Introduction
Description
Hymn Arranging
Suitability as Concert Music
Over the years, I've composed and arranged a fair amount of music for the church setting. Even though my main compositional focus these days is on film music, concert music, and Holiday Pops arranging, I'm still very interested in the field of church music. I've listed a sampling of my church music on this website, and have described four of the larger works in greater detail.
If you're interested in performing any of my church music, please contact me and I'll be glad to provide you with more information. Also, if you're interested in commissioning a piece for the church setting — particularly a congregational hymn or anthem arrangement with orchestral accompaniment — I would be pleased to consider your request.
Description of My Church MusicThe church music I've composed and arranged varies greatly both in style and in the forces needed...
A fair amount of my church music has been written in a neo-Baroque style, reflecting my great love of Baroque music. Also, it so happens that the primary church I've composed for performs a great deal of Baroque music, which has made it seem highly appropriate for me to write a number of church pieces in that style. After all, if the centerpiece of a church service is, for instance, Vivaldi's "Gloria," what better style than Baroque could I choose in which to write an accompanying offertory and closing response?
But a number of my church pieces also show the influence of other musical styles, such as early 20th-century English music (Vaughan Williams, etc.), or the romantic impressionism of composers like Kodály and Duruflé, or even the "Hollywood film music" style.
By far, the largest and most popular piece of church music that I've composed is "A Symphony of Carols," a dramatic 45-minute work featuring ten carols woven together by the use of creative bridges. Scored for SATB choir, soprano soloist, organ, and a rather large chamber orchestra, it is an ambitious (but hopefully rewarding!) work to perform. However, most of my church music is on a smaller scale than that and is relatively easy to perform.
Hymn ArrangingOne area of church music composition I'm especially fond of is hymn arranging. I've written a number of congregational hymn arrangements for varying forces and purposes. Typical of my work in this area is my arrangement of "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," a majestic arrangement of the hymn, whose accompaniment is scored for chamber orchestra and organ.
I'm very interested in creating more hymn (or anthem) arrangements with orchestral accompaniment, so if your church uses an orchestral accompaniment for hymns or anthems (whether frequently or just occasionally, and whether on a small or large scale), I would love to hear from you regarding the opportunity to write more of these arrangements.
Many of the pieces listed in the various "Church Music" sections of this website are also appropriate for a concert setting, which I have noted in the description of each piece, where appropriate.
