Latest Composition News

It might not seem like I have much news that doesn't have to new with our new son, Grant, but I do. Actually, I have a lot of news I just haven't mentioned and now have a free moment to share it.





First things first, AXIOM officially has a publisher - C. Alan Publications. This is a great honor to me because of the highly professional company C. Alan is and the high quality of the works they publish. C. Alan is also home to one of my favorite composers, David Gillingham. Being able to mention something about myself in the same breath with David Gillingham (and not have the words "is not near as good at writing music as" present) is pretty cool.





C. Alan was the first (and only) publisher I sent AXIOM to and I actually got a contract from them way back in September, but I have been pretty worried that if I publicized their publishing AXIOM, that I would somehow jinx the whole thing.





Well, now I have proof that they are going to publish AXIOM:

This is two full sets of the piece (including score and parts) they sent for me to proofread. So far, I have already located a few things in need of fixing, but they are minor. (They still need to be fixed, though!)

Also, over the Christmas Break, I did a transcription of the third movement of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. We performed it on our Percussion Ensemble Concert and it went very well. It, too, is going to be published. This time, Tapspace Publications is going to publish it. The contracts have come, been signed and sent back, so everything is official. I'm very much looking forward to seeing this come to fruition!

And then, maybe the best thing yet is that I had a week of inspiration and have churned out a new band piece (in six days!). Dr. Gary Garner suggested that I write something for the newly formed Town & Gown Community Band (that he conducts) and six days ago I started with a simple theme and this evening I completed it!

It is written for a rather mature group, which the Town and Gown Band, for the most part, is. The piece is about 6 and a half minutes long and spans a number of different tempi, keys and moods.

While the piece is pretty well fully orchestrated (except for some major work needed in the piccolo and percussion), there is a lot of work remaining. Generally speaking, I don't write too many dynamics or articulations when I am just trying to get ideas down on "paper." So, I have a lot of nuts and bolts-type work to do, but the creative process is pretty well finished.

This is really exciting for me because I tend to really labor over the creative process, but having had this come together so easily has been somewhat reassuring that I am, indeed, supposed to be writing music as part of my life's purpose. (Of course, it might have just come together so easily because it's such a big piece of crap... But I don't think it is...)

I will admit that I'm a little worried that it will not be well received, but that's probably a fear I will always live with...

Grant Thomas is Here!

Go to therathfamily.blogspot.com for info on our newest addition!

Still Waiting... & Carmina Burana

So, we are almost one week overdue for the appearance of Baby #2. We have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday and if Kayla makes it that long, we'll schedule to induce on Wednesday or Thursday... This is all very reminiscent of Regan's birth. Kayla was late with Regan as well, so we scheduled another doctor's appointment for the following week. Only, Regan came before then.

I don't know what will happen with this one!

Last night, I got the immeasurable pleasure of attending WTAMU's performance of Carmina Burana. Earlier this semester, I had caught word that there was going to be a full performance of this work including orchestra, double chorus (w/ boys choir), vocal soloists (S/T/Baritone) and dance, as well as lighting and staging. Not knowing when this production was set, I emailed the conductor and asked. That was on Tuesday! I'm glad I didn't wait another minute, or I might have missed the whole thing entirely.

If you aren't sure what Carmina Burana is, you should look here for some very good background info.

I wasn't sure what to expect as far as the dance and choreography was concerned. Afterall, I've performed this piece as a band transcription and I have a pretty shoddy "bargain bin" recording of the full instrumentation, but I had never seen a production. Apparently, the production I saw last night (with dance) is pretty much the way Carl Orff had intended for Carmina to be performed.

Given all of that, I took my seat, read through the program a few times, then watched as the curtain went up and the music began. Immediately, with those fateful opening notes of full chorus at fortissimo I could tell that the dance would be intriguing and memorable. The choreography (set for 8 female dancers) opened with two dancers being held by two others as if bound in their pose. (Remember, much of Carmina deals with the uncontrollable aspect of fate.) As the bound dancers were being brought onto stage, they held red ribbon that was extended offstage to the hands of the remaining dancers.

My first thought: this is going to be really weird. Some art is weird and that's cool. Some weird art is cool and some is just uncomfortable to watch. This was undoubtedly cool! The ribbon (which was more like rope) was well utilized in that it, to me, furthered the representation of binding. At times the dancers were bound by it and at other times they freed themselves from it.

While dance was not featured on all of the 25 movements of the work, it was still prominent in at least half.

Since Carmina Burana deals with some aspects of love and sensuality, the dance was properly representative of that (without being over-the-top or provocative). And there are even discussions of heavy drinking that occurs in the local tavern. It was really humorous to see the dancers become increasingly "intoxicated," then pass out at the end of the movement!

Having now seen this for real, I cannot believe that a production of this without dance would ever quite do the work a full justice. Needless to say, the orchestra was in rare form and the chorus was spectacular, but for me, the choreography and dance completed the production in my mind.

Bravissimo!