Works

Settings of “Walking Across the Atlantic,” “Budapest,” and “The Dead.”

Two movements from Les Amours et les Beaux Jours arranged for mixed choir and piano.

Selections from Four Cajun Songs arranged for voice and piano.

Each of the composition’s four movements is based on a different Cajun folk song. Each folk song is used as the starting point for a new composition which only alludes to the original’s melody and harmony.

Winner, 1995 National Flute Association Newly Published Music Competition

The piano part in the first movement of this version of Das Echo differs somewhat from the alto saxophone version. Saxophonists may order both versions for $35. Contact Magnolia Music Press directly (via email or phone) to order both versions.

Das Echo von New Orleans is a three-movement fantasy on the German Catholic hymn, Grosser Gott. I decided to use this hymn tune after hearing a performance of it by an amateur church choir in the tiny community of Roberts Cove, Louisiana in November of 2005. In fact, a recording of that performance begins this piece (a CD is included with the score and part). Early in the composition of Das Echo, I decided to avoid a straightforward theme and variations on the hymn tune. In fact, the melody is never completely stated in any movement. Instead, I decided to allude only to snippets of the melody. Somehow, I felt this was more appropriate given the physical and emotional turmoil left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Das Echo was commissioned by saxophonist Farrell Vernon.

The subtitle of this work is “Latin Steps” since each movement makes use of various Latin-American dance rhythms. Much of the first movement uses a rumba rhythm in a moderate tempo. The second movement is a tango, and the finale is a fast dance in 6/8. The work’s harmonic language, however, is quite chromatic and makes no attempt to evoke folk music.

This work is also available on rental for alto saxophone and wind ensemble (see the Wind Ensemble section below).

Piano reduction of orchestral version. Orchestral version is available on rental (see below under the Orchestral section).

This work is divided into two large sections. The opening section is slow and lyrical and gradually exposes the six “polychords” on which the entire piece is based. The second section is quite fast and consists of eleven variations on the chord progression (and motive) found in the opening section.

Chaconne was a required work for Tuba Artist finalists in the 2004 Falcone International Euphonium-Tuba Competition, for the Tuba Artist semifinalists in the 2010 ITEA Competition, and for the Tuba Artist semifinalists in the 2014 Falcone Competition.