“Cor meum est templum sacrum is one of our favorite songs to sing and to program. It has created a transcendent moment on many of our sacred programs.”
—Chanticleer
Composer, violinist, and poet Patricia Van Ness (1951) draws on elements of medieval and Renaissance music to create a signature voice acclaimed by musicians, audiences, and critics. She has been called a modern-day Hildegard von Bingen (1,2), known for music “ecstatic and ethereal,” “both ancient and new” (2,3). As in medieval aesthetics, her music and poetry explore the relationship between beauty and the Divine.
Van Ness’s music is celebrated globally, and commissioned, recorded and performed by ensembles including The King’s Singers, Chanticleer, and St. Martin’s Voices, reaching audiences across Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada, and the U.S. She is Staff Composer at First Church in Cambridge, MA.
Her works have earned top honors, including Europe’s Echo Klassik Prize (with Tapestry for Sapphire Night), Chamber Music America’s Album of the Year (The Fourth River), and Chorus America’s Adventurous Programming and Daniel Pinkham Awards with Coro Allegro. She has written music for many of the 150 psalms, using texts in English, Hebrew, and Latin.
Her music appears on The Best of the King’s Singers (“My Heart is a Holy Place”), Telarc International, Warner Classics, and streaming platforms. Scores are published by The King’s Singers Choral Series and Hal Leonard. All other scores are available at www.patriciavanness.com.
Ms. Van Ness is a member of American Composers Forum, ASCAP, the International Alliance for Women in Music, and a former member of the Board of the Cambridge Society for Early Music. For more information, please go to www.patriciavanness.com.
1 Gary Higginson, Music Web UK
2 Gaby Beinhorn, Suedwestrundfunk, Germany
3 Susan Larson, The Boston Globe
SHORT BIO
COMPOSER, VIOLINIST AND POET PATRICIA VAN NESS (1951) draws upon elements of medieval and Renaissance music to create a signature voice that has been hailed by musicians, audiences, and critics. She has been called a modern-day Hildegard von Bingen (1,2,) with her ability to compose music “ecstatic and ethereal,” “both ancient and new” (2,3). As in medieval aesthetics, her music and poetry explore the relationship between beauty and the Divine. Her work-in-progress is Music for the Psalms, creating a new anthem for each of the 150 psalms. She has been commissioned, recorded and performed by many ensembles, including The King’s Singers; St. Martin’s Voices, St. Martin in the Fields; The Heidelberg New Music Festival; and Chanticleer, among numerous others, and performed internationally. Van Ness is Staff Composer (1996-) at First Church in Cambridge, Congregational (Peter Sykes, Music Director). For more information and scores please go to www.patriciavanness.com.
1 Gary Higginson, Music Web UK
2 Gaby Beinhorn, Suedwestrundfunk, Germany
3 Susan Larson, The Boston Globe