Like its companion piece "George and the Dragon", Helen Ahoy! is intended to provide stimulating classroom work, as well as being appropriate and appealing to school and regional choirs.

The attractive piano part is not technically difficult, and can also be used in conjunction with a part for two B flat clarinets, which is available along with the separate vocal part. For the bigger occasion, the accompaniment has also been arranged for wind ensemble, and again score and parts are available - details from ardrosshouse@btinternet.com

The work follows a similar plan to George, in comprising five essentially unison songs which divide to provide effective two-part singing; though the demands on the singers are a little greater, not just in the complexity of the rhythms and extended range, but also in emotional terms, centred as it is around A(sia) Minor, and the ultimately bitter/sweet character of Helen.

Generally, the songs are each in two halves, which are sung by the whole choir in unison; with the two halves then sung against one another as a reprise.

'The Fall of Troy' is somewhat different in that the two halves of the choir are separate throughout, combining firstly in the round 'They've/We've built a horse' and then later to portray the desolation of Troy by linking the Greek and Trojan themes together - with a steady two beats per bar to unite the contrasting and metres.

Duration: 12 minutes