Josh's College Compositions

The following works date from approx. 12/97 to the present. I separated the sketches (things that I started, but never really picked back up) from the finished/in the process of being edited/almost finished pieces. Potentially in the up coming months, Travis Ramsey (a fellow composer from the University) will be performing a joint recital of works. That is if we can get a recital date (there 50+ recitals here over the next four months....) Enjoy!

Chamber Works
She Walks in Beauty- Based on the poem by Lord Byron, this is an a cappella setting for four part, mixed chorus. Score available from Composer.

Wolfheart- Writen for my excellent Australian friend Katherine, it is a solo suite in three movements for Bass Trombone and Piano. Here, you can hear the second movement, and the first movement will be following shortly. Score Unavailable.

Chorale- Writen for Trombone Quintet and Premiered by the Southern Maine Trombone Choir, Mark Manduca conducting. Score Available from Composer.

I heard Thy Fate- Solo for Tenor and Piano. Based on a poem by Lord Byron. Score availabale from the composer.

Weep- Solo for Tenor and Piano. Text from the poem by Lord Byron. Score available from the composer.

To my love...'Nuff said (-8

Prelude and Chorale-Finished. Score available. Written for 2 Brass Choirs (Onstage: 3 trumpets, Horn, 2 trombones, 2 Tubas; Offstage: 2 Trumpets, 2 trombones) and Pipe organ.

Large Scale Works
Concert Piece No. 1- Piece for Concert Band, writen for the USM band. Score available from composer.

Autumn- Text from the poem by PB Shelley, this is a piece for Mixed chorus and Piano. Score available from the composer.

Requiem- a project I started working on many years ago, put away, started again, put away, and finally started rewriting. This version is for full chorus, strings, winds, brass and tuned percussion. It expresses the grief and pain associated with a loss, but also holds in mind the brief moments of clarity when things start to fall into place. Lately, this is the project I have been working the most on. I have started rewriting the "Prelaudium", and "Requiem Aeternam" movements, nearly finished the "Pie Jesu". The following are the sections I have decided to include in the Requiem in their current state.

Prelude (the new one) -unfinished movement. Orchestral opening to the Requiem, still in sketch form right now, not yet orchestrated.

Dies Irae-unfinished movement. This setting of the liturgical depictiction of the Day of Judgement is just in the very early stages. Full Orchestra, and Chorus.

Agnus Dei-finished movement. This movement begins quietly, statically with a string quartet (2 Violins, 2 Cellos) and vibraphone in a dissonant veil behind the chorus. The Coda brings the full string sections, and the chorus to a dramatic close.

Sanctus et Kyrie-finished movement. The most intricate of the movements thus far, orchestrated for full orchestra featuring the brass section (four trumpets, three horns, three tenor trombones, bass trombone and tuba) and flute, oboe, violin and cello solists. This movement combines the two texts from the Sanctus and the Kyrie

Pie Jesu-unfinished movement. For Strings and Chorus. A polyphonic setting which reeks slightly of A-flat Major.

Aeterga Pillada Mors-finished movement. This poem, written by a good friend (and in latin), delves briefly into death from the point of view of the deceased. For strings, Tenor Solo, and Full Chorus.

Psalm #23-unfinished movement. For Orhcestra and Chorus, featuring Soprano soloist. Dedicated to the memory of a dear friend from High School, this movement is a setting of "The Lord is my Shepard". The psalm was spoken at his funeral, and I was emotionally very moved by the gathering of so many people I hadn't seen since graduation, that the music practically wrote itself. This is the only movement in the Requiem with a direct program or dedication, if you will.

Following this movement, I have the idea for an a cappella hymn, segueing to the orchestral postlude, much less dramatic than the opening, moch more sombre, "string-y", etc. The "Requiem" is going to going through the editing process, and I plan on submitting it to a national composition competion; as to date it is my strongest, most intricate work.

Symphony No. 1 "The Invoctaion"-Here is the beginning of the first movement I have written (probably the second movement, really) of a symphony based on the Invocation to the Watchtowers (you probably saw the horrible recreation in "The Craft").

Musical Sketches
Suite for Trombone Quartet and Mallet Percussion- First movement is in production, hopefully a couple more will follow. Score not available.

Mourning, Alone, in the Light of a Full Moon"- A short tone poem, taken from a longer work which is still in production. Score is not available.

Sweet Water- A poem I wrote about love and devotion, and a line from an ee cummings poem set to music. Not finished. Score unavilabale.

Untitled- My latest product, the text is another one of my own poems. It is about losing love and finding it again. Unfinshed, score unavailable

If you really like my work, and would like to either get one of the above scores or one of the scores from **the previous page** simple drop me an **EMAIL** and I'll give you a reply. I am tkaing requests for commissions, and I am concentrating right now on getting my music heard. Next semester, I will begin taking lessons in composition from Bruce Fithian at the University of Southern Maine, as well as increasing my general art-based knowledge (for the last month or so, I have immersed myself in the poetry of Baudelaire. Ideas are vitually overflowing right now). So, if you are looking for new music to perform from someone who is virtually frothing at the mouth to write it, we should speak. Back to the Throne Room