Orchestral Music

Growth of a composer

Romanza And Fugue For Strings

Ballade For Bassoon And Orchestra

Symphony In One Movement Final Audio

Attempt to understand techniques of Morton Feldman

Kairos

A short orchestral fantasy based on a Gregorian Easter hymn.

Perfect curtain warmer

Fantasy On Ad Coenam Agni For Orchestra

This piece was written 39 years ago as part of my composition portfolio for graduation at Berklee College of Music. I was seriously influenced by late romantic music including Mahler, Bruckner and Scriabin. The piece marries those sensibilities with expressionist harmonies from Berg, Bartok and particularly Bernard Herrmann.

The title is Scots Gaelic for Tragedy....because I like Scots Gaelic!

Bron Chluich; a Dramatic Poem

This was my first full orchestral piece. It was commissioned by the Cannon Valley Orchestra in 1980. I was 19. 

Each movement of the piece was inspired by a different early 20th century technique and composer. 
I. Brass Chorale - inspired by Stravinsky and using "wrong note" harmony. 
II. Nocturne - Inspired by Ives and using twelve note chords. Scored for strings and solo trumpet. 
III. Scherzo - inspired by Bartok (maybe too literally) and using modalism and more wrong note harmony.

Three Bagatelles For Orchestra

Pastorale for Mixed Ensemble Audio

Pavane for Mixed Ensemble Lento

Brass Quartet (1981)

Written in 1981, when I was 19 years old, this piece was commissioned by the Cannon Valley Orchestra in Rice Country Minnesota. It was the first larger scale composition I wrote and the beginning of my first stylistic period.

Bron Chluich; a Dramatic Poem

Christopher Gordon Forbes