Instrumental Works

• All the Colors of the Rainbow:
  Chinese Folk Song Suite for Flute

• Fantasia on a Firm Foundation
  for Tuba Ensemble

• Sonata for Horn and Piano
  A sonata in three movements

• Christmas Meditation
  for Flute or Recorder Trio and Harp or Piano

• May Jesus Christ Be Praised
  Piano/Organ duet

• ’Tis a Gift
  for Soprano & Alto Recorders with Piano Accompaniment

• Come, Ye Thankful
  Solo for Trumpet with Piano Accompaniment

• Variations and Theme
  for Solo Piano

All the Colors of the Rainbow: Chinese Folk Song Suite for Flute

Flute, with electro-acoustic or piano-only accompaniment

Approx. total perf. time: 28:00

Prices:
     PDF – $15.00
     Printed – $22.50
     Performance/Demo CD – $25.00

In 1997, the original co-founder of Swan-Cross, a friend of mine from Taiwan, approached me about using a collection of Chinese folk songs as the basis for a composition for flute and accompaniment. It seems that Chinese melodies with "Western" style accompaniments have become quite popular in Taiwan.

All but the last movement are based on authentic Chinese folk songs. (In fact, it has been fun to go into various Chinese restaurants and hear some of them playing!) The last movement was my attempt to create an authentically Chinese-sounding melody that I could then give special treatment.

At the time, we were working with the idea of "reusing content", that is, keeping the flute part the same, but providing the flutist with a couple of different performance options. At the time, we were considering only an electro-acoustic accompaniment version (on CD) and a piano-only-accompaniment version as options. Those two versions were completed in late 1999.

Later, I decided to orchestrate the accompaniment for symphony orchestra, and that version is available from the Symphonic Works page.

The printed version includes both the piano-flute score and the flute-only part. Sorry, but you cannot order movements individually.

The performance CD includes the "Trax Minus One" electro-acoustic accompaniment suitable for public performance and your choice of the demo version with electro-acoustic accompaniment OR the demo version with piano-only accompaniment (please specify when ordering).

1. Boy with Purple Bamboo Flute
    2:18

2.2 Mb
Piano-only version

2. Poor Man Blue
    5:19

3. Mountain everGreen
    3:23

4. Tiny Yellow Bird
    2:06

5. Woman Sewing Orange Purse
    3:34

6. Red Ribbon Sister
    1:10

1.1 Mb
Piano-only version

7. All the Colors of the Rainbow
   10:06

9.5 Mb
Piano-only version

Christmas Meditation

For flute or recorder trio and harp or piano

Approx. perf. time: 3:32

Prices:
     PDF – $7.50
     Printed – $12.50

This is one of the few things I have written for my family. In the fall of 2004, we decided we wanted to do some recorder pieces as a family, but there were few published that we could handle, most of my family being relative beginners.

So, I wrote this little Christmas piece, which we were then invited to perform at Alexandria Baptist Church as part of their Christmas morning worship service.

As it turns out, it was a good thing I wrote it entirely for acoustic instruments, because that Christmas Day, we were totally without power, being in the aftermath of the worst ice storm this area has seen in recorded history.

This is a fairly easy piece and should be accessible to many groups. If played with flutes, the bottom part can be played on an alto flute. If with recorders, it is designed for two sopranos, one alto, and one tenor.

Come, Ye Thankful

Solo for trumpet with piano accompaniment

Approx. perf. time: 2:55

Prices:
     PDF – $7.50
     Printed – $12.50

Written for my wife, Barbara, this piece is especially suitable for Thanksgiving, but it can really be used any time special music is needed.

Moderately difficult.

Fantasia on a Firm Foundation

For tuba ensemble

Based on the tradition hymn “How Firm a Foundation”

Approx. perf. time: 4:41

Prices:
     PDF – $10.00
     Printed – $15.00

This somewhat tongue-in-cheek piece was composed while I was doing my graduate studies in composition at Bowling Green State University. A fellow grad student, one tuba major by the name of T. Patrick Billig, approached me about writing a piece for tuba ensemble. The challenge I found intriguing and I accepted it.

Ironically, T. Pat never performed the piece once it was done—at least, not to my knowledge. The piece, however, remained in the music library at BGSU, and I later learned that one of my former high school students, also a tuba player, had found it and put together an ensemble to perform it. All without realizing it had been written by his former high school choir director, amusingly enough.

To my sure knowledge, that is the only performance the piece has ever had, and I was not even there to hear it. So, once again, the version you can listen to here was demoed thanks to the Garritan Personal Orchestra and Finale software combination.

Ideally, the piece should be performed by not fewer than eight players, at least two to a part.

May Jesus Christ Be Praised

Piano/Organ Duet

Based on the tradition hymn “When Morning Gilds the Skies”

Approx. performance time: 3:37

Prices:
     PDF – $7.50
     Printed – $12.50

This was originally written as an electro-acoustic piece. In the summer of 2007, when the organist at my church approached me about doing some organ/piano duets for a couple of the summer services, she expressed an interest in doing one of my works, if I had one. I didn't have, but I transcribed this work for performance as such a duet.

We premiered the duet version in July, 2007, at Centenary United Methodist Church in Granville, Ohio. I'm still working on getting a copy of the recording of that premiere. When I do, it will be available here.

You can, however, listen to the original electro-acoustic version now.

Sonata for Horn and Piano

A sonata in three movements for one or two horns and piano

Approx. total perf. time: 18:24

Prices:
     PDF – $7.50
     Printed – $18.00

This is one of my earliest pieces, back when I was still striving to fit (somewhat) into the traditional classical mold. Still, I found it difficult, at least stylewise to do that, and my penchant for introducing rock idioms and mannerisms is pretty evident. And yet, in terms of form, it does conform to the classical model for a sonata.

The recording here unfortunately is a sampled demo. I have only had one performance of this piece (at a recital back in 1978 or thereabouts), and I did not get a recording of that performance.

’Tis a Gift

For Soprano & Alto Recorders with Piano Accompaniment

Based on the traditional Shaker hymn

Approx. perf. time: 3:09

Prices:
     PDF – $7.50
     Printed – $12.50

This relatively simple arrangement has enjoyed several presentations. It was premiered at the Christian Missionary Alliance church in Bowling Green, Ohio, sometime in 1996, I believe.

Not a profound, but a charming little piece.

The recording here was done in the studio. Wish I could've found a better patch for the recorders. When I get the chance, I'll go ahead and do it with recorders. Check back...

Variations and Theme

For Solo Piano

Approx. total perf. time: 18:00

Prices:
     PDF – $10.00
     Printed – $15.00

Performance of this work is a bit unusual: The only requirement for the order of the movements is that variation 1 be played first and the theme be played last. All other variations can be played in any order the performer desires.

This work was loosely inspired by Elgar's Enigma Variations, in that it attempts to depict the personalities of several close friends from my life—and in that I refuse to identify the individuals whom they attempt to portray.