Time for a long-overdue update on various fronts:
- BJU’s theory revamping has kept me busy but is coming together pretty well. Looking forward to the fall when, Lord willing, everything will be in place.
- Have been working on mixing and detail work on the upcoming SoundForth CD, “Promises”. I produced the choral sessions and wrote several orchestrations but wasn’t a part of the orchestral sessions, so now I’m going back and adjusting a lot of things. We’re almost done though…
- Have been editing and proofing anthems for Beckenhorst this spring- more on those, later.
- Have been arranging one piece and orchestrating three for a client for an upcoming recording. Got to write some fun stuff for a large orchestra- hopefully the recording will come out well.
- Am in the midst of trying to set a choral prayer for a church here in town- a beautiful John Donne text. It’s proving difficult to find the right style that meets the style of the text and the requests of the commissioner, though. Still wrestling…
- Soon to write a brass accompaniment for my forthcoming O God Beyond All Praising (Hinshaw), an orchestral accompaniment for my just-released “in paradisum…” (Hinshaw), an orchestration of The First Noel (Beckenhorst last year), and Beckenhorst’s all-time best seller, “Every Valley”.
- Starting to make trip plans for our early-April trip to Kansas for the premiere of “Over Havet”. Tracy Resseguie is still raving about the piece- I hope he’s being objective!
It’ll be premiered by his Staley High School choir combined with the University of Kansas Concert Choir. Can’t wait to hear it!
- Still working on plans for premiere and recording of my Te Deum.
- Have also been working on some of the details for some summer workshops and conferences I’m involved with…
- Have nailed down details for a couple other commissions in the last few weeks as well- one for the University of Utah and one for the Williamsburg (VA) Choral Guild. The Williamsburg piece will be premiered in…well, Williamsburg. The University of Utah piece will be premiered at the World Choral Symposium in Argentina (!).
- Back to work!
ForrestWorks has gotten a makeover! If you notice, though, the new look still contains the numerous trees which are requisite for someone with my last name…
Still working on getting my page links visible across the top. For now, all the content (Contact, Bio, Choral, Instrumental, Recordings, etc) is available in drop-down menus under “PAGES” above…
Also, I updated pages, and added new events/info…
Sometimes this music writing business is a lot of fun! Today, I had three communications- first, a website contact about the Three Nocturnes being performed at the Northwest ACDA Convention coming up in March; then another website contact from Dr. Kevin Fenton at Florida State about his programming the Nocturnes for upcoming performances by the Festival Singers of Florida, and the Mississippi All State Choir, and is closing his FSU spring concerts and his concerts during a March tour of Italy with Good Night Dear Heart.
Then, I got a phone call from Tracy Resseguie- his choir read through “Over Havet” for the first time today, and he was raving about the piece (I wish I could hear it!). The local (Kansas City) PBS TV station is making a documentary about the piece, and they were there filming the read-through. It’s scheduled to be premiered in early April, by a 160-voice choir comprised of Tracy’s high school choir combined with the University of Kansas Concert Choir. I can’t wait!
Meanwhile, I’m off to Texas next weekend for a joint composer weekend with Craig Courtney, for the premiere of “Lord of the Small”. Craig is conducting, and I’m accompanying…and I’ll get to meet Bill and Johanna Anderson (Johanna wrote the BEAUTIFUL text for the piece).
The Lord is good to me, to allow me to do something I enjoy this much, for a living!
Lastly, if I may leave my music profession for a minute, and be personal: we continue to weep with those who weep, in Haiti. The suffering there reminds us that we easily make idols out of the joys in our lives, and it’s a sobering reminder that while we enjoy so much plenty, and lack so little, others suffer greatly, and have literally nothing. We all (especially Pat Robertson!) would do well to read, and heed, this, and this.
Well- the new year is upon us. We just finished a wonderful weekend visit from our dear friend Brian and Katrina Bondari. A great time of catching up, talking “shop” about KU, composition, theory pedagogy, and eating Indian and Persian food!
Composition: the last 8 weeks have seen two choral anthems, several orchestrations, frantic editing and proofing of the choral/piano version of in paradisum (to be released by Hinshaw in 3 weeks!), and some other small projects, in the midst of what has been a refreshing (and much-needed!) Christmas break.
I’ve just updated my “What’s New” and “Upcoming Performances” pages with some new information- feel free to browse through those lists if you’re interested.
And now, the best news for last: I’ve been commissioned by the the national ACDA (American Choral Director’s Association) to write the commissioned piece for the 2011 National ACDA Children’s Honors Choir. The piece will be premiered at the 2011 ACDA National Convention in Chicago, and will be conducted by none other than Henry Leck. I’m thrilled, and thankful for this opportunity!
As a farewell to Christmas 2009, here’s one more fabulous University of Utah performance from this year- There is Faint Music, in HD. Click here.
A new year is upon us, by God’s grace!
I plan to soon return to blogging more, instead of focusing on the Arise Shine CD. I’ve cranked out a bunch of music in the last 4-5 weeks, and we have some exciting opportunities in the works, which I will blog about soon. Meanwhile, Brian and Katrina Bondari are coming to visit us this weekend- can’t wait! We haven’t seen them in a couple years….lots of catching up to do!
Lastly: the Arise Shine CD is now on iTunes! Click here. We need some reviews on there- if you buy any mp3’s, please take the time to leave a review.
Mp3s of all tracks on the Arise Shine CD are now available here.
iTunes, Amazon, etc,…and eventually Pandora should be coming soon!
Check out the Twitter feed over on the left…this might be the first time I’ve been tweeted about in a foreign language…? But I think that’s my name in the middle of it, there….and the YouTube video it links to is, indeed, my music…BEAUTIFULLY performed by Brady Allred and the University of Utah Singers (in HD, even!). Great job!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRSqp4hoFVo
Just in time for Christmas! Now through Dec 22, buy two Arise Shine CDs for $24. Shipping is still only $1. Use the new button over on the right for this discount!
Whew! Just finished a commission that I wrestled with for a LONG time. I’m hoping the end result proves to be worth the wrestling- we’ll see! It’s a beautiful text, “Lord of the Small”, and the setting was commissioned in memory of a young girl who died of cancer. It’ll be premiered, Lord willing, in late January, at A&M United Methodist Church in College Station, TX, with me accompanying and Craig Courtney conducting.
Now, on to the one other commission due by year’s end (in addition to a pile of orchestration due shortly after the new year!)…
Meanwhile, orders for the “Arise, Shine” CD continue to come in- I’m thankful for the response it’s gotten!