Lully, Lullay was written at the request of Philip Reed, music director of the Bury St Edmunds Bach Choir, which gave the first performance on 17 December 2011 at Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford, Suffolk. Inspired by the familiar medieval text of the Coventry Carol, it is sung a cappella and invokes the sense of a lullaby through its metre and lilting melody. The fragility and bittersweet tonality of the opening verse is reflected in the continuous interaction between the tonic and dominant keys and resolving dissonances. This develops into broader passages of increased range and dynamics during the second and third verses, where the melody is passed between the upper and lower voices, clearly invoking the poignancy of the text. The last verse returns to the original theme with subtle harmonic changes and a reflective final cadence.

An inspiring selection of new works from a range of contemporary composers, the Novello New Choral Series offers 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.

Harriet Wybor was born in Leeds in 1986 and read music as an undergraduate at Durham University, followed by an M. A. in composition with Martyn Harry and Antonio Pinho Vargas.

Harriet's main compositional interests are sacred and secular contemporary choral and chamber music, and the relationship between music and time. Her work reflects a wide range of influences from renaissance choral music and medieval texts to 20th-century literature and art. Harriet has had works performed by the Northern Sinfonia (conducted by H K Gruber), Psappha, the Allegri String Quartet, St John's College Choir, Durham, the Bury St Edmunds Bach Choir and the Fishburn Band - broadcast on BBC Radio 2's Listen to the Band.

After graduating from Durham University, Harriet continued her studies at the University of Edinburgh, where she read for an LL. M. in innovation, technology and the law. She has subsequently pursued a career in music publishing where she works in copyright and composes in her spare time.