TTBB (opt. Piano); (also available SATB and Vocal Solo); Garcilaso de la Vega, poet; U.S. Publisher, Walton Music-WJMS 1036; Duration 6.5 minutes COMPOSER NOTES Spanish is an absolutely beautiful language, and is very prominent throughout the world, including the United States. I often wonder why choral composers do not set more Spanish texts. This text […]

TTBB/piano/oboe; new tune; U.S. Publisher Colla Voce #48-96720; Duration 3:50 COMPOSER NOTES I set this very popular song (“Danny Boy”) to a new tune. If one looks closely at the text, it is quite heart-wrenching and yearning all at the same time. It is artistically risky to set a new tune to such a familiar song […]

TBB/Piano (also available for SSA/Piano and SATB/Piano); apocalyptic and epic text; U.S. Publisher Alliance Music Publ. AMP 0616; Duration 4 minutes COMPOSER NOTES This is an absolutely dramatic and epic text about the Last Judgment. It is attributed to a Franciscan monk named Tomaso de Celante (ca. 1190-1255). The complete poem contains 18 rhymed stanzas. […]

SATB/Piano and TBB/Piano); U.S. publisher, Alliance Music Publ. AMP 0940 (SATB) and AMP 0944 (TBB); Duration: 3:50 minutes COMPOSER NOTES This wonderful text is by the English poet, Edmund Waller (1606-1687). Waller was elected to parliament at the very young age of 16 because of his great oratory ability and keen sense of language. “Go […]

TTBB (also available in SATB unaccompanied or SSAA/piano); text – trad. & ZRS; publisher – free download; Duration 4 minutes COMPOSER NOTES During the recent pandemic and seemingly constant world crises, I found myself feeling helpless, full of unanswered questions, and most of all – profoundly sad for the thousands of families who lost a […]

TBB/piano; (also available in SA/piano, SSA/piano, SAB/piano, SATB/piano; BASIC LIBRARY, J.W. Pepper;  text – anonymous & ZRS; U.S. Publisher – Heritage Music Press; Duration 4:10 COMPOSER NOTES This Holocaust text is a story survival, belief, and resilience, even in the most dire of circumstances. Inscription of Hope utilizes a folk tune and anonymous text in the first […]

TTBB and Finger Cymbals or Tambourine; (also for SSAA); text by Galileo; U.S. Publisher – Alliance Music Publ AMP.1029 (TTBB) or  AMP 1035 (SSAA); Duration 3:40 COMPOSER NOTES The astronomer, Galileo, invented the telescope, allowing the first human to view the four satellites or rings of Jupiter observe a supernova, and many other amazing sights […]

TTBB and Piano or String Quartet; (also available SATB and Piano or String Quartet); Text by Christopher Smart; Duration 3 minutes COMPOSER NOTES Christopher Smart (1722-1771), also known as “Kit Smart” or “Jack Smart,”  was born in Kent, England and suffered from what is believed to be acute asthma and other health issues as a […]