Commissions

Commissioning a piece of music is a special occasion in the lives of the organizations that commission them; I do my best to rise to these occasions by creating works that will strongly move both the musicians who perform them and the audiences who hear them. I work closely with commissioning ensembles to determine what their needs are, and to meet those needs.

Several of the pieces on the lists below arose from specific requests from ensembles and their directors for works that would fit into the overall theme of, or available performing forces for, specific concerts. I enjoy meeting those requests (on or before their due dates), and delivering compositions that work to my commissioners. I consider the warm response my music has received from commissioners, conductors, performers, and audience members alike to be one of the most significant artistic achievements of my career.

To commission a work, please contact me to start a conversation about your piece.

Past Commissions

• Music and Art and Basketball (band/chorus/piano), American Community School Beirut (premiere performance June 2019)
• 1E&A2& (band), Pelham (NH) Memorial School (premiere performance June 5, 2017)
• Gone From My Sight (SATB chorus/piano), Plymouth (NH) Regional High School (premiere performance May 16, 2017)
• Requiem: Learning to Fall (SATB chorus/orchestra). Commissioned by the Yeoman’s Fund for the Arts (premiere performances by the Manchester (NH) Choral Society, May 21–22, 2016)
• One Christmas (2014) (SATB chorus/horn/piano), Sandwich (NH) Singers (premiere performances December 14/17, 2014)
• Short Rumination and Grofean Romp (2014) (ob/cl/bsn), New Hampshire Master Chorale fundraising auction
• Sections of The Sandwich Project 2013 (2013) (soprano sax/horn/voices/piano), Sandwich (NH) Singers (premiere performances December 15/18, 2013)
• Time Has Cast It All Far Back (2013) (SATB chorus/piano), Plymouth (NH) 250th Anniversary Celebration (premiere performance July 20, 2013)
• Campton Back in Time (2013) (children’s chorus/piano), Campton (NH) Elementary School Chorus (premiere performance May 29, 2013)
• Sections of Gower Wassail (2012) (soprano sax/horn/voices/piano), Sandwich (NH) Singers (premiere performances December 16/19, 2012
• Sections of The Snow in the Street (2011) (horn/voices/piano), Sandwich Singers (premiere performances December 11/ 14, 2011)
• ​Psalm 98 (2011) (SATB chorus/organ), St. James’ Episcopal Church, Greeneville, TN (premiere November 6, 2011)
• Festival Fanfare (2011) (full orchestra; also arranged for various brass quartets), New Hampshire Music Festival (premiere performances throughout their 2011 summer season)
• Sections of Gloucestershire Hodie (mezzo/baritone/horn/voices/piano), Sandwich Singers (premiere performances December 15 and 19, 2010)
• Descant for “Wie schön leuchtet” (2009) (hn/vocal/piano), Sandwich Singers (premiere performances December 13 and 16, 2009)
• Descant for “Wachet auf” (2008) (hn/vocal), Sandwich Singers (premiere performances December 17 and 21, 2008)
• Descant for “Cranham” (2007), Sandwich Singers (premiere performance December 12, 2007)
• Front Porch Poems, New Hampshire Music Teachers Association/Music Teachers National Association (premiere October 21, 2006)
• Later (2006) (narrator/orchestra), 9/11 Memorial Concert, PSU (premiere September 9, 2006)
• A Song of the Road (2006) (SATB chorus/trumpet/piano 4-hands), Manchester Choral Society (premiere performances May 20–21, 2006)
• Untitled, New Hampshire Friendship Chorus (premiere June 22, 2002; subsequent performances on their Summer 2002 tour of Southeast Asia)
• When the White Dove (2001) (SATB chorus/string quartet or piano), New Hampshire Friendship Chorus (premiere June 22, 2002; subsequent performances on their Summer 2002 tour of Southeast Asia)
• Today, Corning West High School (NY) Occidentals (premiere May 21, 2001)
• Sun of Righteousness (2000) (SATB chorus/organ), First United Methodist Church, Rochester, NH (commissioned for the choir of Rochester Cathedral, England; premiere performances by them during their New Hampshire tour, May 29–June 4, 2000)
• The Insoluble Persists, New Hampshire Music Teachers Association (premiere October 22, 1999 at MTNA Quad States Convention, Burlington, VT)
• The Whole World Is Coming, PSU Chamber Singers (premiere April 24, 1998; subsequent performances in England and New Hampshire in concert and as incidental music for educational theatre work A Circle ’Round the Sun, Spring–Summer 1998)
• Out of the Depths (1997) (TTBB chorus), The Ralph Farris Chorale, Fryeburg, ME
• Incidental music for Four Baboons Adoring the Sun (1997) (live vocalist/recorded voices), PSU Theatre (premiere March 12, 1997)
• “I Want to Die While You Love Me” (1996) (alto/piano), Susan Smith, alto (premiere performances September 7 and 15, 1996)
• Ut Prosim (1996) (SATB chorus/piano), Pemigewasset Choral Society, Plymouth, NH (premiere performances May 10–12, 1996)
• Piano Monster!, PSU Piano Monster Concert (premiere, with composer conducting, May 2, 1996)
• Duplicitous Fits and Starts (1995) (piano), Carleen Graff, pianist (premiere November 19, 1995)
•  “If There Are Any Heavens” (1995) (high voice/violin/piano), members of the PSU performance faculty (premiere April 23, 1995)
• Laudate, Confitemini (1992) (SAB chorus/2 trumpets/organ), St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Austin, TX (premiere April 18, 1992)
• Fanfare for the House of God, St. James’ Church, Los Angeles, CA (premiere June 5, 1988)

Commissions as Composer in Residence for the New Hampshire Master Chorale

• Smoking, Drinking, Messing Around (SATB chorus/ww/piano), premiere performances June 17–18, 2017
• Battle-Pieces (2015) (mezzo/SATB chorus/strings), premiere performances June 13–14, 2015
• Solstices (2014) (mezzo/SATB chorus/strings/percussion), premiere performances June 21–22, 2014
• Tres Rimas Humanas (2012) (SATB chorus), premiere performances November 16–18, 2012
• O Sweet Spontaneous Earth (2011) (SATB chorus/string trio), premiere performances November 18–20, 2011
• Love Always! (2010) (SATB chorus/soprano saxophone), premiere performances November 19–21, 2010
• Waltzes About France (2010) (SATB chorus/jazz combo), premiere performances November 19–21, 2010
• Lucky Sevens (2010) (orchestra), premiere performances April 30/May 1, 2010
• Living with Squirrels (2009) (SATB chorus/piano), premiere performances November 20–22, 2009
• Eight Gypsy Songs after Brahms (2009) (SATB chorus), premiere performances May 1–3, 2009
• The Unicorn in the Garden (2008) (SATB chorus/mixed ensemble), premiere performances November 21–23, 2008
• Then Shall Be Heard Music Here (2008) (SATB chorus), premiere performances May 2–4, 2008
• Three Seasons (Claude McKay Poems) (2007) (SATB chorus/English horn (doubling oboe)/viola/cello/ harp), premiere performances November 16–19, 2007
• “The Grass Is Always Greener” (2007) (patter song), premiere performances May 4–6, 2007
• The Owl and the Pussycat, premiere performances November 17–19, 2006
• Kalevala Fragments, premiere performances May 5–7, 2006
• The Return (Armistice Poems) (2005) (SATB chorus/piano), premiere performances November 18–20, 2005
• Walden Recessional (2004) (SATB chorus/cello), premiere performances November 19–21, 2004
• God’s World, premiere performances April 30–May 2, 2004