Date of Graduation

1997

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This portfolio is a two-volume set of original music compositions. The works contained herein represent a variety of media and genres, including chamber and large-ensemble pieces. The works are typically tonal, with the harmony usually combining tertian and quartal chords. In the Beginning is the major work of the portfolio. A six-movement cantata for mixed chorus and orchestra, its texts are adaptations of passages (primarily) from Genesis and the Gospel of John, chosen because of their parallels of language and meaning. In each of the movements (except the fourth, which is for orchestra alone), texts from two Biblical sources are set for the chorus. Performance time is approximately twenty-five minutes. Sextet is a three-movement chamber work for woodwind quintet and piano. The total performance time is about fifteen minutes. Brass Quintet is a three-movement chamber work for brass quintet (standard instrumentation) which lasts about seventeen minutes. Its third movement ("Rondino giocoso") is particularly suitable for separate performance. Two Songs, for soprano, English horn, and piano, is a setting of two poems by Dr. Jeffrey Del Col, an Alderson-Broaddus College colleague of the composer. The poems are used by permission of Dr. Del Col. Performance time is approximately six minutes. Caprice for solo violin is a single-movement piece in ternary form. Performance time is approximately five minutes. Concerto Rondo is a single-movement work for solo horn and string orchestra. The string parts are consistently divided throughout. Lasting approximately six minutes, the piece is a highly-modified sonata-rondo form. Concert Piece is a single-movement piece in ternary form for alto saxophone and piano. Lasting approximately seven minutes, the outer sections of the piece are fast and rhythmic, which contrast with the slower, more rhapsodic middle section. Laudate Dominum, for women's chorus, piano, glockenspiel, and xylophone, is a setting of Psalm 150 in Latin (Vulgate) This work received honorable mention in the 1993 St. Mary's College choral composition competition and was included in the Alderson-Broaddus College Concert Choir's repertoire for the 1995-1996 concert season. Performance time is approximately four minutes.

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