Published by Alfred Music in their Lawson-Gould catalog and commissioned by the Raleigh Boychoir as part of their performance at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

The text is taken from Emily Dickinson's poem of the same name.

Hope is the thing with feathers 
That perches in the soul, 
And sings the tune--without the words, 
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard; 
And sore must be the storm 
That could abash the little bird 
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land, 
And on the strangest sea; 
Yet, never, in extremity, 
It asked a crumb of me.

To purchase sheet music: http://www.alfred.com/Products/Hope--00-41903.aspx

Hope - SSA and Piano

"Dance of Fire" was my first published composition, back in 2005.  I was 19 at the time and had just won the "Lynn Freeman Olson Composition Competition" for the solo.  It's a competition geared toward composing music for young players.  I originally wrote the solo when I was 17, entered the competition, and lost.  I was encouraged to make a few tweaks and enter it again two years later.  I am so glad that I did!  You can buy the sheet music at: http://www.alfred.com/Products/Dance-of-Fire--00-24471.aspx

Dance of Fire - Piano

Description from Alfred:
This original composition first fell upon the ears of excited, rambunctious, elementary-aged children as part of an educational concert series geared toward teaching the sections of the orchestra. The room quickly grew silent and the audience was captivated by the haunting melodies and clashes of bold chords, intertwined with moments of tranquility and wonder. Each and every section of the orchestra will feel equally important as it tackles this challenging, yet appealing piece!

Unconquered for Full Orchestra

Publisher's Description:

Complementary vocal and piano writing combines in this distinctive treatment for treble choirs. Artistic and impressive, well-suited for concert or contest.

Lyrics from Emily Dickinson's poem of the same name:

I sing to use the waiting,
my bonnet but to tie,
and shut the door unto my house;
no more to do have I.

Till, his best step approaching,
we journey to the day,
and tell each other how we sang
to keep the dark away.

I Sing To Use The Waiting - SSAA and piano

How Do I Love Thee?, by Bruce W. Tippette
Text by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
SATB voices and piano
Alfred Music 2017
www.brucewtippette.com

For Elizabeth, on our anniversary.

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." This artistic setting of the classic Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem features a whimsical piano motif that flits around like a little bird amid the sweeping choral texture. The harmonic structure has overlapping lines of text throughout most of the piece, with scattered sections of homophony. With divisi in each of the voice parts and long flowing phrases, this piece makes a compelling concert feature for mature vocal ensembles.

Sheet music available at: http://www.alfred.com/Products/How-Do-I-Love-Thee--00-45629.aspx

Alfred Music

How Do I Love Thee? - SATB and piano

In Unity, by Bruce W. Tippette
Young Symphonic Band (Grade 2)
Alfred Music 2017
www.brucewtippette.com

An inspiring piece that evokes images of togetherness, peace, and a sense that we are one as humankind. This unity comes to fruition as the upper woodwinds and trumpet play in unison toward the piece's conclusion.

Sheet music available at: http://www.alfred.com/Products/In-Unity--00-45998.aspx

In Unity - concert band

An Everlasting Legacy, by Bruce W. Tippette
Concert Band (Grade 3)
C. Alan Publications
www.brucewtippette.com

"An Everlasting Legacy" is an emotionally charged piece, dedicated to the passing of a beloved family member. Both performers and audiences can expect to experience moments of tranquility, tension, peacefulness, and discord, all moving toward an uplifting conclusion in the final musical moments.

Program Notes
My initial sketches of An Everlasting Legacy began as a motive, voiced by the clarinet in the opening, with supporting harmonies. As I continued to compose and dive deeper into the creative process for this piece in the fall of 2015, I kept asking myself, “What is this piece about?” It was difficult for me to combine all of the components, so I took a break from the composition. In December 2015, my wife's maternal grandfather passed away after an insidious battle with dementia. The Rev. Dr. Robert L. Hock, or “Pop”, as his family and I referred to him, was a Lutheran pastor and was very well loved throughout the southeastern United States. Hundreds of people attended his funeral, proclaiming that his legacy would live on through his former congregations and countless loved ones. In the days surrounding his passing, I was able to perfectly weave together my composition. In an effort to continue Pop’s legacy, the best way a composer can, I dedicate An Everlasting Legacy to his memory. Pop called me his grandson. From the first time meeting him in the early days of my wife’s and my courting, to performing our marriage ceremony and baptizing our son, he was such an integral part of my life. He was loved and revered by many, and he will continue to live on through the lives of those he served as a pastor, mentor, and friend.

Sheet music available at: http://c-alanpublications.com/everlasting-legacy-an/

An Everlasting Legacy - concert band

Wondrous Flight, by Bruce W. Tippette
String Orchestra (Grade 2)
Grand Mesa Music
www.brucewtippette.com

For my son, Liam.

Written for the composer's son, Wondrous Flight alternates between insistent syncopated rhythms and flowing melodic passages.  As the piece progresses, an increase in tempo drives the melodies through each section of the orchestra toward a grandiose, climactic moment.  The piece elevates itself throughout, creating the feeling of climbing ever higher into the sky, finally ending in a fiery burst of energy as the familiar melodies reprise one final time to deliver a big finish.

Sheet music available at: https://grandmesamusic.com/index.php?option=com_songpub&view=song&id=2192&Itemid=1386

GMM Strings 2017

Wondrous Flight - string orchestra

2016 Cannon Music Camp
Finale II Concert
Wind Ensemble
John Stanley Ross - conductor
July 15, 2016

Solar Eclipse by Bruce W. Tippette
Sheet music available at http://c-alanpublications.com/solar-eclipse/

Video recording by http://www.421musicstudio.com

Cannon Music Camp 2016

Solar Eclipse - concert band

Slumber, Child, by Elizabeth and Bruce W. Tippette
SATB voices and piano
Alfred Music 2017
www.brucewtippette.com

For our daughter, Madeline Beth.

Written in honor of their newborn child, this gorgeous original lullaby is beautifully rich and moving. "Slumber child, sleep and dream. Grow and believe in all you will be." It echoes the dreams that all parents have for their children in a poignant setting that is sure to inspire an emotional response.

Sheet music available at: http://www.alfred.com/Products/Slumber-Child--00-46396.aspx

Slumber, Child - SATB and piano

Verdant Meadows by Bruce W. Tippette
String Orchestra (Grade 1)
Carl Fischer 2018
www.brucewtippette.com

The imagery of a lush, green meadow helps set the stage for this simple, yet harmonically adventurous composition. The music alternates between legato melodies and staccato harmonies. Following a climactic moment, a peaceful resolution hearkens back to earlier material and ends the piece with a maestoso section.

Carl Fischer String Orchestra 2018-2019

Verdant Meadows - String Orchestra (Grade 1)

Drifting by Bruce W. Tippette
String Orchestra (Grade 3)
Carl Fischer 2018
www.brucewtippette.com

Drifting utilizes musical passages to allude to the image of something drifting down a river in the woods. It journeys through twists and turns, placid streams and roaring rapids, eventually making a grand entrance into open waters.

Drifting - String Orchestra (Grade 3)

Oh, Love, How Deep arr. by Bruce W. Tippette
3 Octave Handbell Choir (Grade 1+)
Hope Publishing 2018
www.brucewtippette.com

This sturdy hymn tune serves well to set the tone for worship during the Lenten season. It opens with a simple statement of the melody and slowly evolves into an expanded voicing of the original hymn, utilizing LV arpeggios across the ensemble between verses. This accessible, Level 1+ setting is useful anytime of the year as an expression of the power of God's love through Jesus Christ.

Sheet Music Available at:http://www.hopepublishing.com/html/main.isx?sitesec=1.2.4.0&base=sitebase&sorting=alpha&search=631&sub=9&searchtype=basic&searchstring=oh%20love%20how%20deep&workid=4176

2018 Spring Lent and Easter

Oh, Love, How Deep - Handbell Choir (Grade 1+)

The Struggling Dream
Performed by the Wings of the Wing Flute Choir
Indianapolis, Indiana

6 Flutes, Alto Flute, Bass Flute

The Struggling Dream - Wings of the Wind - Flute Ensemble

Bruce W. Tippette's Master's Recital on March 23, 2013 in Watson Hall on the campus of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts

The impetus to compose A Sprightly Dance was a competition that focused on writing pieces for any combination of flute, soprano, and piano, with the time constraint of three minutes.  This was to celebrate the work of the French composer Claude Debussy and the plethora of miniature pieces he wrote.  A Sprightly Dance displays a wide array of harmonic colors and rhythmic interchange, despite the limited length and instrumental forces.

Taryn Fulkerson, flute
Bruce W. Tippette, piano

A Sprightly Dance - Flute and Piano

Bruce W. Tippette (b. 1985) is a composer, performer, and educator. He holds a Master of Music from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in music composition and a Bachelor of Music in both music composition/theory and also music education from Appalachian State University. His compositions have been performed internationally, and he actively receives commissions for both choral and instrumental ensembles. In addition to his concert works, Tippette has composed original compositions for choreographers, film, and has co-composed music for a children's musical. Tippette's work Unconquered, written for orchestra, won the 2012 Mary Starling Composition Competition, and the Winston-Salem Symphony performed it four subsequent times. Additionally, he was chosen in 2012, 2013 and 2014 to compose five new works as part of an experimental collaboration with Cirque du Soleil and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Alfred Music, C. Alan Publications, Carl Fischer, Grand Mesa Music Publishers, Hope Publishing, Shawnee Press/Hal Leonard, and Wingert-Jones Publications are among his many publishers.

​Tippette is the recipient of many awards, including the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship and the Lynn Freeman Olson Composition Award for his piano solo Dance of Fire. As an educator, he teaches music composition, theory, piano, and voice at the Community Music School of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and he is the Youth Music and Handbell Director at Augsburg Lutheran Church. He also works as a freelance engraver for Wayne Leupold Editions, a publisher of organ music, and is a frequently sought-after rehearsal accompanist. He resides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with his wife, Elizabeth, and their son and daughter.

Bruce W. Tippette

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