ForrestWorks

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.