Seasons

Concert Works

Excelsior

So, I decided to make an arrangement of Eric Whitacre's The Stolen Child for orchestra. This was done because it's one of my absolute favorite compositions of his and it was a great way for me to test out my new samples. Now the original features a male sextet, so instead I replaced that with (in score order), an English horn, clarinet, French horn, cello, trombone, and bass clarinet. Enjoy!!!

The Stolen Child (orchestral arrangement)

Sunset Betrayal

Begin the Ancient Ritual

Rangers on Patrol

To the Escape Pods!

Battle of the Dark Lords

The Cradle of Civilization

Identity

A New Dawn and End Credits

Whispers in the Rain

Beyond the Horizon

Rangers on the Run

Summer is the first movement of Seasons and portrays the jubilance and joy of the summer season. This was recorded live in Hatch Recital Hall at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY on July 8th, 2016. 

Seasons-Summer (Live @ Eastman)

Autumn is the second movement of Seasons and it portrays the introspective melancholy and nobility of autumn. This was recorded live in Hatch Recital Hall at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY on July 8th, 2016.

Seasons-Autumn (Live @ Eastman)

This is a live recording of my arrangement of Game of Thrones for saxophone ensemble. It not only includes the main theme, but several important ancillary themes as well, such as: "The Rains of Castamere," "The North Remembers," and "Mhysa."

Game of Thrones-Saxophone Ensemble (Live)

Performed by KC Vitas, conducted by Jackson Thomas.

Isaiah 62 2-3:
The nations shall see your righteousness,
And all the kings your glory,
And you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord shall give.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

The Nations Shall See

Julian Velasco, tenor saxophone Liz Ames, piano
Live at the 2019 International Navy Band Saxophone Symposium
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In January, my dear friend Julian Velasco and I sat down for lunch at an In N' Out to discuss the details of this commission. After confirming the instrumentation for the work, Julian and I delved into the subject matter of the piece. The previous summer, Julian had spent some time with composer David Maslanka, studying, meditating, and performing his works for him. During that time, Julian had also interviewed Maslanka his beliefs regarding life, music, religion, etc. and transcribed the interviews.

The interview that Julian brought to me at our meeting was a question that he had posed to Maslanka in regards to why he chose to write music that represented "good and light" with "low energy" and "evil and darkness" with "high energy." In response, Maslanka stated that the way to solve the problems of this world wasn't to fight darkness with more darkness, but rather for goodness and light to simply persist in spite of it. And with that sentiment in mind, I began my work on the piece.

During the course of the commission, David Maslanka passed away in August 2017 which lead me to dedicate Meditation to his memory, as well as altering the course of the musical narrative that I had been charged to write. While the content of the original interview was still the framework of the piece, I made it a point to truly embody and honor what I felt characterized Maslanka's music: the deep serenity and open harmonies, the simplicity and depth of his melodies, and how every note that he wrote had a purpose and said something of worth. This project was a true pleasure to undertake and while I certainly felt the weight of how substantial the subject matter of the piece was, I was incredibly honored by the trust of my friend to see this work realized.

Meditation for Tenor Saxophone and Piano

Dax Avery, piano
Kelly Gembara, violin
Max Hanks, cello

Spectrum of Light

Performed by the Hartt Omni-Ensemble, conducted by Glen Adsit in Lincoln Theater on November 1st, 2019.

“The sun is God.” These final words of Joseph Mallard William Turner (1775-1851) before his passing are the perfect encapsulation of his groundbreaking style and aesthetic. Turner was one of Britain’s greatest painters and arguably one of the first painters to experiment with impressionism. His detailed and nuanced shadings of color and striking vistas in his paintings, the seascapes in particular, have held a lasting impression on me. After being approached by Glen Adsit to write a wind ensemble work for the Hartt Wind Ensemble, I began developing the initial framework for the project. The idea of writing music around Turner’s works and portraying the mysterious mysticism, foreboding terror, and vibrant brilliance of the ocean within the various movements immediately enraptured me, and eventually, the piece became Seascapes: Symphony for Wind Ensemble.

Prelude: “Fishermen at Sea” portrays the vibrancy and mystery of the ocean. The clarinet cadenza at the beginning serves to introduce the main melodic motive of Seascapes, in addition to representing the fishermen’s journey out to sea. As the woodwind texture thickens, the fishermen discover the brilliance of the ocean as well as its mystery. The nocturnal foreboding of the seascape takes hold as the brass enter and the waves swell higher. Foreboding gives way to hope when the orchestration lightens to a soprano saxophone solo followed by a harp solo. The movement ends with the onset of a coming storm, as the sense of mystery and foreboding returns before the band fades out.

I. Prelude: "Fishermen at Sea"

Performed by the Hartt Omni-Ensemble, conducted by Glen Adsit in Lincoln Theater on November 1st, 2019.

“The Slave Ship” portrays the terror and danger of the ocean. Narratively, this movement follows the inspiration of the painting. In 1781, the captain of the slave ship Zong ordered 133 sick and infirm slaves to be thrown overboard in order to collect on the insurance money, rather than try to sell “damaged goods.” The typhoon in the background of the painting is heard in the foreboding bass drum and tam-tam rolls. The rhythmic clanking of chains and mournful melody heard throughout the movement embody the atmosphere aboard the slave ship. As the melody keeps cycling and the texture thickens, the sound of slaves wailing as they fall into the ocean grows louder and more frequent. After the horrific realization of the chaos above deck, the band softens once more, singing the main melody to mourn the begotten souls committed to the deep, while the wailing of seagulls and the drowning can be heard in the background.

II. "The Slave Ship"

Performed by the Hartt Omni-Ensemble, conducted by Glen Adsit in Lincoln Theater on November 1st, 2019.

“Snow Storm-Steam boat off a Harbour’s Mouth” is the most formal of the movements. Using the painting as a guide, I wanted to create a distinction between the chaos and horizon-blurring of the storm in the painting in comparison with the dark, industrial nature of the steamship in the center of the painting. The ocean and storm are characterized by densely textured woodwinds and a more ambiguous sense of time and pulse. While the steam ship is very straightforward, brass and percussion heavy, and liberal use of the anvil for emphasis. Over the course of the work, the two characters combine with great fanfare and culminate in a grand unison fanfare.

III. "Snow Storm-Steam boat off a Harbour's Mouth"

Sarah Lonsert, soprano Elisabeth Tomcyzk, piano. Performed and recorded in Berkman Recital at The Hartt School.

Asher Yatzar was the brainchild of my friendship with Sarah Lonsert. Having wanted the opportunity to collaborate with her for quite some time, we found a text that would be a fun challenge for me as well as something meaningful for her. The text itself is a Hebrew prayer that is based on the body and the wonderful mystery in which we were created. The music is set to match by being rhythmic, bouncy, and never quite settling within a groove.

Asher Yatzar

Saxophonist, composer, educator, Joseph David Spence has made a name as an advocate for the saxophone in the concert hall and in his own compositions.  As the son of a film composer, Joseph David Spence’s compositional voice is rooted in musical storytelling told through a contemporary harmonic and aesthetic lens and is influenced by the great film and concert music composers of our time. Spence’s music has been performed throughout the United States by such ensembles as the Donald Sinta Quartet and KC VITAs. His main teachers include Gilda Lyons, Robert Carl, Larry Alan Smith, David Macbride, and Mark Edward Lewis.

Joseph David Spence

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