Stuart Vezey was born in 1948 in Kingston-upon-Thames. He wrote his first orchestral piece in 1966/7 - the Symphony No. 1 in Bb major - and his first choral piece in 1968 - a setting of Tennyson’s poem Break, Break, Break (On Thy Cold Gray Stones, O Sea!) for a capella mixed chorus.
Other choral works - some of which have been recorded – include Four Shakespeare Sonnets, Psalm 37, Locksley Hall, Psalm 56, Ave Maria and Von Herzen for a capella mixed chorus, a Missa Brevis for mixed chorus, woodwind and brass, Psalm 51 (Miserere) for mezzo-soprano soloist, mixed chorus and woodwind quartet, a setting of the Song of Mary (Magnificat) for mixed chorus and orchestra, The Bells of Christmas Ring and Nunc Dimittis both for double choir, a setting of the Te Deum for mixed chorus and orchestra and an a capella mixed chorus arrangement of Tennyson's Calm is the morn from his forthcoming composition for baritone, choir and orchestra - An English Requiem - including text from Tennyson’s In Memoriam.
Other current work-in-progress includes a ballet Suite - Oenone - for contralto soloist and orchestra and a setting of the Stabat Mater for mixed chorus, woodwind, marimba and strings.
Those pieces available to view/hear on YouTube are:
Break, break, break* (2mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyCKAIaF-3w
(Matthew Hamilton/New London Chamber Choir)
Locksley Hall (3m 44secs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MJ7xG2cPSc
(Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers)
Agnus Dei (from Missa Brevis) (2mins 30secs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ahXOWj1c4o
(Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers)
Credo (from Missa Brevis) (7mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf0Mp7MN9vk
(Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers)
Psalm 37** (4mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AXw_vUjrBs
(Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers)
Psalm 51 (Miserere) (13m 37secs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAkLgAI4zsg (Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers: Mezzo-soprano soloist Angie Elder Woodwind: Flute - Daniel Parkin, Oboe - Rebecca Wood, Clarinet - Karen Hobbs, Bassoon - Graham Hobbs)
Psalm 56 (5mins 30secs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJgf349krfg
(Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers)
Calm is the morn (5m 51secs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEIG43Tc8pc
(Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers)
Von Herzen (1m 50secs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn1XlyzgczU (Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers)
Sweet Silent Thought (from Four Shakespeare Sonnets) (4mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr6dCHi3ITg
(Ivor Setterfield/New London Singers)
'A Journey Through Time' - Symphony No. 1 in Bb major (35m 39secs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCNIYM94Uqs (computer-generated soundtrack using Sibelius/Note Performer software)
No Longer Mourn For Me (from Four Shakespeare Sonnets) (4mins): https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=4OtHJG62hi4
(Matthew Hamilton/New London Chamber Choir)
* First performance - Sunday 16 July 2006 at St Andrew's Church, Enfield (Byrdsong)
** First performance – Saturday 17 February 2018 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square (Ivor Setterfield conducting the New London Singers)
The music for all of the above is published by:
Kidman, Little & Associates Ltd.
E-mail stuartvezey@btconnect.com for further details.