RECENT COMMISSIONS • COMMISSION "HOW TO"
RECENT COMMISSIONS
BREAD AND ROSES for SATB choir and opt. percussion
Choirs of Phillips Academy: Andover, MA 2019
THE SENSE OF WONDER for double choir and piano
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2019
NOW IS THE COOL OF THE DAY for SATB choir
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2019
MAY I SOFTLY WALK AND WISELY SPEAK for SATB choir and piano
First Parish Church Congregational UCC: Dover, NH 2018
APPALACHIAN CAROLS for SATB choir
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2017
MUSIC OF THE SPHERES for SATB choir and glass armonica
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2017
NO MORE MY LORD for SATB choir
Portsmouth High School Concert Choir, Portsmouth, NH 2017
SURGE ILLUMINARE, new movement for the Christmas Cantata VIDIMUS STELLAM
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2016
BEAUTIFUL HOME and HOME IN ZION
Plymouth Church of Shaker Heights: Shaker Heights, OH 2016
CONSOLATION for SATB choir
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2016
ANGEL OF LIGHT for soprano and SATB choir
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2015
CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM and DORMI, JESU for SATB choir
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2014
LAND OF PURE DELIGHT for string quartet
Canterbury Shaker Village: Canterbury, NH 2014
Premiered as part of the museum exhibit Shaker Traditions: Contemporary Translations
ANGELS HOVERING ROUND for SATB choir
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2014
LINGERING MOMENTS for SATB choir
Phillips Academy Chorus, Andover, MA 2013
Supported by the Abbot Academy Association
VIDI AQUAM for SATB choir
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Annandale, VA 2013
VIDIMUS STELLAM for SATB choir and brass quintet
The Choral Art Society, Georgetown University Concert Choir, Manchester Choral Society, National Lutheran Choir, 2012
Supported by Choral Arts New England, “Alfred Nash Patterson” grant
CIRCLING THE DAWN for solo guitar
Keith Calmes, 2012
ANNUNCIATION for SATB choir
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Rockport, MA 2011
CHILD OF EARTH for mezzo-soprano, choir, strings, and harp
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2010
THREE HORIZONS for SATB choir and piano
Phillips Exeter Academy Concert Choir: Exeter, NH 2009
SONGS FOR THE JOURNEY for SATB choir, strings, horn, harp, and organ
The Concord Chorale: Concord, NH 2009
CELTIC BLESSING for SATB choir and organ
First Presbyterian Church: Fort Worth, TX 2009
THREE SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD for SATB choir and string orchestra
Nashua Symphony Orchestra: Nashua, NH 2008
Supported by National Endowment for the Arts, and NH State Council on the Arts
THIS IS THE DAY for treble choir and piano
St. Thomas Episcopal Church: Cincinnati, OH 2008
NATURE for SATB choir
King’s Chapel: Boston, MA 2007
Supported by Choral Arts New England, “Alfred Nash Patterson” grant
I SING OF A MAIDEN for SATB choir
Capitol Hill Chorale: Washington, DC 2007
MY PEACE IS HERE for SATB choir and string orchestra
Nashua Symphony Chorus: Nashua, NH 2007
PEACE and LAY ME LOW for SSAA choir
Whitworth College Women’s Choir: Spokane, WA 2006
TAKING THE STAGE for SATB choir and string quartet
Nashua Symphony Chorus: Nashua, NH 2006
Supported by Choral Arts New England, “Alfred Nash Patterson” grant
CRADLE SONG for solo guitar
Aaron Larget-Caplan, 2006
THREE SHAKER SONGS (The Humble Heart, Simple Gifts, The Star of Purity) for SATB choir
The Tudor Choir: Seattle, WA 2005
AT THE WATER’S EDGE for SATB choir
Community Chorus at South Berwick: South Berwick, ME 2005
Supported by Choral Arts New England, “Alfred Nash Patterson” grant
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD for SATB choir and organ
The Diocese of New Hampshire: Concord, NH 2004
TRACING A WHEEL ON WATER for solo guitar
Aaron Larget-Caplan, 2003
ARCS AND CIRCLES for solo piano
Sarah Bob, 2003
MEDIA VITA for SSATB choir
The Tudor Choir: Seattle, WA 2000
Commission "How To"
Commissioning a new piece of music is a fun and exciting collaborative process and need not be prohibitively expensive. Typically, the process works like this:
Step 1: Defining the parameters
During the course of a telephone call or email exchange, specific parameters of the commission can be discussed. These might include:
Instrumentation or voicing
Duration
Difficulty level/performance requirements
Text or poem
Dedication
Timeline (including dates for delivery or score and parts)
Commission fee schedule
It is extremely helpful to know as many details as possible about the performer(s), and the premiere performance. What are the strengths of an ensemble? What pieces are their favorites to perform? What is the acoustic like in the space where the work will be premiered? All such details go to creating a vivid picture of the commissioning party and inform the finished work.
I also recommend that the commissioning party consider in advance the desired level of composer participation (giving workshops, lectures, or talks, attendance at rehearsals and/or premiere, etc.). Commissioning parties are highly encouraged to cover the expenses for the composer to travel to and attend the premiere performance.
Step 2: Drafting a letter of agreement
Once the parameters of the commission have been defined and agreed upon, we can draft a letter of agreement specifying these details. This letter makes clear the rights and responsibilities of all parties and becomes the working document for the commissioning project, insuring that everyone is on the same page. I typically send two copies of the letter to the commissioning person or organization. One signed copy of the letter can then be returned to the composer along with an initial payment (usually 50% of the commissioning fee).
An excellent source for further information about commissioning music, including a rough fee scale, is Commissioning Music: A Basic Guide, a publication of the national organization Meet the Composer.
If you would like to start a conversation and discuss the possibility of a commissioned work, please get in touch via the form below.