Composer of sacred choral, vocal & instrumental music, often drawning inspiration from the sacred Bahai writings & world music.
'chant ye such melodies that shall dazzle the minds of them that know' Baha'u'llah
Richards most ambitious project to date is the hour long Myriads, weaving Persian & Arabic chant, SATB choir, harp, prepared piano, percussion & Tibetan prayer bowls.
He is now working on Rivers, an elaborate choral tapestry of chants, mantras, invocations and writings from 9 world religions.
VOCAL
choral
Do not Stand at my Grave and Weep (2007) choir SATB 5 (unperformed)
Sea of Seas (2006) choir SSAATTBBB/harp 8
O Son of Justice! (2006) voices SAB/harp
Invocation (2004) voices SAB/harp/chant 4
The Earth is the Lords (2001) choir SATB/piano/drone 12
Myriads (2001) choir SATB/Persian chant/harp/Tibetan prayer bowls/perc/prep. piano 55
O Son of the Wondrous Vision! (1999) choir SATB/harp/drum 8
O Son of Earth! (1999) voices SAB/harp 4
song
Faith (2006) voice/piano/kantele 5
Blessed is the Spot (2006) voice/piano 4
We Shall Always be with You (2006) voice/guitar 4
Home (2006) voice/guitar 4
Rose Garden (2006) voice/guitar 5
Strive (2006) voice/guitar 4
Shine (2006) voice/guitar 4
Time (2005) voice/guitar/violin/perc. 6
Sarah Jane (2003) voice/guitar/percussion 4
O Bird of Beauty (2002) voice/Persian chant/piano/alto flute 5
One (2002) voice/piano/percussion or voice/guitar/percussion 4
Alleluias (2002) voice/guitar 4
Rivers (2002) voice/guitar 6
On Anothers Sorrow (2001) voice/piano/kantele 5
Nine Red Horsemen (2001) voices/piano/guitar/ 5
Taking you Further Deeper into my Arms (2000) voice/piano or voice/guitar 6
Me and the Moon (2000) words and melody by Fleur Bartlett voice/piano 6
Suffer Me (2000) voice/guitar/perc. 6
2 Owen Songs (1997) -i) Song of Songs ii) Has Your Soul Sipped voice/guitar/piano/violin 15
Invocation to the Light (1990) voice/piano/cello 5
3 Hopkins Songs (1987) -i) The Windhover ii) Gods Grandeur iii) Inversnaid voice/strings/guitar/flute 12
education
The Guaymi Dawn Song (2006) voices/ensemble 8
The Tibetan Book of the Frog (1996) childrens choral 24
The Fiddler of Dooney (1996) voice/ensemble 3
opera
The Awakening Dream (1991) childrens opera 32
Almost, Once Upon a Time (excerpts) (1990) opera 15
INSTRUMENTAL
education
Hurdy-Gurdy (2004) string orchestra (beginner to advanced)/percussion/guitar/hurdy-gurdy/pipes 17
other
Lin-lan-lone (1997) strings 4
Han Ter Dro (1997) folk ensemble 2
Thrift (1997) folk ensemble 2
Leodion (1996) strings 6
Invisible Dances (1996) strings 8
Kantelaride (1996) 2 oboes/cor anglais/kantele 12
Devina Divine (1996) folk ensemble 4
Stone of Stumbling (1996) folk ensemble 6
Tableaux Vivants (1996) folk ensemble 4
In the Fall (1995) violin/prepared piano 4
Free Fall (1995) jazz ensemble 6
Distant Voices (1994) violin/piano/percussion 12
Romanesca (1994) solo violin 3
Heartspring (1994) recorder ensemble 5
Metamorphosis (1993) violin/percussion/piano/whistle/guitar 32
Toccata e Fantasia (1991 rev 2002) orchestra 13
String Quartet (1989) 2 violins/viola/cello 10
Somme Threnody (1988) cello/piano 17
Melancolique (1987) piano 4
Dithyramb (1987) viola/ piano accordion 4