Consortium - "Symphony No. 1"
to commission a new work for wind ensemble
This is the opportunity to join the consortium to commission a new work for wind ensemble. The new work will be delivered by September 1, 2025. All consortium performances are considered premieres and may be indicated that way in programs and concert announcements. Buying into this commission will entitle you to a full set of materials (score and parts) provided via PDF upon completion. Please note that the materials are not transferrable – they may only be used by the school joining the consortium.
Your name and school will be included in every published score, so please be sure the information is correct when you check out!
This is the opportunity to join the consortium to commission a new work for wind ensemble. The new work will be delivered by September 1, 2025. All consortium performances are considered premieres and may be indicated that way in programs and concert announcements. Buying into this commission will entitle you to a full set of materials (score and parts) provided via PDF upon completion. Please note that the materials are not transferrable – they may only be used by the school joining the consortium.
Your name and school will be included in every published score, so please be sure the information is correct when you check out!
|
Commission
Ensemble Price: $150 Individual Supporter: $100 |
About the Music
Symphony No. 1 - The Light Shines finds its origins in, of all places, a poem by the late author J.R.R. Tolkien titled Noel. This poem is one of Tolkein’s few explicitly religious writings and is focused on Christmas. The title comes from a passage in the New Testament, John 1:5, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." The musical journey taken throughout follows a path from the darkness into the light. This music is of a greatly personal nature to me as a person of faith. With three exceptions all the tunes are original, but may feel very familiar. The borrowed melodies come from the 371 Four-Part Chorales by J.S. Bach and two traditional English songs, Greensleeves and Coventry Carol. While my original intention was not to create a Christmas-themed work, the music evolved it began to take on a journey not only from darkness to light, and more elements including the use of traditional carols and hymns began to be incorporated.
I. Moderate (m. 1 - 201)
The beginnings of Symphony No. 1 are in that of darkness, portrayed at first through quotations of the traditional English carol, Coventry Carol. From here, motifs derived thereof and other original material capture the gloom, melancholy, and bleakness described in the opening stanza of Tolkien’s poem. Elements of the first movement include soft, bleak moments, followed by quick, chaotic frenzies, bombastic brass, a fugal segment, and dark, majestic brass. The movement closes as softly as it began.
II. Slow (m. 202 - 314)
The second movement is sparse in nature, portraying the vastness of the world and bleakness of a cold winter night. This “nature theme” is accompanied by Greensleeves played in an augmented and segmented form. This is followed by a powerful surge of Greensleeves and is then diminished back to the nature theme, fading out to a single voice in the clarinet.
III. Very Fast (m. 315 - 431)
The third movement is largely based on a choral from Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio - Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht (Break forth, O beauteous morning light). Presented in a sort of reverse theme and variations, the third movement begins with a jarring fortissimo statement in the winds and percussion, followed by a series of variations on the chorale theme in two distinct styles. These variations are followed by the chorale in its natural form, played by a woodwind choir. The movement finally ends in as jarring a form as it began, with an abrupt halt at high volume.
IV. Joyous and Bright
The final movement of this work builds into a majestic statement of the Coventry Carol theme, only now in a major variation. This presentation of the Coventry Theme is heralding in nature and is accompanied by quotations of the Greensleeves theme in both upper and lower voices. The finale builds consistently toward a triumphant closing as the light shines through the darkness and hope rings like bells from church towers.
Symphony No. 1 - The Light Shines finds its origins in, of all places, a poem by the late author J.R.R. Tolkien titled Noel. This poem is one of Tolkein’s few explicitly religious writings and is focused on Christmas. The title comes from a passage in the New Testament, John 1:5, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." The musical journey taken throughout follows a path from the darkness into the light. This music is of a greatly personal nature to me as a person of faith. With three exceptions all the tunes are original, but may feel very familiar. The borrowed melodies come from the 371 Four-Part Chorales by J.S. Bach and two traditional English songs, Greensleeves and Coventry Carol. While my original intention was not to create a Christmas-themed work, the music evolved it began to take on a journey not only from darkness to light, and more elements including the use of traditional carols and hymns began to be incorporated.
I. Moderate (m. 1 - 201)
The beginnings of Symphony No. 1 are in that of darkness, portrayed at first through quotations of the traditional English carol, Coventry Carol. From here, motifs derived thereof and other original material capture the gloom, melancholy, and bleakness described in the opening stanza of Tolkien’s poem. Elements of the first movement include soft, bleak moments, followed by quick, chaotic frenzies, bombastic brass, a fugal segment, and dark, majestic brass. The movement closes as softly as it began.
II. Slow (m. 202 - 314)
The second movement is sparse in nature, portraying the vastness of the world and bleakness of a cold winter night. This “nature theme” is accompanied by Greensleeves played in an augmented and segmented form. This is followed by a powerful surge of Greensleeves and is then diminished back to the nature theme, fading out to a single voice in the clarinet.
III. Very Fast (m. 315 - 431)
The third movement is largely based on a choral from Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio - Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht (Break forth, O beauteous morning light). Presented in a sort of reverse theme and variations, the third movement begins with a jarring fortissimo statement in the winds and percussion, followed by a series of variations on the chorale theme in two distinct styles. These variations are followed by the chorale in its natural form, played by a woodwind choir. The movement finally ends in as jarring a form as it began, with an abrupt halt at high volume.
IV. Joyous and Bright
The final movement of this work builds into a majestic statement of the Coventry Carol theme, only now in a major variation. This presentation of the Coventry Theme is heralding in nature and is accompanied by quotations of the Greensleeves theme in both upper and lower voices. The finale builds consistently toward a triumphant closing as the light shines through the darkness and hope rings like bells from church towers.
Symphony No. 1 - Follow the Progress
Update #1
I started the symphony by writing a loose collection of program notes - I'll be updating them as I write music, but will be using them as a guide while I write as well.
I started the symphony by writing a loose collection of program notes - I'll be updating them as I write music, but will be using them as a guide while I write as well.
Update #2
After a few weeks of writing, the 4th draft of the first movement is complete and ready for editing, which will take place later. Below is a mock-up of the music. All of this started from an idea that came from inspiration I had after reading J.R.R. Tolkein's poem, Noel. It has evolved past that now, but is still surrounding similar themes of light overcoming darkness. The first movement, however, is primarily concerned with darkness - with elements of light and strength throughout. I also had the idea to try and write a partial fugue in the middle. This Symphony will likely loosely follow the traditional form of a symphony, as I plan to bend a few of the "rules" to accomplish several musical goals. The end goal is roughly 25 minutes of music. So far - Movement 1 has nearly 7 and a half.
Update #3
The first draft of the second movement is finished! After making some adjustments to the movement 1, I began working on the second and so far am pretty pleased with it. The second movement takes the listener on a journey through the vast expanse of the winter landscape. Elements included are melodies and motifs based on Greensleeves, as well as on bird calls, which I researched and found several references where different bird calls had been loosely transcribed into musical notation. While these were not copied exactly, they are mimicked throughout the second movement. Additionally, the movement builds after a substantial period of calm into a dramatic interpretation of Greensleeves, the only time the melody has appeared in its entirely within the piece so far. As far as length is concerned, the piece is well on its way to reaching the goal of 25 minutes in length, as movements 1 and 2 clock in at roughly 12 and a half minutes. The end goal, however, of 25 minutes, may not be reached, or may be exceeded depending on how the music ends up developing.
Update #4
The music is coming along well, and the working draft (as of this morning) now includes the second movement.
Update #5
The first draft of the third movement is complete, and while I'm not 100% I like it yet, it's certainly a good starting point and I look forward to sitting on it for a few days while I begin prepping material for the fourth and final movement of the piece. This process has been fun, but also mentally exhausting.
After a few weeks of writing, the 4th draft of the first movement is complete and ready for editing, which will take place later. Below is a mock-up of the music. All of this started from an idea that came from inspiration I had after reading J.R.R. Tolkein's poem, Noel. It has evolved past that now, but is still surrounding similar themes of light overcoming darkness. The first movement, however, is primarily concerned with darkness - with elements of light and strength throughout. I also had the idea to try and write a partial fugue in the middle. This Symphony will likely loosely follow the traditional form of a symphony, as I plan to bend a few of the "rules" to accomplish several musical goals. The end goal is roughly 25 minutes of music. So far - Movement 1 has nearly 7 and a half.
Update #3
The first draft of the second movement is finished! After making some adjustments to the movement 1, I began working on the second and so far am pretty pleased with it. The second movement takes the listener on a journey through the vast expanse of the winter landscape. Elements included are melodies and motifs based on Greensleeves, as well as on bird calls, which I researched and found several references where different bird calls had been loosely transcribed into musical notation. While these were not copied exactly, they are mimicked throughout the second movement. Additionally, the movement builds after a substantial period of calm into a dramatic interpretation of Greensleeves, the only time the melody has appeared in its entirely within the piece so far. As far as length is concerned, the piece is well on its way to reaching the goal of 25 minutes in length, as movements 1 and 2 clock in at roughly 12 and a half minutes. The end goal, however, of 25 minutes, may not be reached, or may be exceeded depending on how the music ends up developing.
Update #4
The music is coming along well, and the working draft (as of this morning) now includes the second movement.
Update #5
The first draft of the third movement is complete, and while I'm not 100% I like it yet, it's certainly a good starting point and I look forward to sitting on it for a few days while I begin prepping material for the fourth and final movement of the piece. This process has been fun, but also mentally exhausting.