About Peter Burton

I am a composer based in London with a main focus on sacred choral music.

My services are two-fold.

Firstly, I am hoping that choirs of all types will enjoy performing my music. Please get in touch if you would like to or just check out the shop and music links for ideas. I am happy to discuss with you any request you may have.

Secondly, I am hoping lots of people will listen to my music. Both my CDs are available for purchase through the shop and can be streamed online through tools such as Spotify. Otherwise come along to one of the events where my music is being performed !

About me

Up till end of 2017, I was a full-time practising engineer. I very much enjoyed music and composing but it had to play ‘second fiddle’ to the job I was paid to do !

Since then though, I have the great privilege of being involved in choral music pretty much full-time. This involves singing in choirs, conducting choirs ( Dundonald church choir ) and composing.

About my music

Sacred choral music is my main focus. As with all music for choirs, I just love the way people can come together and create beautiful music through their voices. There are so many different styles and standards which means there are loads of people are out there singing ! Being a Christian, this is at the heart of my faith. Psalm 95 says “Come let us sing for joy to the Lord”.

For me this love for choral music has grown over the years as I have sung in choirs, conducted my church choir and composed music. Choral music is special in that it communicates through words. This has been important for churches over the years as the choir helps to edify the body of believers through the words and music sung. 

I am keen that the music and complexity of the text overlay does not get in the way of the words and create an unnecessary barrier between choir and listener. I also want my music to be in the reach of the now typical small church choir. Hence, tunefulness and simplicity shapes my music.

Sacred choral music, as we know, has wide acceptance outside the church. We only need to look at all the performances of Handel’s “The Messiah” for that! So, I would see my music not restricted to the confines of a church building but sung by all types of choir. 

I have recorded two CDs. In my first CD, I set various biblical texts to music. This is not something new. Again, Handel’s Messiah is a good example of that. To carry on that great tradition is a great honour.

I love the old hymns that speak of such great Christian truths. So my second CD takes well-known hymns and gives them a new choral setting – new tunes with a variety of accompaniments. 

Although sacred choral music is my main focus, I have always found God’s gift of nature a great therapy as we face the different trials of life. I have therefore started to compose a number of vocal pieces with nature as the theme. You will find this in my section “Nature in Song”. Some of these are songs I have written. Others are poems that I have given musical settings. So far, these pieces have been for solo voice or voices.  

So I hope you enjoy looking around the website. Do get in touch using the contact form if you have any questions.