COMPOSITIONS FOR ORCHESTRA
Janequins (1978/2005)
Dance suite (after a set of original piano pieces) in homage
to French composers of the early 20th century, to the Renaissance era
composer Clement Janequin and to the spirit of Ravel’s “Le Tombeau de Couperin”
(2/2/2/2, 4/3/2+1/1, perc, strings)
Monsieur Ravel’s Dancing Shoes (premiered
by the Kurt Sprenger & Fort Worth Civic Orchestra, Texas Christian
University, 12/3/05)
Monsieur Fauré’s Muse
Monsieur Satie’s Nap
Monsieur Debussy’s Fingers
Mbuti (in work)
Suite inspired by music of the Mbuti pygmies of the Ituri rainforest
in northeast
ORCHESTRAL TRANSCRIPTIONS
Pictures from an Exhibition by Modeste Mussorgsky (1995)
An alternative version of
Mussorgsky’s keyboard masterpiece refracted “in the style of” composers who
were masters of the orchestral palette (3/2+1/3/3, 4/3/3/1, perc, pf, strings)
Chorale No. 1 in E Major by César Franck (2001)
Franck’s mighty organ chorale scored identically to
Franck D minor Symphony except for
two small auxiliary trumpets in place of trumpets in F (2/2/1/2/1/2,
4/2/2-cornet/2-aux+1/1, timpani, hp, strings)
Danserye Suite by Tielman Susato (in work)
Suite of Renaissance dances from Susuato's 1551 edition
(2+1/2+1/2+1/2+1, 4/3/2+1/1, perc, strings, kazoos)
Mille ducas
Ronde
Entre du fol
Ronde et Salterelle
La Battaille
1812 Overture by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (2010)
In his Independence Day 2010 blog posting, Baltimore Sun music critic
Tim Smith suggested we 'Americanize' Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" for performance on
patriotic holidays like the Fourth of July. One of his ideas was to substitute our own
1812 anthem - "The Star-Spangled Banner" - in place of the Russian czarist theme at the
big climax near the end of the piece. Here's how that alternate
ending might look.
COMPOSITIONS FOR CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Janequins II (2013)
Duet for flute and viola (after "Janequins I" for orchestra) in esteem
of 20th century French composers (first performed by Sarah Teichler and Dan Stevens
at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, 4/4/13)
Mademoiselles Boulanger’s Hats
Video
Monsieur Messiaen's Birdcage
Video
CHRISTMAS MUSIC - ORIGINAL & ARRANGEMENTS
It's one of life's little ironies that I've been building up a
small body of Christmas music. It started in 2008 when I entered a Christmas music
competition in England and submitted an original working of "The Night Before Christmas."
A few weeks later, I was asked to arrange the winning song in my amateur orchestra's
carol-writing contest for primary school students, and I've been doing it each year
since. The children come up with some inventive song ideas, and we make an effort
to give them a professional sounding score. Links to the scores, including my "Night
Before "Christmas" are posted below:
The Night Before Christmas
(2008)
Original chamber composition for soprano choir and strings
Santa Plans To Retire by Mildren
(2008)
Have A Merry Christmas by Phillips &
Yater (2009)
It's Christmas Time Again by Wentworth,
Barham, Evans & Mildren (2009)
Christmas Wishes by Adams, DeBerry, Gaines,
McCreight, Miller, Speaker & Yater (2010)
So You Say You Like The Holidays
by Albritton, Grona, McDaniel & Phillips (2010)
A Cold and Foggy Winter Day
by Blanton Yellow Team (2011)
Special Christmas / Snow Falls Down
by Gregory & Alexander (2011) Video
LIBRETTO TRANSLATIONS
Maurice Ravel/Colette L’Enfant et les Sortilèges
New English translation (2002)
Sassy, contemporary American
update of Colette & Ravel’s moderne era fairy tale intended to speak
directly to the 21st century sensibility, language and experience of
a new generation of young listeners
Bohuslav Martinu/Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes Les Larmes du Couteau
New English translation (2011)
Playfully contemporary
update of Ribemont-Dessaignes' libretto to Martinu's surrealist one-act
Contact
Byrwec Ellison
