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Composer Page for Jessica French

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Jessica French is an award-winning composer specializing in choral music, both sacred and secular. Her works have been commissioned and performed by various ensembles including the St. Olaf Cantorei, Massed Choirs and Orchestra; Ember Choral Arts, the Madeleine Choir School and Cathedral Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Pro Musica, Northwest Boychoir, Northwest Girlchoir, Seattle Girls Choir, Pacific Lutheran University Chorale, Choral Arts Northwest, and Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble. Most recently, she was commissioned by the American Guild of Organists to compose two separate works for their 2022 National Convention in Seattle. Her music has been performed in venues and churches across the U.S, including Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, St. John the Divine and Trinity Wall Street in NYC, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, St. James Cathedral in Seattle, the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, Georgetown University in Washington D.C., Harvard University in Cambridge, and at the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene. Internationally, her music has been performed in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, and the U.K.

French has a rare ability called synesthesia, in which various senses are linked to one another, mainly in the form of colors associated with notes, timbres, and words. This ability lends a unique voice to her compositional style, which has been described as having “lyrical, sweeping lines…deeply impassioned…atmospheric…shimmering harmonies.” Her awards include being a finalist for the American Prize in multiple years, the ASCAP Plus Award, and the 2020 AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition, in which her piece was premiered at the 2022 AGO National Convention.

Her compositions are available through The French Press, MusicSpoke, and E.C. Schirmer as part of the Dale Warland Choral Series. In addition, twelve of her works have been endorsed by Project : Encore and included in their Catalog of Contemporary Choral Music.

She received her foundational training in music at the Madeleine Choir School in Salt Lake City, Utah. She received a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from Yale University. After moving to the Seattle area in 2011, she refocused her musical efforts toward composition, and has composed and arranged nearly thirty choral works during that period.

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Fix Your Eyes Upon the Star – Voicing: SATB DIVISI  Instrumentation: Unaccompanied  Performance Length: 5:00  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Charles Anthony Silvestri  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Christmas, Epiphany  Descriptive Terms: Birth, Hope, Light, Star, Beginning  First Performance: January 08, 2023 : Choir of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, David Sinden, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church - St. Louis, Missouri    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/1837~2023-Q4)
O Star of Strength – Voicing: SSA  Instrumentation: Piano  Performance Length: 6:00  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Concert, General  Descriptive Terms: Resilience, Strength, Star, Hope  First Performance: June 11, 2022 : Seattle Girls Choir, Sarra Sharif, Town Hall Seattle    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/1714~2023-Q1)
Earth, Strike Up Your Music – Voicing: SATB  Instrumentation: Organ  Performance Length: 5:40  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Christina Rossetti  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Advent, Christmas  Descriptive Terms: Renewal, Brightness, Joy, Peace  First Performance: July 05, 2022 : St. James Cathedral Choir, Joseph Adam - Conductor; Chris Stroh - Organist, St. James Cathedral - Seattle, Washington    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/1677~2022-Q4)
Pilgrimage – Voicing: SATB  Instrumentation: Organ  Performance Length: 7:00  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Walter Raleigh  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Feast Of St. James, General Use  Descriptive Terms: Pilgrimage, Heaven, Gems, Journey  First Performance: July 05, 2022 : St. James Cathedral Choir, Joseph Adam - Conductor; Chris Stroh - Organist, St. James Cathedral - Seattle, Washington    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/1663~2022-Q3)
Tantum Ergo – Voicing: SATB  Instrumentation: Organ  Performance Length: 3:00  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Medieval Latin Hymn  Language: Latin  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Communion, General  Descriptive Terms: Communion, General, Adoration, Sacred  First Performance: September 19, 2021 : Choir of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, David Sinden, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, St. Louis, MO    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/1641~2022-Q2)
Strengthen for Service – Voicing: SATB  Instrumentation: Strings  Performance Length: 4:30  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Syro-Malabar Liturgy  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Offertory, Communion, Chrism Mass, Ordinations, General Use  Descriptive Terms: Service, Strength, Hope, Renewal  First Performance: March 13, 2022 : The Choir of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, Ryan Tani, Cathedral of the Madeleine - Salt Lake City, Utah    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/1622~2022-Q1)
We Are Held – Voicing: SATB  Instrumentation: Guitar  Performance Length: 6:18  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Robert Bode  Language: English  Descriptive Terms: Healing, Comfort, Joy, Peace  First Performance: December 11, 2021 : Choral Arts Northwest, Robert Bode, Trinity Episcopal Church - Seattle, Washington    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/1606~2021-Q4)
Prayer of St. Francis – Voicing: SATB  Instrumentation: Organ  Performance Length: 2:00  Notation: Standard  Text Source: St. Francis of Assisi  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Memorial Services, Evensong  Descriptive Terms: Praise, Prayer, Worship  First Performance: Oct 04, 2013: Thomas Choir, St. Thomas Church, Medina, Washington    Text SettingSource for Scores(P:E 593/1142~2020-Q3)
Eloi, Eloi – Voicing: SATB  Instrumentation: Unaccompanied  Performance Length: 5:30  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Mark 15  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Good Friday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week  Descriptive Terms: Crucifixion, Death, Passion  First Performance: Apr 14, 2019: St. James Cathedral Choir, Joseph Adam, St. James Cathedral - Seattle, Washington    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/995~2019-Q3)
Refuge and Strength – Voicing: SSA  Instrumentation: Piano  Performance Length: 6:00  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Psalm 46  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Communion, Memorial Services  Descriptive Terms: Adversity, Comfort, Hope, Psalm, Sacred  First Performance: Jun 16, 2018: Northwest Girlchoir, Sara Boos, Benaroya Hall - Seattle, Washington    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/836~2018-Q3)
Full Many a Glorious Morning – Voicing: SSAA  Instrumentation: Unaccompanied  Performance Length: 5:15  Notation: Standard  Text Source: William Shakespeare  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Spring  Descriptive Terms: Cloud, Loss, Love, Nature, Sun  First Performance: Mar 11, 2018: Seattle Pro Musica, Karen P. Thomas, Trinity Lutheran Church, Lynwood, WA    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/794~2018-Q2)
Ave Verum Corpus – Voicing: SSATBB  Solo(s): Soprano  Instrumentation: Unaccompanied  Performance Length: 5:53  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Latin Hymn  Language: Latin  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Lent  Descriptive Terms: Communion, Death, Hope, Mercy  First Performance: Jun 29, 2014: American Creators Chorus, Craig Hella Johnson, Oregon Bach Festival: Venue Beall Hall, Eugene, Oregon    Text SettingSource for Scores(P:E 593/714~2017-Q4)
O Nata Lux – Voicing: SSAATTBB  Solo(s): Descant  Instrumentation: Unaccompanied  Performance Length: 7:00  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Hymn for Lauds, Feast of the Transfiguration  Language: Latin  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Communion, Lent, Transfiguration  Descriptive Terms: Christ, Hope, Light, Praise, Prayer  First Performance: May 21, 2016: Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, Loren Pontén, St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/688~2017-Q3)
Ave Maris Stella – Voicing: SSSAA  Solo(s): Descant  Instrumentation: Piano  Performance Length: 5:00  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Roman Breviary (8th C.)  Language: Latin  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Advent, Christmas, Immaculate Conception  Descriptive Terms: Mary, Mother, Peace, Sea, Star  First Performance: Dec 03, 2016: Northwest Girlchoir, Sara Boos, First Free Methodist Church, Seattle, Washington    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/620~2017-Q2)
Love Came Down at Christmas – Voicing: SSAATBB  Solo(s): Soprano  Instrumentation: Unaccompanied  Performance Length: 3:52  Notation: Standard  Text Source: Christina Rossetti  Language: English  Seasonal/Liturgical Use: Advent, Christmas  Descriptive Terms: Carol, Hope, Love, Peace  First Performance: Dec 09, 2016: Choral Arts Northwest, Robert Bode, St, Joseph Catholic Church, Seattle    Text SettingComposer’s NotesSource for Scores(P:E 593/594~2017-Q1)
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