Month: August 2014

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Composition: Organ

Today I present a piece from my work titled “Organbook.”  The Organbook was created in the manner that many other keyboard composers have done, namely, 24 pieces in the 24 keys.  The other guideline I gave to myself was keeping the work for manuals.  Honestly, writing that many pieces and keeping them all unique and different from the rest was a challenge.  “Fanfare,” presented here and performed by Carson Cooman, is written in the second mode of limited transposition, also known as the octatonic scale.  I often think as a teacher and many of the pieces present some sort of compositional idea.  It’s short, but it makes its point.  

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Improvisation: Liturgical

Not that I like to admit things like this, I tried using a similar motivic idea as the last post for today’s post. While there are certainly common elements, I like how the pieces in this improvisation unfolds differently, like a small variation on a theme. Being in a different mode (mixolydian) too, it certainly sounds a little more Duruflé-ish. I promise, soon, that I will post a non-communion improvisation!

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Improvisation: Liturgical

I’m really happy with this one! There’s a moment at the end where I tack an extra coda, but it worked out well. Especially since I changed the tonality of the chant from phrygian to Major (much like Bach did for O Sacred Head). What I particularly like about this improv is that it bridges the aspects of the Psalm 89 (88) which reads:

My faithfulness and mercy will be with him;
through my name his horn will be exalted.

I wasn’t particularly ‘horning’ a theme, but the rather adding another layer. That’s what the swell with the celeste and viole do. Add to that the particular chant mode and I think it turns into something profound. Or at least, I like to think it does. Enjoy!