Seven Planets and a Cosmic Rock

A setting of original texts by Derek Roberts for unison choir (optional divisi) with piano accompaniment. It begins nearest the sun and travels outwards, calling at Mercury, Venus,  Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and, finally, Pluto - downgraded to a cosmic rock.

Commissioned by the National Youth Choir of Scotland  National Boys' Choir and first performed by them in April 2008. Vocal scores are available from the National Youth Choir of Scotland Shop. Choral scores are available on request from NYCoS.

Subsequently performed in 2009 by children's choirs with the London Symphony Orchestra in the Barbican and Northern Sinfonia in the Sage in an orchestration by Paul Campbell who has also created a flexiband orchestration for smaller ensembles.

"This piece is so refreshingly different from other composers' treatment of the subject that I found myself fully absorbed by Cunningham's use of vocal line and harmonic dexterity .... a truly fine piece of music ... both musically accessible and vocally challenging. "

Music Teacher, November 2008.

Here is a complete recording and extracts of the score:

• Mercury  mp3  score extract

• Venus  mp3  score extract

• Mars  mp3   score extract

• Jupiter  mp3   score extract

• Saturn's Rings  mp3  score extract

• The Uranoid mp3  score extract

• Neptune  mp3   score extract

• Pluto mp3   score extract

The performance is by the NYCoS National Boys' Choir conducted by Christopher Bell, accompanied by Stephen Doughty.