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| Pieces for educational use (small groups) |
- The Emperor and the Nightingale. For flute, violin, viola, cello and narrator. (There is also an optional percussion part). 18 minutes. Selected audience members play gong and wind chimes (no rehearsal required). Based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen story.
| Listen to The Emperor and the Nightingale (18:47) |
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- Tunji and the Giant—an African Folk-tale. For clarinet, violin, viola, cello and narrator. (There is also an optional percussion part). 18 minutes. Audience members play rattles and rainstick, or anything African.
| Listen to Tunji and the Giant (17:36) |
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- The Steadfast Tin Soldier. For percussion (one professional player with standard instruments), violin, viola, cello and narrator. 18 minutes. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story. Many people know this story, as it is featured in the Fantasia 2000 movie (with music from the Shostakovitch Piano Concerto). This version has a happy ending (no one is thrown into the fire).
| Listen to the Steadfast Tin Soldier (16:46) |
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- Pond Pals (written in collaboration with Nitzan Sitzer). For violin, viola, cello, percussion and narrator/singer. 20 minutes. This is a true mini-musical, with influences from broadway to classical to jazz. The story-teller must have considerable theatrical skills, including singing some songs. The original story involves coming of age and friendship.
| Listen to Pond Pals (16:30) |
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- The Boy Who Cried Wolf. For violin, clarinet, cello, percussion and narrator. 11 minutes. Based on the timeless Aesop’s fable. Some audience participation (“Wolf! Wolf!”). We have given the story a happy ending—the wolf does not get the sheep.
| Listen to The Boy Who Cried Wolf (12:16) |
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- The Great Race/The Tortoise and the Hare. For violin, clarinet, cello, percussion and narrator. 15 minutes. A natural companion-piece to the Boy Who Cried Wolf. The violin is the hare; the cello is the tortoise.
| Listen to The Great Race/The Tortoise and the Hare (16:24) |
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- Jack and the Beanstalk. For violin, cello, double bass, percussion and narrator. About 25 minutes. This classic tale is given a fresh presentation: all dialogue is in verse. A delight for all ages.
| Listen to Jack and the Beanstalk (33:38) |
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| Pieces written for the Up Close And Musical string ensemble. Everything in this category can be performed without conductor, unless the string sections are large. |
- Overture For String Orchestra (3 minutes). A sparkling curtain-raiser in the tradition of Berstein’s Candide.
| Listen to Overture for String Orchestra (3:31) |
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- Arabesque For Bassoon and Strings (4 minutes). This Up Close And Musical commission was designed to introduce young audiences to the bassoon. The style evokes the 19th century ballet tradition. A true character piece. Also available in bassoon/piano reduction.
| Listen to Arabesque For Bassoon and Strings (3:34) |
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- Anasazi Twilight for Native American Flute and String Orchestra (4 minutes). This evocative piece was written for a member of the Colorado Symphony flute section. It was later used as the sound track for a short documentary film about Colorado petroglyphs. It is certainly playable on the modern concert flute; in fact, that may be preferable, due to the chromatic tonal language.
- Colonel Fairweather’s March for trumpet and string orchestra (4 minutes). Young audiences probably don’t really need to be introduced to the trumpet, but this idiomatic piece gives them a good idea of what the instrument can do.
Listen to a computer-generated version of Colonel Fairweather's
March (1:18 excerpt) |
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- Arlecchino’s Waltz for viola and string orchestra (4 minutes). Arelecchino, a stock character of Italian comedy, is a rival to the hero for the heroine’s love. The idea of this piece is that the viola gets to escape its customary supportive role and step into the spotlight. Also available in viola/piano reduction.
- The Magic Lamp for clarinet and string orchestra (3:30 minutes). Based on the Aladdin story. The clarinet solo has a Klezmer flavor.
- What Is High And Low? (3 minutes) for narrator and string orchestra.
- What Is Slow And Fast? (3 minutes) for narrator and string orchestra.
- What Is Loud and Soft? (3 minutes) for narrator and string orchestra.
- What Is Melody and Harmony? (3 minutes) for narrator and string orchestra.
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| Curriculum Connections |
- Mathnotes. A 40-minute presentation for fourth-graders showing the relationship between mathematics and music. For two violins, viola, cello and percussion. All musicians also have speaking roles. This phenomenally successful program is extremely attractive to teachers and administrators who are looking for an obvious connection to “academic subjects.” The analogies covered include: scales/number line; ratios/counterpoint; ratios/intervals;
series/imitation; and graphs/musical notation. There are also two story-pieces: “Beethoven’s Favorite Number,” and “The History Of Mathematics.” The music is mostly original, but there are some brief excerpts from Vivaldi’s “Summer,” the Well-Tempered Clavier, a Mozart Divertimento, and several Beethoven pieces. This presentation requires some visual aids, which can easily be produced with a computer and some poster board.
- The Music Of Life. A 40-minute presentation for fourth-graders showing the relationship between the life sciences and music. For violin, clarinet/bass clarinet (double), viola, cello and percussion. All musicians also have speaking roles. In this piece, the analogies include: growth/crescendo/accelerando; ecosystems/ensembles; metamorphosis/theme and variations; and life-cycle/round. In addition to the original music, there are excerpts from “The
Hall of the Mountain King,” the Haydn “Lark” quartet, and Vivaldi’s “Spring.” For visual aids, we had an artist do large color drawings of the four stages of the butterfly’s life-cycle.
| Listen to a computer-generated version of Butterfly Variation (00:58) |
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| Chamber music/Songs |
- Thirteen Ways Of Looking At A Blackbird. For piano, violin and cello. 18 minutes. Inspired by the famous Wallace Stevens poem.
- Fables for piano trio. 12 minutes. Four movements: The Grasshopper and the Ants; The Wolf and the Goat; The Baby Crab and Her Mother; The Tortoise And The Hare. This piece has been presented with great success on both young-audiences concerts and serious recitals. There are unlimited possibilities for dramatic reading and/or choreography.
| Listen to Fables (01:16 excerpt) |
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- Cello Quartet (for four cellos). 11 minutes. Three movements. In the tradition of the Rossini String Sonatas.
- Nightwatch. For oboe and organ. 8 minutes. This contemplative piece was commissioned by Hollis Ulakey, principal oboist of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, for a performance at the Convention of the International Double Reed Society.
- Voice of the River Han. For soprano, piano, violin and cello. 17 minutes. 8 songs. Commissioned by the Colorado State Music Teachers’ Association and the Music Teachers’ National Association. The text is taken from ancient Korean poetry (translated into English), and there are quotations from Korean folk songs.
| Listen to A Mountain Remains (1:57) |
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| Listen to Awakening (3:35) |
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| Listen to Drinking Song (2:08) |
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| Listen to I Bade You Farewell (1:52) |
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| Listen to A Dash Of Rain (1:09) |
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| Listen to The Lantern Feast (3:00) |
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- Seasons Of the Heart. For soprano and piano. 12 minutes. Four songs. Based on the poetry of Robin McNeil. Sentimental—in the tradition of Samuel Barber, or perhaps the Strauss Four Last Songs.
- The Gray Unsettled Light. Song cycle for soprano, piano, violin and cello. Eight songs based on the poetry of Oregon poet Carol Ann Lantz. Commissioned by the Chintimini Chamber Music Festival (Corvallis, Oregon). Recurring theme: Oregon birds. 20 minutes.
- Prologue, Meditation and Dance. For violin and marimba. Commissioned by University of Denver faculty John and Karen Kinzie. 11 minutes.
- Divertimento for String Trio. Commissioned by the Denali ensemble. Three movements. 17 minutes.
| Listen to Divertimento for String Trio Part 1 (5:56) |
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| Listen to Divertimento for String Trio Part 2 (6:42) |
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| Listen to Divertimento for String Trio Part 3 (6:00) |
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- The Cell Phone Song. For a capella mixed chorus (SSAATTBB). Commissioned by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra Chorus. This is a tasteful invitation for audience members to turn off pagers, watch alarms and cell phones before the beginning of the concert. 45 seconds.
- The Frozen Castle . For the flute, alto flute, piccolo(one player), violin and viola. Five movements. 12 minutes.
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| Orchestra/Chamber Orchestra works involving stories. |
- David And Goliath. Tone poem for full orchestra. 18 minutes. This one has no narrator, but tells the story with music. This piece has been played by college and community orchestras, but it is pretty challenging for a non-professional ensemble.
- The Hardworking Cobbler. For narrator and full orchestra. 8 minutes. The story for this piece was created by a fourth-grade student, as part of a story-writing contest sponsored by the Colorado Symphony. It’s about a workaholic cobbler who is so busy making shoes for other people that he never has time to dance.
| Listen to The Hardworking Cobbler (9:04) |
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- The Bremen Town Musicians. Concerto Grosso for clarinet, trombone, solo violin, solo viola, string orchestra and narrator. (There is also an optional percussion part for one or two professional players). 15 minutes. The clarinet is the rooster, the trombone is the donkey, the solo violin is the cat and the solo viola is the dog. This piece was recently choreographed for children, with great success. Requires a conductor.
| Listen to The Bremen Town Musicians (1:50 excerpt) |
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- The Ugly Duckling. For clarinet/bass clarinet (double), trombone, percussion (one player), narrator and string orchestra. 14 minutes. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen classic. This piece has proved to have great appeal to listeners of all ages—especially the very young. It can certainly be performed without conductor, unless the string sections are large. The concertmaster and principal cellist cue entrances.
- Peter Rabbit. For clarinet [Peter], trombone [Mr. McGregor], percussion (one professional player with standard instruments), narrator and string orchestra. 14 minutes. Designed to be played without conductor. I am including this piece in my catalogue, but must state that it was created with permission from the Beatrix Potter estate, with some restrictions. They gave the Colorado Symphony permission to perform it in “non profit” concerts.
Of course, what symphony orchestra performance is not non-profit? I think any one wanting to use the piece would have to contact the Potter copyright owners, who, by the way, are in London, but I can supply an email contact for them.
- The Great Race/The Tortoise and the Hare. 15 minutes. For clarinet, trombone, percussion, narrator and string orchestra. This is a fuller orchestration of the piece by the same name for four solo instruments and narrator. Commissioned by Theater In The Park for outdoor performances. Playable with or without conductor.
- The Three Bears. For clarinet, trombone, percussion (one player with standard instruments), narrator and string orchestra. 13 minutes. A fresh treatment of the classic tale. All dialogue is in rhymed verse.
- The Three Pigs. Commissioned by the Evergreen Chamber Orchestra. Instrumentation: 2 (picc doub),2,2,2—3,2,2—2 perc—strings, narrator. This piece is in two parts which can be performed separately or as a whole. Part 1 is the traditional story (12 min). Part 2 is based on the Jon Scieszka book, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, told from the standpoint of the wolf. 10 minutes.
- Fables For Orchestra. For full symphony orchestra. 9 minutes. Three
movements: The Grasshopper and the Ants, The Baby Crab and Her Mother,
The Tortoise And The Hare. THis is a reworking of some of the material in
"Fables For Piano Trio".
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| Orchestral works with soloist |
- Oboe Concerto. For solo oboe, harp, tympani, 2 percussion and string orchestra. Four movements, 24 minutes. This piece was commissioned by Colorado Symphony board member Erna Butler. It was recorded in 2001 by CSO principal oboist Peter Cooper, along with Neville Marriner and the Academy of Saint Martin In The Fields. The Oboe Concerto has garnered a lot of favorable comment from many oboists and teachers, including former Cleveland Orchestra principal
oboist John Mack.
| Listen to Oboe Concerto: first movement (2:02 excerpt) |
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| Listen to Oboe Concerto: second movement (1:00 excerpt) |
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| Listen to Oboe Concerto: third movement (1:31 excerpt) |
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| Listen to Oboe Concerto: fourth movement (1:20 excerpt) |
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Also available in oboe/piano reduction.
- Kasselberg Suite. For bassoon, contrabassoon and string orchestra. 5 movements, 15 minutes. The soloist alternates instruments by movement, beginning and ending with bassoon. Commissioned by James Rodgers, contrabassoonist of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and premiered at the convention of the International Double Reed Society. This enthusiastically neo-classical suite evokes the flavor of the German high baroque period (first movement: “Sinfonia
Alla Brandenberg”).
| Listen to Kasselberg Suite: first movement (1:01 excerpt) |
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| Listen to Kasselberg Suite: second movement (1:12 excerpt) |
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Also available in solo/piano reduction.
- The Universal Chorus. For vocal soloist and orchestra (picc, flute, bs clar, full brass, 3 perc, tymp, hp, strings). 4 minutes. This was written for one of those “Space” family concerts. By the end, everyone is singing along.
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| Incidental pieces for small ensembles |
- Ferrets. For string quartet (or string orchestra). 2 minutes. Written for a Colorado Symphony/Denver Zoo collaboration.
- Frogs. For four double-basses. 2 minutes. Written for a Colorado Symphony/Denver Zoo collaboration.
- Winter Classic. For string quartet (or string orchestra), with optional sleigh bells and glockenspiel. 3 minutes. If Antonio Vivaldi had written the Leroy Anderson Sleigh Ride, it would sound like this.
- Entrata. For violin, viola, cello and percussion (one player). 4 minutes. In the tradition of Irish fiddling, with occasional Mexican flavor.
- African Dances. For violin, viola, cello, clarinet, and one or two percussionists, plus unlimited audience/children’s percussion. Two dances, about 2 minutes each.
| Listen to African Dance #1 (1:14 excerpt) |
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- Espresso Rush. For 14 instruments (2 violins, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion) String parts can be played by sections. Written for an educational program called “Classical Connections,” featuring this ensemble.
| Listen to Espresso Rush (3:03) |
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- Variations on a Theme—DSA. For string orchestra. 11 minutes.
Commissioned by the Denver School of the Arts String Orchestra. Theme, 12
variations and passacaglia, based on the notes D, E flat, A.
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| Arrangements |
- Bach: Fugue in C minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier. For violin, viola, cello and percussion (in the style of the Swingle Singers)
- Bach: Two Gavottes from the D major Suite. For violin, viola, cello and percussion (in the style of the Swingle Singers)
- Flight Of The Bumble Bee. For clarinet, trombone, percussion and string orchestra.
- Traditional Sing-Along. For clarinet, trombone, percussion and string orchestra. Created for the Petite Musique Project. Twinkle, Twinkle; Old MacDonald; Mary Had A Little Lamb; London Bridge; The People On The Bus (with additional verses about the instruments in the orchestra).
- Traditional Dance-Along. For clarinet, trombone, percussion and string orchestra. Created for the Petite Musique Project. American March; Mexican Hat Dance; Viennese Waltz; Irish Jig; Russian Dance.
- The Dinosaur Blues. For Elvis impersonator, clarinet, trombone, percussion and string orchestra. 4 minutes. Based loosely on the Jail House Rock. Written for an outdoor Theater In The Park performance.
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