A recent thread seeks to identify and profile contemporary composers of sacred/liturgical music that are worthy of our consideration. This proved a very worthwhile thread in that the list expands beyond what we can happily call the new usual suspects, MacMillan/Allen/LaRocca/Rice etc.
We've also spent considerable time and effort identifying excellent work that enables smaller populated and voiced ensembles (SB SAT etc.) such as the little but mighty volume by Heath Morber of Eucharistic motets in English, as well as those found at Chuck's Choralwiki.
I thought it might also be valuable to share other composers from other sources, not all necessarily RC-sponsored, that consistently provide smaller choirs with choice yet accessible literature. So here goes....
If you are a St. James Press subscriber (the hands down best bargain in choral literature) you already know of the vast body of compositions by Richard Shepherd, Roland Martin and others of a fairly Anglican bent. I'd like to bring to everyone's attention Carson Cooman. We've prepared two of his miniature gems for Ascension and Pentecost, respectively "If ye love me" and "I will pour out My Spirit." I was attracted by Cooman's deft craft of weaving Part/Tavener-like melodies and textures that capture that sort of mystical, ethereal ethos that unites minimalism to polyphony and a kind of Orthodox gravity.
Of course it may eventuate that not everyone will share like enthusiasm for Cooman's body of work, that's okay and normal. But I think sharing resources and "discoveries" of such writers in an ongoing dialogue would be very beneficial.