M. Jackfert

Movement Two of the Canaan Valley Suite

MIDI performance by Matthew Jackfert.

Canaan Valley Suite: II. Satori (MIDI)

The third movement of the Canaan Valley Suite

Canaan Valley Suite: III. Blackwater (MIDI)

In the depths of Kanawha State Forest in Charleston, West Virginia, you’ll find an unassuming trail by the name of Polly Hollow. A veritable sea of green, this trail winds and bends underneath an arch of trees—broken by an occasional creek bed. Here one can find light and shadow, stillness and activity, solitude, but also companionship if one brings a friend: Polly Hollow is where I took my dog, Baxter, on our modest adventures.

This piece reflects the the departure and return form of a hike down Polly Hollow with moments of shadow and light and some occasional breathtaking views. Within the shadows you’ll find hidden a folk tune — “The Rejected Lover” warns trailgoers that nothing is forever, as the folk song says:

"For the leaves, they will wither, And the roots, they will decay; And the beauty of a fair maid Will soon fade away,
Oh, will soon fade away."

Finally, the piece returns to where it began, the head of the trail, but now we can finally see the light outside the tunnel of green.

Performance by the Montclaire String Quartet:
Anton Shelepov -- Violin I
Cristian Fatu -- Violin II
Bernard DiGregorio -- Viola
Andrea DiGregorio -- Cello

Polly Hollow for String Quartet

A short fantasy based on the Shaker tune, "Simple Gifts"

Simple Gifts Prelude For Piano

A short piece based on the theme to West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Inside Appalachia.

Mountain Rag

An arrangement of "Seal of the Seven Maidens" from Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Intro (Symphonic)

Matthew Jackfert (b. 1988), son of Jennifer Jackfert and the late Dr. Kent Jackfert, is a native of Charleston, WV. Jackfert holds undergraduate degrees of composition and Chinese studies from West Virginia University and his Masters in composition from the University of Texas in Austin. 

Currently, Jackfert works as a freelance composer as well as a composer and radio host with West Virginia Public Broadcasting.  
Jackfert’s “On the Shores of Qingdao” was a finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Awards. Also, his music has been featured on the national radio program “Performance Today” several times and has been featured on NPR's Morning Edition. Jackfert has been played by top orchestras like the Cleveland Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and more.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Intro (Symphonic)

MattJack