My arrangement of the traditional Assyrian Wedding Song "Hay Moyyalan" for orchestra and traditional instruments.

In some ways, this piece is an homage to Geoff Knorr, the composer behind the Civilization 6 game. As a huge fan of the Civilization franchise, especially as a musician, I came to this arrangement as an exercise to imagine what the Assyrian theme would be when playing the game.

Assyrian Wedding Song

"Letter to Oglethorpe," an aria from the new opera, Alice Ryley, by Michael Ching.

Linda Boianova, piano.
Recorded Live: 9/2015
Firstfruits Music.

"Letter To Oglethorpe" from Alice Ryley By Michael Ching. : LIVE RECORDING

LOVE WILL LIGHT THE NIGHT

A plea for comity. And my harmonica playing debut. Music and Lyrics by Michael Ching. Recorded by Tim Hildebrandt. 

What the fuss was all about

Scene iv:    past, city park- Ben, Beth
Beth finds Ben sitting on a bench in the rain.  At first he wont talk to her.  Then he asks why people don't care about each other (Why cant we feel the rain?).  Finally he says, I have AIDS.  Beth tries to comfort him

Out of the Rain 4

Elena Nikolaidi sings and aria from Weber's Euryanthe

1 Audio Track

Music and Lyrics by Michael Ching 2020

(Verse) Seems like every journey has its ups and downs
Incidents of road rage 
Annoying freeway clowns
It’s a wonder that we made it
It’s a wonder we survived
I’m so glad that we’ve arrived
At Exit 45

(Chorus) Exit 45, I wasn’t sure we’d get there
Exit 45...
I’m gonna set right here
And drink a beer
And hug my neighbor 
At Exit 45
(Verse)	Every trip will have its share of slip ups
Windshield dings
And directions you can mess up
We’ve been on a detour
Down a rocky, dangerous road
But finally we’ve figured out
There’s another way to go

(Repeat Chorus)

(Bridge)	We never should have gone this way
But hopefully we’ll be okay
And never travel down this road again
(Last chorus)	Exit 45
I wasn’t sure we’d get there
I’ve been biding my time
Hoping that we’d get there
Now I’m gonna set right here
And drink a beer
Hug my neighbor 
Hold em dear
And shout a cheer
At Exit 45

EXIT 45

Michael Ching is an opera composer/librettist, songwriter, and conductor. His opera SPEED DATING TONIGHT! has had over a hundred forty productions since its 2013 premiere. It is constantly being expanded and this is the place to hear the demos of new dater songs. This summer, Savannah Voice Festival will premiere his opera CINDERELLA'S ROYAL FEAST, a sequel to Rossini's opera. In 2024, the University of South Dakota-Vermillion premiered his opera, NOTES ON VIARDOT. It has subsequently been performed by Arizona State University and On Site Opera. His other sequel--to Puccini's GIANNI SCHICCHI is BUOSO'S GHOST. BUOSO is published by E.C. Schirmer Classical and has been performed by the Florida Grand Opera, Detroit Opera, OperaDelaware and several other companies. In 2020, the University of Alabama commissioned and premiered his opera RSBE. It is now on its sixth production. In 2018-19 high school students in Palm Springs premiered his opera, THRIVERS. His opera about Grant Wood, EIGHT WOODS AND A VAN, premiered at Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre.  Michael has written four one act operas for Savannah Voice Festival, including ALICE RYLEY and ANNA HUNTER, both about Savannah. Michael developed confidence in his ability to write words by trying to write songs. His favorite composer is George Gershwin. 

Most of these files are working files here for reference by the commissioning and producing organizations that Michael works with. There are also some singer-songwriter songs.

EXIT 45

Michael Ching

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