News Archive
The New SeasonFall is in full swing now in schools, churches, synagogues and concert halls. Bless all you teachers, directors and performers for your dedication! For me highlights of the 2009-10 season include performances in Pennsylvania and Boston. On November 15, the Reading Choral Society includes "There's A Wideness in God's Mercy." Founded in 1875, RCS is one of America's oldest musical ensembles and Reading, Pennsylvania is also my home town. King's Chapel, Boston dates to 1686 and installed New England's first organ. They commissioned Psalm 30 (Aromimcha Adonai Ki Dilitani, I Will Exalt You O Lord) for tenor and unaccompanied SATB choir. It will be premiered January 24 in a concert by the Chapel Choir. One development with "old" music -- nine of my most accessible anthems for accompanied SAB choir are now in one collection spanning the church year, "Rejoice and Sing."
CD and ID
The new “Made in the Americas” CD includes a favorite piece of mine. “Snow-Flakes” –- H.W. Longfellow’s poem set for SATB chorus and celesta –- was selected to inaugurate ERM’s contemporary music series under conductor Robert Ian Winstin. Vox Moderne sings it while Jennifer Hunston plays celesta. That’s the C.D. part. I.D. stands for identification and I am launching a new Facebook page featuring music. I’m still setting it up, sending friends there and not to my personal page, and adding sound files. But it’s begun and I hope you’ll visit via the link at left. I.D. could also mean index. Now the expanded HohMade Music index found under Features has active links throughout. They make it easy to hone in on specific pieces, using headings like nature, unaccompanied, Christmas, Psalms, etc.
New and Old HohMade Music
"From Heaven There Came A Sound" is my newest piece, which premiered May 31. For children's choir, SATB adult choir, piano and percussion, it was a Pentecost commission from St. Monica and St. James Episcopal Church on Washington's Capitol Hill. Among other fun moments, the children get to sing in a variety of languages and tempos. But we adults enjoyed it too! Tonight is the final rehearsal for my next project. On June 15th & 16th, friends will again be at St. Luke Catholic Church in McLean, VA, to record a variety of compositions for Christmas. One of these, "Christmas Processional," dates back to the 1980's and my time in Lima, Peru. Finally, this site now has seven great new recordings from February 2009: 103rd Psalm; At Cana's Wedding; Light of the Minds that Know Him; Peace Be With You; Stars of the Morning; and There's A Wideness in God's Mercy. Enjoy!
Baltics, Here We Come!
Best wishes to all of you observing Holy Week or Passover in April. On Easter Sunday afternoon, I will fly to Vilnius for Musikanten's tour of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. We will bring some outstanding American choral music to these singing countries, including the miniature masterpieces Aaron Copland's "In The Beginning" and William Schuman's "Prelude for Voices." Repertoire includes Eric Whitacre's "Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine" -- a contender for choral gem of this decade, as well as pieces by Washington-area composers Robert Evett and Russell Woollen, in whom Musikanten and conductor Kerry Krebill specialize. At church services we will also perform my "Dona Nobis Pacem" in six parts, which I'm happy to say our singers really like! Schedule on the "Features" page of this site and, I hope, some pictures and sound files to follow next month.
Eight New Recordings
Several talented singers returned to St. Luke Catholic Church in McLean, VA, a few weeks ago to record more of my compositions with the splendid organ and acoustics there. With stellar contributions from Organist Paul Skevington, Producer Michael McCarthy and Engineer Chris Murphy we got eight pieces "in the can." Accompanied selections are 103rd Psalm, Light Of The Minds That Know Him, Not Alone For Mighty Empire and There's A Wideness In God's Mercy. (Dan Elmer played organ on the last one.) Unaccompanied pieces were At Cana's Wedding, Stars Of The Morning, Thus You Shall Say and Peace Be With You. I've now heard the rough mixes and they sound great! Some of these were never recorded previously, so it is exciting to think soon I can share them with you. While I am fond of all these anthems, "There's A Wideness" has a special place in my heart, having been written in Lima, Peru over 20 years ago and not heard since those days.
New Year Wishes
Grant us peace, is my fervent prayer for 2009. So I was thrilled that "Dona Nobis Pacem" premiered New Year's Eve at First Night Alexandria. Written as a personal response to the Iraq war in 2003, this six-part a cappella motet came to life beautifully as performed by Musikanten in the Washington Street United Methodist Church. 2008 was a great year for my music, with performances and premieres in D.C., Montana and Virginia. With a little help from my friends, we made several recordings you may now hear on this site. The new year promises more, including two commercial releases ("You Are God" with the Czech Radio Orchestra and Choir and "Snow-Flakes" with an American chorus -- stay tuned!). In April, Director Kerry Krebill will take "Dona Nobis Pacem" on tour to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; I get to go along. And who knows what else the next twelve months will bring? If you are like me you have many projects and hopes for 2009. Here's wishing you a year full of song and blessings!
Blessed Saints & Zion
Last Sunday All Saints Day was observed at many churches, including St. Monica and St. James in Washington, D.C. The choir there sang "Blest Zion, I Love Thee" from my Shaker set, "Sweetest Music." Its heavenward focus fit the day's theme and the congregation enjoyed the jaunty melody handed down from the community at Sabbath Day Lake in Maine. One parishoner told me she caught the tune and hummed along -- quite a feat since it spans an octave and a 10th! The words are great: "earth hath no treasures, sin hath no pleasures, I would exchange for that peace which I feel." This message and music are a great legacy from the past and my setting is accessible for singers and hearers; it was a hit in Montana in June as well. I was glad I could sing along this time!
New Recordings!
It was exciting to hear the complete "Evening Music: Five Sarton Poems" sung by a fabulous group Sunday evening in the wonderful acoustics of St. Luke Catholic Church in McLean, Virginia. Two more recording sessions follow Monday and Tuesday, with the church's stunning Steiner-Reck organ employed on four pieces, played by St. Luke's talented music director Paul Skevington. In all, 15 pieces will be recorded over the three nights, several for the first time. In a few weeks, you'll be able to hear some results on this site. These include a dramatic "You Are God" Te Deum setting, the lovely "Unto the Hills" that still sounds good 20 years after its premiere, the simple Wexford Carol from a couple Christmases ago and the mezzo tour de force in Herbert's "A True Hymn." To all the hardworking musicians and technicians who have helped make this project possible, thank you!
Helena Choral Week Highlights
What a week we had with Musikanten Montana and Kerry Krebill! The premiere of "Holy, Holy, Holy Is The Lord God of Hosts" for double choir opened the final concert and the singers performed magnificently. (Check back soon for a sound clip.) I enjoyed singing great works like Britten's "Rejoice In The Lamb," Martin's "Mass" for double choir and Thompson's "Alleluia" as well. The preceding day, 15 of us sang a concert of my music at the Myrna Loy Center. "Shout Unto The Lord All The Earth" was our big opening, followed by two Shaker settings and three secular American poem pieces. "Tree-Wise Sayings" closed the concert. It was inspiring to hike the beautiful hills above Helena and come upon a grove planted by schoolchildren after a fire, led by a violinist who accompanied them. The story and scene are a source of local pride, and they drove home the line "One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade." We added "Now May The Lord Take Your Hand As You Go" as a final blessing. We reprised "Holy, Holy..." at the Episcopal Cathedral on Sunday with the two choirs facing each other -- followed by ice cream sundaes! The week was filled with wonderful workshops and mini-concerts ranging from Spain and France to Venice and Texas, with a faculty of superb and engaging soloists. Thanks, Kerry and the rest of you, for letting me be your composer-in-residence this year! Some of the performances can already be heard here on this site and there's more to come.
Celebrate Arbor Day, Ascension and Music!
Thanks to a bunch of singing friends you can now hear audio files of the following compositions: "Father, the Hour Has Come," "To the Spirit Land We're Hastening," "Sweetest Music, Softly Stealing," "Blest Zion, I Love Thee" and "Peace Be With You," (all four-part pieces). The first one is appropriate for Ascension Day, coming up May 1 and observed the following Sunday if not on the day itself. We also recorded "Tree-Wise Sayings" (secular), which you can listen to in order to keep the spirit alive of this week's Earth Day and Arbor Day. Finally, we made audio files of "Dona Nobis Pacem" and "Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord God of Hosts" (more than four parts). The latter score will be available after its June 28 premiere... Happy listening, whatever you are celebrating!
Behold, Behold: Children "Sing Hosanna" on Palm Sunday
"Behold, Behold Your King" has a powerful text for Palm Sunday by Timothy Dudley-Smith. My setting for children, SAB choir and piano dates from about 1991 (gotta check that!) and I hadn't heard it for years. Today the children of St. Monica and St. James Parish really got into it along with the adult choir and piano, all directed by Mary Bucknum. It was a great opening for Passion Week; for me like getting reacquainted with an old pal. Judging from the congregation's positive comments, for them it was like making a new friend. This performance is now uploaded as the audio file on the page for "Behold, Behold." (To find it, go to Compositions, then Three Parts SAB.)
New Winter Piece for Longfellow Anniversary
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow remains one of America's favorite poets two hundred years after his birth. My contribution to 2007's Longfellow bicentennial is "Snow-Flakes" for SATB chorus and celesta. There's a brooding quality as he describes the sky pouring out its grief. I've tried to portray agitation in the storm (mental or meteorological) as well as calm and light prevailing after snowfall. In this time of war and mourning, "Snow-Flakes" offers an introspective element for a holiday program.
More Sound Files!
Almost all compositions on this site now have some kind of sound file uploaded for you to hear. Several have recordings made over the years (mp3 format) with varying levels of recording quality, audience noise and even a couple "oops" moments for the performers. That's part of the thrill of live concert recording! Other, newer pieces have midi files. How these sound will vary from computer to computer, but they should give you a good idea of the overall sound. My favorites? That's like asking a parent to choose a favorite child... But I'd suggest these recordings as a representative sample "Our Father Who in Heaven Art" (Three Part), "Sing A New Song to the Lord" (More Than Four Parts), "Monotone" (Sandburg Poems) and "Girl With 'Cello" (Sarton Poems).
New HohMade Music Website Goes Live
This month sees the debut of a significant new work -- this website! Now you can easily zero in on specific pieces and pull up details, including the score and sound files. It was a collaboration, with the expertise of Eric A. Smith at Northstar Computer Systems and designer Matt Hopson. There's more to come as we add features, but I hope this launch will make it easier for you to learn about my work and for me to distribute it.
New Pieces With Lectionary Texts
Four recent anthems for a cappella choir draw from the Sunday readings used in many Christian churches. "Jesus Among the Disciples," "Peace Be With You," and "Father the Hour Has Come" narrate stories from Christ's appearances after the resurrection and quote his words directly. These texts come respectively from the Gospels for Year B Easter 3, Year C Easter 2 and Year A Easter 7 (or Ascension). Similarly, "Thus You Shall Say" draws on an Old Testament lesson appropriate either for Year C Thanksgiving or Lent 1. All are harmonically rich and mark the key quotes with special music, while each reflects the mood and meaning of its specific lesson. So "Thus You Shall Say" would be particularly appropriate for Thanksgiving 2007 and "Father, the Hour Has Come" for Ascension Day or Sunday 2008.
Happy New Hear!
It's a new year with new music to hear! Here's wishing you happiness and harmony in 2007. 2006 closed out with the premiere of "Good People All, This Christmastime," my new setting of the Wexford Carol, at a Christmas Day church service. My young niece Elanor Sonderman singing the beginning solo was a special present.
Back to Basics with the Shakers?
After visiting Shaker sites in New York and Massachusetts in June 2006 (following the Organ Historical Society Convention), I started exploring the Shakers' delightful music and traditions. "To The Spirit Land We're Hastening" resulted, based on "Faith's Vision" from the Mt. Lebanon colony. It premiered at St. James' Episcopal on Capitol Hill, D.C. in November 2006. So far I've also set "Sweetest Music, Softly Stealing" for Christmas and "Blest Zion, I Love Thee" about heaven. These pieces are simple, as befits the Shaker ethic. Sadly the group is approaching extinction, but they have left a rich lode of texts and tunes.
