Chilcott, Bob (1955)

A Little Jazz Mass was written for the massed choirs of the 2004 Crescent City Choral Festival, and first performed in St Louis Cathedral, New Orleans in June of that year.

I have always loved jazz. At the beginning of my writing career I worked from time to time as an arranger for the now defunct BBC Radio Orchestra and, while a member of the King's Singers, I was lucky enough to perform with such artists as George Shearing, Richard Rodney Bennett, John Dankworth, Art Farmer, and the WDR Big Band. These experiences and influences have all had an impact on the music that I compose.

In this mass setting I have written a piano part which may be played exactly as written. However, I would encourage the pianist to improvise freely on the chord structure, and would also encourage the addition of bass and drums and any other instruments that may be appropriate for the performance.

I am grateful to Cheryl Dupont, the conductor of the New Orleans Children's Chorus, for enabling this work to come to life in such a great jazz city, and to all the children in the Crescent City Choral Festival Choir 2004, who gave it such a great start. I am also grateful to Neil Richardson, a wonderful musician who, more than twenty years ago, gave me my first opportunity as a professional arranger at the BBC.

Bob Chilcott