CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Indiana Elegies (9/15/14, revised 4/6/21) for orchestra [2 1+1 2 2, 2 2 2 0, timp, 2 perc, strings] – 13’30”. The composer writes, “I was not born in Indiana, nor have I ever lived there, but I have fond memories of visiting parts of southern Indiana as a teenager.  In Turkey Run State Park, I remember a beautiful trail in a creek bed that was often so narrow that one had to squeeze between rock faces.  I remember canoeing down Sugar Creek, a waterway so shallow that even its rapids provided a gentle trip over the water.  I also remember searching Brown County for its many covered bridges and investigating them in the summer heat.  Most of all, I remember those trips for both their rural and scenic beauty.”  Movement titles are Turkey Run Toccata, Sugar Creek Serenade and Brown County Boutade.  MIDI recording.

Autumn’s Grace (5/12/13) for chamber orchestra [2 dbl Pic 1/1 2 2, 2 2 0 0, timp, perc, strings] – 7’30”. Autumn is a time of cooler temperatures, colorful foliage and serenity.  I have tried to capture that essence using a rich melodic language supported by both quartal and tertian harmonies, as well as sustained pitches. The middle Allegro represents colorful fall foliage using a variety of tone colors, especially brass and percussion. There is a brief transition before the opening material returns.  MIDI recording.

Washington & Lee University Chamber Orchestra

Morning on Gem Lake  (1/18/13) for chamber orchestra [2 2 2 2, 2 2 0 0, timp, chimes, strings] – 8’20”.  When I was a teenager, my family took two wonderful camping trips to the Rocky Mountains, visiting national parks and monuments from the Athabasca Glacier in Canada to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Morning hikes were a major activity, often along the shores of a mountain lake. It is long enough ago for me that I do not remember the names of all the lakes we hiked along. I do remember the cool mountain air, the incredibly clear waters, the sighting of deer, elk, moose and Stellar Jays and the pleasure of sharing it all with family. I chose Gem Lake for the title because it is in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, but it could have been any of the lakes or mountains we visited. Those hikes remain a peaceful but very majestic memory.

Live recording.  The winner of the 1^st Annual Washington and Lee Chamber Orchestra Composition Contest, it was premiered at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, on November 15, 2018, by the Washington and Lee Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Dobbins, conductor.

Members of The Triangle Youth Orchestra

Members of the International Ballet Academy, Cary, NC

As You Like It Ballet Suite (2011) for chamber orchestra [1/1 1/1 1 1, 2 1 1 1, timp, 3 perc, strings].  The work follows Shakespeare’s play of the same name.

Live recording.  The ballet for chamber orchestra, had two premiere performances on August 9 and 10, 2014, at the Cary Arts Center, Cary, NC, by the Triangle Youth Philharmonic, Hugh Partridge, Director, and the International Ballet Academy, Rossana Gahagan, choreographer.

Heights Chamber Orchestra

Nothing Bitter Suite   (2010) for chamber orchestra [1 1 1 1, 0 1 0 0, timp. and strings].  As the title might suggest, I wanted this work to be a light, often transparent, and generally cheerful composition. It is divided into four movements, moving from the more serious to the irreverent. “Sweet Mystery of Life!” begins mysteriously and features a series of triplets with octave leaps.  If life has a sweet mystery, it is simply to enjoy the ride and keep living one’s life to the fullest.  “Crunchy Praline Waltz” is as simple as its title. This is a waltz with a choppy accompaniment and several melodic themes, a classic use of the form.   “Hot Cotton Candy” begins with a driving pulse from the marimba. One can imagine the cardboard wand collecting the fibrous strands of cotton candy that are a sure sign of a carnival or amusement park.  “If I Were a Tango!” is a passacaglia over a twenty-eight beat ground counted in seven-beat measures.

Live recording. Winner of the 2015 Heights Chamber Orchestra’s American Composers Prize, the work was premiered by the Heights Chamber Orchestra in Cleveland Heights on April 3, 2016, with Mark Alan McCoy conducting. Two additional performances by Michael Hull and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra on April 8, 2017, at the Performing Arts Center, Vero Beach High School, in Vero Beach, Florida, and on April 9, 2017 at the Scott Center for the Arts in Melbourne, Florida – 21’00”

Lux Perpetua  (2009) for chamber orchestra [1 1 1 1 – 2 2 0 0, timp. and strings].  In Lux Perpetua, the central idea revolves around the power of divine, everlasting light.  The Latin title comes from the opening of the Requiem Mass that translates as “Give them eternal rest and may everlasting light (Lux perpetua) shine upon them.”  I envision everlasting light as powerful protection, but also as the light that shines on our imperfections and faults.  In the latter sense, it is a harsh reminder of human weakness.  I have tried to capture both concepts in this piece of traditional program music.

Live recording.  The work was awarded a prize and premiered by the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra on February 3, 2013, in Washington, D.C.

Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra