Passages – song cycle for soprano and piano
Passages – The four songs in this cycle reflect various stages of life – the confidence of the young adult, the fear of the very young when confronted with nature’s violence, the love of a mother for…
Love’s Shades of Gray – song cycle for soprano and piano
Love’s Shades of Gray – The five poems in Love’s Shades of Gray were first published in a collection of poems by Rob Smith entitled Two-Hundred Fifty-Six Zones of Gray (Bird Dog Publishing, 2008). I was impressed…
Emily in Love…Emily Alone – song cycle for soprano and piano
Emily in Love…Emily Alone – The six songs in this cycle tell the story of Emily Dickinson’s struggles to find a partner in life. We never know his name, only the story of their brief time together and…
Time Spirals – piano solo
“Time Spirals” (2006) for solo piano – 6’45”. The extreme use of chromaticism and the fixation on the perfect fourth are hallmarks of this work. The opening section rarely has a measure that does not feature both. …
Heartland Preludes – piano or harpsichord suite
Heartland Preludes (2011) four movements for piano – 9’30”. This work was composed honoring the place where I grew up. For most residents in that part of the state, the name came to signify an attitude toward…
Irini Variations – piano solo
Irini Variations (8/5/14) for solo piano – 8’00”. “Irini” is the Greek word for peace. The letters were converted to Morse code: short, short (i) – short, long, short (r) – short, short – long, short (n)…
Mother Earth Suite
Mother Earth Suite (12/27/15) – 9’40”. The idea for this suite was to create a short set of etudes of moderate difficulty that would also have a melodic appeal. Programmatically, the four movements are all related to…
Megan Fair – piano solo
Megan Fair (5/20/16) – 4’00”. A simple, tonal introduction based on the chords associated with “Heart and Soul” begins the work. The idea here is that of a gentle obsession and profound love for the title character.…
Piano Sonata No. 1
Sonata No. 1 (6/16/16) – 17’50”. The sonata is in four movements. The first is virtuosic and tuneful, characterized by driving rhythms and relentless energy. The second is a lyric slow movement, full of melancholy harmonies and…
To God on High Be Glory
To God on High Be Glory (2011) for SATB chorus and piano – 3’05”. This Christmas chorus features a unison refrain and a lively tempo. Based on a text by St. Germanus in a translation by J.…