Writing for his large, uniquely-voiced ensemble, and with influences ranging from traditional Norwegian folk music, modern jazz, and contemporary classical music, composer/pianist Ben Morris' dynamic debut surprises and captivates. With his core group—Zosha Warpeha on Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and violin, Juan Olivares on clarinet, Dan Montgomery on bass, Evan Hyde on drums, and Ben on piano—he was invited to premier four original pieces at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2019, setting in motion the inspiration to expand the ensemble & compositions to create "Pocket Guides." With visions of bustling foreign cities, Norse mythology, tundra and waterways, Morris's music is cinematic, surprising and visceral, the rich textures reflecting his experiences living and studying in Norway, Korea, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, and now Colorado.

released June 17, 2022

David Bernot — tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones, flute
Juan Gabriel Olivares — clarinet and bass clarinet
Derek Ganong — trumpet and flugelhorn
Magnus Murphy Joelson — trombone
Jack Bogard — violin and mandolin
Zosha Warpeha — hardanger fiddle and violin
Joy Adams — cello
Jonah Udall — guitars
Ben Morris — piano and melodica
Dan Montgomery — bass
Evan Hyde — drums
Sam Gautier — percussion
John Boggs — voice (4)

Composed, arranged, and produced by Ben Morris (ASCAP)
“Bubble in a River” text by E.H. Gombrich (1909-2001)

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Colin Bricker at Mighty Fine Productions, Denver, CO
Mixed by Loren Dorland and Colin Bricker
Recorded January 17-20, 2022

Front cover art by Ryan Schröder
Cover design and layout by John Bishop
Released on OA2/Origin Records

Pocket Guides

Inspired by Proposition 114 that approved the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado, Colorado Sky tells the story of a wolf cub named Sky who returns home. Sky struggles to adjust to living in Colorado but eventually learns to adapt to his new world, encouraged by his mother Luna and the ancestral wolves.

The piece is staged with front-facing shadow puppetry designed on a tablet, cut out of paper, and projected on a scrim or sheet with handheld flashlights. The show incorporates the shadows of paper and human puppets and household items to animate the atmosphere and create a dynamic and magical world. A video version of the puppetry is available for licensing. 

Art Song Colorado and Sohap Ensemble proudly present this new opera as part of the DASP Productions label of exquisite new and classical song.

Released June 16, 2023

DASP-006
DASP Productions and Art Song Colorado
Colorado Sky
A New Children's Opera
Music by Ben Morris
Libretto by Laura Fuentes
Claire McCahan, Sky
Sabina Balsamo, Luna
Andrew Garland, Humans
Lírios Quartet- Ben Goldestein (violin), Maggie Brady (violin), Yuri Santos (viola), Chas Barnard (cello)
Nicholas Carthy, Conductor

A co-production with Sohap Ensemble.

Original puppetry for the world premiere by Katy Williams Design and Playful Mirrors. The world premiere was produced in partnership with Boulder Opera and Broomfield Council on the Arts and Humanities.

Engineering and Production by Kevin Allan Harbison
Executive Producers, Eapen Leubner and Sabina Balsamo

Colorado Sky

Original score for the documentary "American River" by Scott Morris.

Christopher Molina - shakuhachi
Conor Abbott Brown - clarinet
Max Wolpert, Sarah Hubbard - violins
Jack Bogard - mandolin and violin
Jake Saunders - cello
Ben Morris - piano and synths
Adam Hernandez - guitar
Dan Montgomery - bass
Evan Hyde - percussion
Daniel Whitworth - music copyist

American River

The Fall of Man and Other Tales: A Seminar Series in Nine Parts

A multi-media opera presented by the ATLAS B2 Blackbox. Premiered April 22nd and 23rd, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado.

Creative Team:

Composer, Producer, and Sound Designer - Ben Morris
Librettist - Laura Fuentes
Additional Lyricists - Gina Stevensen and William Glick
Director - Ben Stasny
Conductor and Music Director - Kedrick Armstrong 
Costume Designer - Sasha de Koninck 
Projection Designers  - Holiday McAllister and Josh Westerman

Cast:

The Chanteuse, The Baby Robot, Church Chorister - Melissa Burke-Manwaring
The River, The Child - Olivia Lerwick
The Baby, The Assistant Manager, The Visionary, Church Chorister -  Claire McCahan
Executive Vice Provost for the End of Days, The Novice, The Visionary - Thomas Bocchi
The Sea, The Busker, The Old Mechanical Crone - John Boggs

Musicians:

Conductor - Kedrick Armstrong
Flute - Grace Law
Clarinet - Kristen Perri
Tenor Saxophone - Pablo Beltran
Trumpet - Madison Sinan
Horn - Abbie French
Trombone -Caleb Arivett
Violin - Max Wolpert
Cello - Nelson Walker
Piano - Maggie Hinchliffe
Electric Guitar - Jason Greenlaw
Electric Bass - Elliot Elder
Drumset and Percussion - Rowan Woodbury

Production Team:

Video and Audio Recording - Jonathan Galle
Sound Assistant - Jessie Lausé
Lighting Designer and Production Manager - Gary McCrumb
Tech Crew Lead - Chris Petillo
Light Board Operator - Kerouac Awbrey
Projections Technician - Thomas Gaither  
Audio Engineer - Adam Yoder
Lead Stage Manager - Skylar Pongratz
Assistant Stage Manager - Leah Abrahamsson
House Videographer - Alexandre Collin
House Manager - Megan Middleton

This work was supported by a Creative Residency in the ATLAS B2 Center for Media, Arts & Performance. 

Special thanks to the University of Colorado Boulder ATLAS Institute and the Youth in Model Railroading (YMR) Train Shoppe in Westminster, Colorado.

The Fall of Man and Other Tales: An Opera in Nine Parts

Hvalsang

Ymir's Bones

Bubbles in a River

Hongdae After Midnight

A Lost Pair of Kites

Wyatt Jenkins, soprano saxophone
James Negron, alto saxophone
Philip Hayden, tenor saxophone
Gustavo Padrino, baritone saxophone


Phragmites in the Storm

Home At Last (Reprise)

Move Along

No Wolves

Home At Last

Prologue

Derek Ganong — trumpet
Matt Castner — bari sax

Chills And Vapors

Performed by Corvus Ensemble:
Katie Cox — Flute
Mara Meyer — Bass Clarinet
Andie Tanning — Violin
Joe Bergen — Percussion

Recorded by Scott Hansen at University of Alaska Fairbanks as part of the Composing in the Wilderness Program

Denali Mosquito Dance

Original score for the documentary "American River" by Scott Morris.

Christopher Molina - shakuhachi
Conor Abbot Brown - clarinet
Max Wolpert, Sarah Hubbard - violins
Jack Bogard - mandolin and violin
Jake Saunders - cello
Ben Morris - piano and synths
Adam Hernandez - guitar
Dan Montgomery - bass
Evan Hyde - percussion
Daniel Whitworth - music copyist

Bridges

Bulkheads

The Great Falls

The Mill at Little Falls

Great Piece Meadows

Flood Plain

Composed for the Rapido! Cycle Seven Composition Competition

Performed by the Atlanta Chamber Players:
Helen Hwaya Kim - violin 
Catherine Lynn - viola
Brad Ritchie - cello 
Elizabeth Pridgen - piano

Performed at the High Art Museum in Atlanta, Georgia on April 14, 2024.
Painting: "Dance on the Beach" by Edvard Munch

Hallingdal Freylekhs

Watch the YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNhlEgql4yA

Brian Mangrum, horn
Alexander Ramazanov, trumpet
Cameron Kerl, trombone
Caitlin Mehrtens, harp
Graeme Francis, percussion
Jacob Schafer, violin
Cindy Ahn, violin
Sergein Yap, viola
Chris Ellis, cello
Max Winningham, double bass
Craig Hauschildt, conductor

Recorded in Cole Hall at Stephen F. Austin State University, March 8, 2024. Music recorded by Byron Reinhardt, Katharyn Phillips, Sophia Nunez, and Sound Recording Services at SFASU. Recording session assistance by Blake Buehler and JJ Bartley.

Environmental video and audio soundscapes recorded by Ben Morris using a Canon M50 and Zoom H3-VR at Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, Boykin Springs at Angelina National Forest, Kisatchie National Forest, Big Thicket National Preserve Sundew and Turkey Creek Units, and Stephen F. Austin State University Native Plant Center.

Additional archival footage and audio:
Smokey Bear PSAs from the U.S. Forest Service, released via the Internet Archive (archive.org) 
Selected bird calls from the Cornell Macaulay Library (https://www.macaulaylibrary.org/)
Historical logging footage from Texas Archive of the Moving Image (https://texasarchive.org/) 
Historical photographs from the East Texas Digital Archives at Stephen F. Austin State University (https://digital.sfasu.edu/) 
Pond5 and Adobe Stock

This project is generously funded by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the states arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Additional support from the Texas Commission on the Arts, The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Stephen F. Austin State University Cole Fine Arts Faculty Excellence and School of Music Professional Development Grants, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and the City of Houston.

Featuring Shawn Benedict and Pedro Hernandez of the Nature Conservancy’s Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary.

Special Thanks to Jenny Sanders and the Texas Longleaf Team, MATCH (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston), and Nathan Nabb and Dean Gary Wurtz at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Arts and Culture Texas Feature: http://artsandculturetx.com/fire-music-loop38-makes-an-impact-with-new-music-for-our-times/

Longleaf

The Crone Speaks
text by Katharyn Howd Machan
music by Ben Morris
performed by Perri di Christina, mezzo-soprano and Brendon Shapiro, piano

FUSE: Collaborations in Song
May 31, 2024, 7:00pm
Edward H. Pickman Hall at Longy School of Music of Bard College

Co-commissioned by Boston Singers' Resource and Catalyst New Music

I. (Stories)

You want stories?
I will give you stories.

I am the woman of the deep wild woods.
My voice rises up, then sinks down, down.
Do you need to know me?
Are you very, very sure?
Then: STORIES!
Once upon and long ago…
You may find yourself within

II. (Welcome)

I am the witch inviting you in.
I am the gingerbread frightened to flee.
Count your blessings. Count your coins.
But never, never count on me.

Give me your golden hair to braid.
Allow me to change your arms into wings.
I’m the story of shadows and wells,
what wanting sweet berries in winter brings.

Call me Cinders. Call me the bird
that drops rich dresses down from above.
I’m the dark tree that will always give
the never-expected from deepest love.

III. (Hunger)

A bit of rampion, so fresh, so green,
positioned by the wall where right next door
a woman longs for it, the witch unseen
and listening to cries of “More! Please, more!”
The husband climbs again; he loves his wife
and yearns to hold the baby she will bear,
so foolishly again he risks his life
and finds his grinning neighbor standing there.
“You’ll give the child to me when she is born,
and I will be her mother, year to year.
My heart needs her; your tie to her is torn,
and I’ll protect her, vanquishing all fear.”
And so began the doorless tower’s tale.
The golden hair. The twisted love. The jail.

IV. (In That Cozy House in the Woods)

Was she girl? Was she fox?
Ruddy-Fur or Goldilocks?
Certainly the smallest bear
lost his little wooden chair
and Mama found her porridge spoiled
after all the time she’d toiled
and Papa cried out, “There’s our bed
no one’s troubled since we wed!”
Was she fox? Was she girl?
That glowing spine. That gleaming curl.

V. (Cloak)

Did it cover her face?
Did it tickle her legs?
Did it warm her small arms?
Did it drape on the basket?
Did it brush against trees?
Did it choke tender breath?
Did it snap mushroom stems?
Did it drag upon moss?
Did it blow widely open?
Did it hang like a shroud?
Did it tangle her ankles?
Did it crumble the cake?
Did it smell of old lavender?
Did it pinch at her cheeks?
Did it hide frightened eyes?
Did it call to a wolf,
to a wolf with rough fur,
to a wolf who was destined
to make story with her?

VI. (Farewell)

Now I have shared myself with you.
Do you know me? Do you know me well?
Never forget that every story
is one person’s heaven, another’s hell.

A raven’s wing may boast bright feathers.
A toad may offer topaz eyes.
Who are you to be so certain
your heart’s courage deserves a prize?

May your road extend before you.
May your sea know windy sails.
You, too, might one day find
you are the teller of these tales.

DOWNLOAD PROGRAM HERE: https://tinyurl.com/5p22jas6

The Crone Speaks

Commissioned and premiered by David Bernot
Recorded at the University of Northern Colorado, April 16, 2024

Convergent Evolution

Performed by the Resound Duo, October 27th, 2014
http://resoundduo.com/resoundduo.com/Welcome.html
Jennifer Voigt - Soprano
Tyson Voigt - Percussion

Recurrent I. Pursuing the Horizon

This is an excerpt from my multimedia work, "Longleaf," that evokes a natural lightning burn of a longleaf pine forest. The longleaf pine forest is an ecosystem that was once spread throughout ninety million acres of the American Southeast including rural East Texas. Now, only five million acres remain, with under fifty thousand in Texas. It is a delicate ecosystem that must be maintained with frequent fires that clear out other species and create an open, majestic savannah habitat home to endangered species including the red cockaded woodpecker. Commissioned by Houston-based ensemble Loop38, this piece tells the story of this unparalleled tree: its flourishing through natural and indigenous manmade fires, its use to make turpentine during the early settlement days, its widespread destruction at the hands of the lumber barons and sawmills of the early 20th century, and its rebirth with the advent of responsible forestry and prescribed fires. The piece weaves together a tapestry of virtuosic brass features, ambisonic field recordings captured in longleaf forests, videos of longleaf habitats, found sounds, and historical photographs and videos from the East Texas Digital Archive, the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, and The National Archives. 

Brian Mangrum, horn
Alexander Ramazanov, trumpet
Cameron Kerl, trombone
Caitlin Mehrtens, harp
Graeme Francis, percussion
Jacob Schafer, violin
Cindy Ahn, violin
Sergein Yap, viola
Chris Ellis, cello
Max Winningham, double bass
Craig Hauschildt, conductor

Recorded in Cole Hall at Stephen F. Austin State University, March 8, 2024. Music recorded by Byron Reinhardt, Katharyn Phillips, Sophia Nunez, and Sound Recording Services at SFASU. Recording session assistance by Blake Buehler and JJ Bartley.

Environmental video and audio soundscapes recorded by Ben Morris using a Canon M50 and Zoom H3-VR at Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, Boykin Springs at Angelina National Forest, Kisatchie National Forest, Big Thicket National Preserve Sundew and Turkey Creek Units, and Stephen F. Austin State University Native Plant Center.

To order score and parts, please visit: https://www.benmorrismusic.com/longleaf

To watch a score video, visit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNBxB8NcIA

To watch the entire video, visit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNhlEgql4yA

Lightning Burn (from Longleaf)

This is an excerpt from my multimedia work, "Longleaf," depicting a dawn chorus in a longleaf pine forest. The longleaf pine forest is an ecosystem that was once spread throughout ninety million acres of the American Southeast including rural East Texas. Now, only five million acres remain, with under fifty thousand in Texas. It is a delicate ecosystem that must be maintained with frequent fires that clear out other species and create an open, majestic savannah habitat home to endangered species including the red cockaded woodpecker. Commissioned by Houston-based ensemble Loop38, this piece tells the story of this unparalleled tree: its flourishing through natural and indigenous manmade fires, its use to make turpentine during the early settlement days, its widespread destruction at the hands of the lumber barons and sawmills of the early 20th century, and its rebirth with the advent of responsible forestry and prescribed fires. The piece weaves together a tapestry of virtuosic brass features, ambisonic field recordings captured in longleaf forests, videos of longleaf habitats, found sounds, and historical photographs and videos from the East Texas Digital Archive, the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, and The National Archives. 

Brian Mangrum, horn
Alexander Ramazanov, trumpet
Cameron Kerl, trombone
Caitlin Mehrtens, harp
Graeme Francis, percussion
Jacob Schafer, violin
Cindy Ahn, violin
Sergein Yap, viola
Chris Ellis, cello
Max Winningham, double bass
Craig Hauschildt, conductor

Recorded in Cole Hall at Stephen F. Austin State University, March 8, 2024. Music recorded by Byron Reinhardt, Katharyn Phillips, Sophia Nunez, and Sound Recording Services at SFASU. Recording session assistance by Blake Buehler and JJ Bartley.

Environmental video and audio soundscapes recorded by Ben Morris using a Canon M50 and Zoom H3-VR at Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, Boykin Springs at Angelina National Forest, Kisatchie National Forest, Big Thicket National Preserve Sundew and Turkey Creek Units, and Stephen F. Austin State University Native Plant Center.

To order score and parts, please visit: https://www.benmorrismusic.com/longleaf

To watch the entire piece on YouTube, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNhlEgql4yA

Dawn Chorus (from Longleaf)

Subpar Parks is a series of miniatures loosely inspired by Amber Share’s poster art featuring negative reviews of the American National Parks.  There are seven movements, each based on a negative review from Yelp, Google, and other online platforms. In each movement, I depict the comedic character of each review and at times blend in and contrast my own personal experiences with the beauty of these parks. The piece reflects humanity’s ability to be bored by even the most magnificent sights but encourages the listener to go deeper and find unexpected beauty in the seemingly mundane. The piece was commissioned by the Houston-based contemporary music group Musiqa for their 2024-2025 season.

Premiere September 28, 2024 at the Midtown Arts and Theatre Center (MATCH) in Houston, TX

Garrett Hudson — flute
Yevgeny Dokshansky — clarinet
Astrid Nakamura — violin
Chris Ellis — cello
Chelsea de Souza — piano

Video courtesy of Full Media Jacket and Musiqa. Audio courtesy Francis X. Schmidt and Musiqa.

Subpar Parks

For double-combo jazz orchestra

Combo 1:

Derrick Dymalski, alto sax/flute 
Jonathan Gómez, tenor sax/clarinet
Alec Aldred, trumpet
Javier Nero, trombone
Eliot Courtois, piano
Dan Montgomery, upright bass	
Matthew Buckner, drums	

Combo 2:

Tom Kelley, alto sax/flute/clarinet
Joey Rosin, baritone sax/bass clarinet
Derek Ganong, trumpet
Andrew Hamilton, trombone
Jonah Udall, guitar
Lowell Ringel, electric bass
Ryan Hecker, drums

200 IM

Performed by the Living Earth Show

Travis Andrews - Guitar
Andy Meyerson - Percussion
Recorded and mastered by Alex Lough

Manatee Matinee

Composed for Scuffed Shoe duet for fixed media and percussion. Performed at the Electric LaTex Festival at Rice University, November 21st, 2015.

Brandon Bell - Drum Set
Craig Hauschildt - Percussion

Fixed Media version
Video performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJZM8fKK8z0&feature=youtu.be

Blue Spruce

Andrew Pedersen, Nils Aardahl, Kathryn Bradley, Mas Podgorney, Charles Paul - double basses

Written for Composers' Forum at Rice University, November 24th, 2015. Winner of the 2016 International Society of Bassist's Composition Competition

Bright Light at Russell's Corners

Read by the Cadillac Moon Ensemble at Rice University, Jan. 22nd, 2015. 

Roberta Michel - flute
Karen Kim - violin
Aminda Asher - cello 
Sean Statser - percussion

Pastistio

Conducted by Jebat Kee and performed by members of the Shepherd School of Music orchestra. Recorded on 10/23/16.

Beltway 8

Incidental Music for "Don Juan Comes Back from the War," Lenfest Center for the Arts @ Columbia University, March 7-10, 2018

Riger Tag

Read by the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra. Conducted by Alan Buxbaum on July 15th, 2018.

Fractal Kennings

In Norse mythology, Ymir is the primordial giant whose body makes the universe.  From his flesh comes the earth, from his blood comes the ocean, from his hair the trees, from his brains the clouds, from his skull the heavens, and from his bones come the mountains.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0PBTbUnsu4

Performed by the Shepherd School of Music Symphony Orchestra on March 22nd, 2019. Conducted by Ben Manis.

House of Stairs

A (Short) Story of Earth

Wyatt Wear — Saxophone
Sonya Walker — Trumpet
Ben Morris — Piano
Mike Facey — Bass
Michael D'Angelo — Drums

Recorded 12/13/19 at Mighty Fine Studios, engineered by Colin Bricker

John Boggs — Baritone
Kenneth Johnson — Bass Trombone
Devin Guerrero — Upright Bass

Text by Laura Jane Numeroff

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

Ben Morris is a composer whose music tells unconventional stories and crosses genre boundaries. He is Assistant Professor of Composition at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Ben Morris

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