Music
I’ve been composing for much of my life, thanks to The Walden School. I primarily write chamber music, occasionally involving electronics, though recently I’ve begun to try my hand at Shapenote composition, with results ranging from mediocre to unsingable; I’ve separated out those compositions, below. As with all content on this site, everything is Creative Commons licensed unless otherwise noted; this means you are free to copy, perform, and remix absolutely anything; if you do, I’d love to hear the result!
Chamber Music:
The Labyrinth, at Night: Thirteen Miniatures for String Quartet – String Quartet, 2010
Inspired by Webern Fünfsätze, written for my string quartet on the occasion of our junior year recital. A work about melodies, drones, and weird textures.
Score (pdf) | Score pt1 (.sib) pt2 (.sib) | Recording (zipped .mp3) | Recording (zipped .wav)
Two Understandings of Kingsfold – String Quartet, 2007
Based on the hymn tune Kingsfold (which was in turn based on the Irish folksong Star of the County Down), this piece began as an experiment in form.
(Score, etc. coming soon) | Recording Mvt. I, Mvt. II (Mandelbrot String Quartet, 2009)
Song – Mezzo-Soprano with Wind Quintet, 2011
Based on the poem by Adrienne Rich; accidentally incorporates pseudo-Balinese textures. (All rights for the text belong to Rich.)
Score (pdf) | Score (.sib)
Prayer – Violin and Tuba, 2009
Written for The Only Concert Ever for Violin and Tuba, a wonderful new-music concert at Swarthmore College. Inspired by experiences of Balinese religion.
Score (pdf) | Score (.sib) | Recording (Miranda Weinberg and Robert Hallahan, 2009)
That We May Stand – Piano Trio, 2006
The first composition I was ever really happy with.
Score (pdf) | Score (.sib) | Recording (Walden Players, 2006)
Shapenote:
Shapenote is a style of American hymnody that I’ve heard described as “grass-roots a capella harmony”, a description I quite like. It uses differently-shaped note heads to implement a system of solmization. I’m a long ways from mastering the compositional style.
I do all my Shapenote engraving in Lilypond, which is awesome for Sacred Harp, particularly in the latest (currently unstable) version. I’ve included the source code.
Catalina v0.8 (2011)
Minor, fugueing, slow tempo.The tune I’m happiest with; written without text, eventually set to a modified Isaac Watts (from S.H. 515).
PDF | .ly
Loma Mar v0.9 (2010)
To the text Holy Spirit, Come with Power, published in the Mennonite Church USA hymnal to the tune Beach Spring. The text is copyright 1970 Anne N. Rupp.
PDF | .ly
Sacred Harp Stylesheet v0.5 (2011)
Not actually music: A stylesheet for Sacred Harp, mostly for handling SH-style repeats. Meant to be used with the (upcoming) shapenote template, but may be included in any Lilypond source.
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