With so many talented composers in our catalogs, we want to take time to highlight the creativity, process, and passion of those with new music releasing. Each month of 2025 we will feature a composer who has a new piece coming out soon or who has recently published with us in an installment of "Beyond the Score." Today, we are talking with Mark Sirett.
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What inspired you to begin studying music?
I was fortunate to grow up in a home filled with music. Our large family gatherings always involved singing, playing instruments, and dancing, in reality, a traditional Celtic ‘kitchen-party’. There was a piano in the house, so out of curiosity I began to improvise popular songs but soon began to create original music. Eventually I undertook formal piano studies, and by mid-teens was fully immersed in all forms of music-making. (My first job as a church organist was at age 16.)
What motivates you musically today?
Now that I’m semi-retired and have the luxury to devote my musical energy to composition. I enjoy writing for a wide variety of choirs of all ages, children, youth, and adults. Recently, I have returned to writing for younger voices, composing works that I hope help nurture healthy vocal production, confidence, range and flexibility. Youthful exuberance, sheer joy, and delight in discovery is infectious and motivating musically, and in many other ways, for this grandfather of four.
What do you draw on for inspiration as you begin a new composition?
For me, the source of inspiration dwells in the text. It could be the inherent beauty of the words or the profound message that they convey. I spend a great deal of time reading and analyzing the poetry, internalizing the words through memory. If the poetry speaks directly to me, and connects at an emotional level, the music flows effortlessly.
What is your favorite piece of music and why?
My favourite choral works are undoubtedly the Duruflé Requiem and the Fauré Requiem. It is the exquisite serenity, profound warmth and hopefulness in both of these scores that make them so timeless and uplifting. Rich harmonies, flowing melodies, heartfelt emotion-- visions of peace, comfort and heaven in sound.
What draws you to write music for the church, and how do you approach text and music for ensembles that are mostly music-loving amateurs?
My first experience with choral music was in the church, rather than at school. It is the profound sincerity of the singers, and the desire to express the depths of their faith through their God-given gift talent, that has drawn me to write sacred music. Amateur singers relate best to music that is accessible, captures a sense of beauty or of elation, that inspires, but also challenges and demands more of yourself. I love the ancient sacred texts, but I also delight in modern texts that embrace more contemporary thought that is relevant and relatable to our current world.
What is one experience that you have had that wouldn’t have been available if you hadn’t been in the music world?
I've been very fortunate as a conductor to be able to tour with choirs and discover more of this amazing world than the average person--stunning cities, breathtaking venues, warm and welcoming people and rich cultures. Conducting mass at St. Peter's, Rome and Notre-Dame-de-Paris, or Evensong and other choral services in some of the great cathedrals and minsters in the UK have been humbling and life-changing experiences.
What is a favorite hobby or interest outside of music?
To keep a healthy balance in life, I enjoy keeping physically active. I go to the gym three times a week, and hot yoga once or twice a week; some biking in the summer, long walks in nature are all important for my emotional well-being. It is a form of meditation that allows for the creative process to flourish.
We are grateful for Mark's work and the impact it has on the ministry we serve. To learn more about Mark and his work, check out his releases through Augsburg Fortress here and his website - www.marksirett.ca.
