Sincere thanks to Kari Turunen and the Vancouver Chamber Choir for this superb North American premiere recording, sung on Nov 29, 2025, as part of a memorial concert for my uncle, Duncan W. Shaw (1932-2025). For song description and sheet music, see below.

Description: Here is my totally new version of “Good King Wenceslas.” Using the 19th century poem by John Mason Neale, I wanted to create a different “feel” to the Wenceslas story, to take it back to its origins in the Middle Ages – hence the medieval feel to much of the piece. I felt that a setting in 6/8 time would create a better sense of journey, the motive energy behind the story. And the 6/8 time also helped resolve the “Good King Wences last looked out” problem found in the original 4/4 version. As did the insertion of an extra word, “he”, as in “Good King Wenceslas, he looked out.”

Dedicated to my late uncle Duncan W. Shaw, whose “retirement project” – developing his own theory of gravity – has been a huge inspiration in my own “late in life” compositional journey: duncanshawphysics.ca.

Sheet music (SATB div.):  https://cypresschoral.com/composers/david-rain/good-king-wenceslas/.