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March 19, 2025

Review for ‘Dazzling Light’ (Ensemble Altera) featuring ‘Evening Prayer’

Guy Suavé has reviewed Ensemble Altera's 2024 disc, Dazzling Light, featuring Evening Prayer. What particularly captivated me on this album were the works by composers born after the 1960s. Joanna Marsh's (born 1970) Evening Prayer (2019) is characterized by various contrapuntal devices that, theoretically, could be disturbing: cross-chromaticisms, superpositions of bitonal chords (E major above D major), frictions of…

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October 18, 2024

Ivor Novello Composer Award Nomination

Delightful news this week: my piece, Batter My Heart, has been nominated for a prestigious Ivor Novello Composer Award. The piece is a setting of John Donne’s powerful sonnet and was written to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the dedication of Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, where Donne served as Dean from 1621 until his death in 1631. Some of you may remember…

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April 23, 2024

Commission for Phoenix Chorale

The Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale are due to premiere my new work No Final Shore this May. Read more about the commission here.

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February 1, 2024

Refugee – Epiphany piece for Triptych Commission

The Choir of St John's College Cambridge premiered a new commission, Refugee, on Saturday, January 20, 2024. The piece is based on a poem by Malcolm Guite and is the second piece of a Triptych commission for Joanna. This recording was captured during the Epiphany Carol Service. The third piece, Still to Dust, with an environmental theme, will be premiered…

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November 29, 2023

Triptych Commission for St John’s College, Cambridge

I'm freshly back at my desk in Dubai feeling extremely effervescent today, having hung out with some exceptionally brilliant musicians this week, aka the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge and new Director of Music, Christopher Gray. You can hear the world premiere of the first of three pieces I am writing for the choir this year, The Hidden Light at A Service for Advent with Carols,…

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October 31, 2023

Premiere – Batter My Heart

A new commission for Choir of Lincoln's Inn was premiered on 18th October in a evensong to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the dedication of the New Chapel in 1623, conducted by Nick Shaw. The piece, Batter My Heart is a setting of John Donne's sonnet, who was a Reader of Divinity there from 1616). The work will be…

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October 25, 2023

New Release – The Gesualdo Six ‘In Winter’s House’

The Gesualdo Six have just released their new single 'In Winter's House' ahead of their 'Morning Star' album launch. Stream and buy the album here and listen to the recording on YouTube here.

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July 20, 2023

Mention in The Guardian

The Scottish Ensemble recently performed the string arrangement of In Winter's House. Take a look at The Guardian's four-star review of their concert here.

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July 20, 2023

4 Stars for Sanctifica Nos

Limelight Magazine has reviewed my album, Sanctifica Nos, featuring works for choir and viol consort, performed by the Choir of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and Fretwork. Read here.

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July 10, 2023

Jubilate & Te Deum Review

The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians has written a glowing review of my Jubilate and Te Deum in their July - August 2023 edition. Read below and see in print here. TEXT: Traditional TECHNICAL LEVEL: Difficult MUSICAL STYLE: Extended chromatic tonality COMMENTS: Duke University commissioned this set of canticles, and Marsh delivered with music as expansive and…

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