In composing this carol setting, I delved happily into that treasure trove of plainsong inspiration, to pick out this superb melody. My setting is not academically rigorous in its 16th century pastiche writing style, but that is the sound world I had in mind for my music. I set the text macaronically - that is, alternating Latin and English. "Gaudete" means "Rejoice".
Gaudete, gaudete! was first performed in December 2022, at a concert in St. Saviours Church, Pimlico - sung by the Birley Singers and directed by Richard Gowers. The recording featured on BBC Radio 3 on the Monday after Gaudete Sunday - given its joyful theme, it is a particularly apt debut on national radio for me as I was filled with joy to hear it broadcast on the airwaves.
You can also listen to this "performance", created using EastWest brass sounds. I used to love the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble sound, and this is not entirely dissimilar: