First, next week I will be releasing a brand new hymn right here on my website. Actually, a new tune and harmonization for an old text. It’s a hymn of triumph that will be fitting with the celebration of Reformation Day and the 500 anniversary of the birth of John Calvin.

Second, I’m excited to be going on tour with the BJU Chorale to New England and surrounding areas November 2nd-9th. We’ll be making stops in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. Those interested in keeping tabs on the Chorale can follow their twitter feed and http://twitter.com/bju_chorale.

Third, I have a commission to announce. I have been given the opportunity to write incidental music for a sacred drama which is to be performed in April at Northland International University in Dunbar, WI. The music will consist of about 5-10 minutes of music for in between scenes and also some background music during the scenes.

Fourthly, my website will soon receive a little bit of an overhaul. I am currently working on a new design which is nearing completion. If time permits, I hope to have it up by the end of the semester.

Lastly, if you’ve not yet seen, my teacher, Dan Forrest, has recently released a CD recording of many of his concert choral works entitled “Arise, Shine!” It is a great CD compiled from various recordings of concerts done on campus featuring the BJU Chorale and combined choirs. I’m even on a couple of the tracks. More information and links to purchase this album can be found on his website – www.danforrest.com.

• Orchestration
• Research & Writing in Music
• Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis
• Private Composition (w/ Dan Forrest)
• Private Piano (w/ Mark Parker, my teacher from undergrad)
• Music Group credit (BJU Chorale)

As always, there are new things happening on the composition front. I have a piece or two that I’m working on presently. But for the most part, this year I’ll be doing a lot of composition exercises and such with Dr. Forrest. Next year I will begin composing all the pieces for my graduate recital (spring semester of 2011).

The Chorale is also going to be quite busy this year. We’ll be singing in campus church a few times, singing in the Vespers program Sept. 20th, performing a couple selections by Mendelssohn as a part of a faculty recital series in October, helping with a Craig Courtney reading session in October, going on tour to New England in November, and performing the Messiah (3 times) at Christmas. That’s busy enough to rule out having a regular concert of our own this semester.

My job on campus as part of my GA program is with Web Technologies. Essentially, there are four of us responsible for maintaining applications, forms, and the like on BJU.edu and the BJU Intranet. I spend most of my time at work programming applications and doing security and performance upgrades on previously existing applications. I’ve gotten to work with people from various departments on campus – Human Resources, BJU Elementary, the School of Fine Arts, Office of Student Services, and many others.

This semester will be stretching in more ways than one, but also should prove to be academically enriching as well. I’m most excited about the opportunity to (finally) have an outlet for my compositional efforts. Previously, it was just something I would do on the side with the sporadic moments of free time I would have, but now it’s my major. I’m excited… and only slightly overwhelmed at this point.

P.S. I have found myself updating my blog less and less as time goes on. If you’re really interested in keeping tabs on me, I encourage you to follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/peteranglea). I update that almost daily – and often more than once per day.

Throughout music history, many different composers have hid special messages or meanings within their compositions. The most notable examples of this are Bach hiding his name – B,A,C,H (B-natural) – in The Art of Fugue and Schumann hiding his name and the hometown of his fiancée in his piece, Carnaval. And so I thought, “if they can do it, why can’t I?”. I decided to use this same process in composing my piece. In fact, the melody of the processional begins with a melodic transcription of Melody’s own name. To do this, I extrapolated the musical scale from A-Z (for example: A=A, B=B, … G=G, H=A, I=B, and so on). If you apply that to the letters in Melody’s name, you get F-E-E-A-D-D. Her middle name, Joy, comes to C-A-D. The first six notes I refer to as the “Melody” theme, and the last three as the “Joy” theme. I found that when I played the “Melody” theme, it naturally split itself into two parts, F-E-E and A-D-D. The music seemed to naturally provide me with three groups of three-note thematic ideas with which to compose the entire piece. However, there were a modifications that I needed to make. First, the “Melody” theme seemed to center itself around a D minor triad. Of course, minor keys would never work for a wedding, so I simply changed the F to an F#, and the C to a C# to place the melody in the key of D Major. Second, I decided to transpose the entire melody to the key of G for obvious reasons. Those that know Guillaume well typically just call him “G” because the French pronunciation can trip a lot of people up. A third minor change was modifying the “Joy” theme from C#-A-D to C#-B-D (or F#-E-G in the new key) to make it fit better with the flow of piece.

Armed with my new thematic ideas, I set about actually composing the piece. For inspiration, I listened to Claire de lune from Claude Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque and Dirait-on by Morten Lauridsen many times to get me thinking in a “quasi-French” mode. The result was a melody of about sixteen measures length in 3/4 time. The entire piece ended up being written in a somewhat stanzaic form. The first stanza is an augmented version of the melody, which leads into a slightly faster, flowing stanza. What follows is approximately fourteen measures of transition intended to deceive the listener into thinking the key signature has changed, when it fact it hasn’t (the entire piece in is G Major). The final stanza (for the entrance of the bride) is louder and more majestic. The astute listener will also hear traces of the “Bridal Chorus” (“Here Comes the Bride”) mixed in with the main melody. The piece then ends as it began – tranquil – with traces of the “Melody” theme.

The last piece of the puzzle is the actual title of the piece. I struggled coming up with a name. All I could come up with for the longest time was “Melody in G,” but that sounded too cliché. So, I decided to say it in French (everything sounds more artistic in French, right?). So, there you have it – Melodie en Sol. I jokingly told Melody that she is the bride, the commissioner, the title, and the tune. By the same token, Guillaume is the groom and the key signature – the tonal center of the piece which provides the necessary musical environment for the melody to thrive.

So, thank you and congratulations, Melody and Guillaume. I couldn’t have done it without your help! I hope that whenever you listen to this piece in the future, it will bring back many wonderful memories of your special day.

Listen to Melodie en Sol (8MB).

The Best of Andrea Bocelli - Andrea Bocelli.

While I’m not crazy about every single track on this CD, I do give it a hearty two-thumbs up. As always, Bocelli’s musicianship is exquisite. The recording also features many high-caliber musicians singing or playing along with him (Lang Lang, Sarah Brightman, etc.).

Favorite tracks: 9 – Time to Say Goodbye; 10 – Io ci saro; 16 – Because We Believe

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna - Paul Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Morten Lauridsen

This CD is packed with some of the best of Lauridsen’s choral literature: Lux Aeterna, Mid-Winter Songs, Les Chansons Des Roses, Ave Maria, and, of course, O Magnum Mysterium. I had not heard anything previously by the LA Master Chorale, but was impressed with their blend and masterful interpretation of Lauridsen’s works. Get alone in a sound proof room and soak in the rich sonorities.

Favorite tracks: 1 – Lux Aeterna: Introitus; 4 – Lux Aeterna: Veni, Sancte Spiritus; 10 – Les Chansons Des Roses: Dirait-on; 17 – O Magnum Mysterium.

Memoirs of a Geisha (soundtrack from the motion picture) – John Williams

I don’t know how I managed to let this go unnoticed for so long. I bought this last month and can’t stop listening to it. It is quite possibly the best soundtrack that John Williams has ever produced. Yet it’s not the typical “fanfare” Williams sound that most people are familiar with. He uses authentic Japanese instruments and blends them beautifully with western instruments and compositional styles. But the best part of this soundtrack is the performers – Yo-Yo Ma on the cella and Itzhak Perlman on the violin.

Favorite tracks: 3 – Going to School; 4 – Brush on Silk; 8 – The Chairman’s Waltz; 16 – Confluence

New Dawn - Libera

Say what you will about the Vienna Boys, but I still think that Libera is the best boys choir out there. This is the second album by them that I have (I first purchased Angel Voices last summer). Their voices are pure gold and this album proves they can sing a wide range of literature (everything from Orinoco Flow to Ave Maria). The album features an a capella version of Bach’s Air on the G String as well as Saint-Saen’s Organ Symphony put to the words of the Gloria. I was also struck by Canon, a rendition of the hymn tune TALLIS CANON (I thought I’d never hear that tune outside of Hymnology class).

Favorite tracks: 1 – Orinoco Flow; 4 – Air on the G String; 8 – Love and Mercy; 10 – Never Be Alone; 12 – Tallis’s Canon

Passione - Paul Potts

Who hasn’t heard of Paul Potts by now? Well, my siblings hadn’t, but YouTube is blocked at school, after all. This is his second album – coming on the heels of One Chance and his winning performances on Britain’s Got Talent. His voice has only gotten better since then. This album has better organization than his last, which was just a compilation of classic favorites. This time it’s a beautiful selection of Italian love songs. I’m not sure why he seems to favor Italian, but he does it quite well. This album provided great listening for my recent road trip.

Many people are trying to reconcile who is better, Paul Potts or Andrea Bocelli. Well, I listen to both (as you see in this post) and I’m not sure you could definitively say. Each has their own vocal nuances and each has their own musical preferences, however they do overlap a bit. Bocelli clearly has more training and experience to back him up and his voice is more open and robust (for lack of a better term). I’m not a vocal critic, but both appeal to me in their own way. It is interesting to note that both men have unique life stories and situations – Bocelli is blind, and Potts went from being a cell-phone salesman to a singer of internation fame after winning a TV talent show. One wonders if the sentiments they express as a result of where they’ve been is what makes them two of the most appealing singers today.

Favorite tracks: 1 – La prima volta; 2 – Sei con me; 3 – Un giorno per moi; 7 – Mamma; 8 – Tristesse.

Rutter: Requiem, Magnificat - John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers

I just received this album a few days ago and had plenty of time to listen it whilst on my 10 1/2 hour road trip home from school the other day. As always, Rutter is a genius and the Cambridge Singers have such a beautiful blend and gorgeous tone. Rutter is able to write very “high-church” music, but yet incorporates some beautiful melodies that are surprising memorable (I’ve never heard a Magnificat that was so catchy!).

Favorite tracks: 1 – Requiem Aeternam; 3 – Pie Jesu; 8 – Magnificat Anima Mea; 11 – Et Misericordia

Come and support new, original music from rising composers next Tuesday, May 5th at 5pm in War Memorial Chapel. There will be works performed by 9 current BJU undergrad and grad students (including myself!) – students of Dan Forrest and Joan Pinkston. The only drawback is that it is during exam week. But you’ll probably need a break from your cramming and studying, so make plans to come to a recital you won’t regret going to.

• Slumber Time – Norman Luboff
• O Schone Nacht – Brahms
• Soneto de la Noche – Morten Lauridsen
• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening – Randall Thompson
• Sleep – Eric Whitacre
• Seal Lullaby – Eric Whitacre
• Much more…

Can you think of a better way to start your weekend? I submit that you can not.

Here it is. My new M-Audio KeyStudio 49i, complete with Pro Tools M Powered 8!! Needless to say, I didn’t get any homework done this afternoon after I picked it up from the post office. Normally this keyboard doesn’t ship with Pro Tools – you have to buy it separately (about $300 from m-audio’s website). But we were able to get the keyboard I wanted with the software just “thrown in” for good measure for less than the normal selling price of the keyboard itself. Not a bad deal, eh?

I haven’t much chance to do much with it yet, but I have tried it out. I’ll let you know later what I really think of it – although my first impression is pretty much… “SWEET!” Thanks Dad and Mom for the early graduation present!

If you will be in the Greenville area on March 6th, I would enjoy having you at my senior piano recital. It will be at 5pm in War Memorial Chapel (home to an absolutely stunning Steinway grand).

The program will include:

• Piano Sonata in A Major Op. 2, No. 2 – Allegro Vivace (Beethoven)
• Intermezzo in A Major & Ballade in G minor Op. 118 (Brahms)
• 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs (Bartok)

This semester I also wrote my first-ever SATB choir piece for my choral composition class. Even though I was working frantically to finish portions of it before various deadlines in the class, I believe it turned out rather well. Now I need to do some tweaking of it, and maybe find somebody to sing it…

Over Christmas break, I’ll be keeping busy with a number of things. Piano practice for one (gotta keep on top of that repertoire). I’ll also work on compiling a portfolio of my musical compositions to submit for grad school. Hopefully, I will be able to get my graduate degree in Composition. I’m going to have to write an entirely new piece to include in this portfolio. I have an idea for what it might be, too…

I’ll also be working over Christmas break, and hopefully doing some re-organization of my web design business. BTW, if you know of anyone needing a website, send them my way.