Dedicated to Denny Stong, Neven Stanisic, Rikki Olds, Tralona Bartkowiak, Suzanne Fountain, Teri Leiter, Eric Talley, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray, Jody Waters. 

Written in March of 2021, this was my raw emotional response to the shooting of the Kings Soopers on Table Mesa in Boulder. Although I did not know any of those who were killed, having this community that I have been a part of be so senselessly attacked brought feelings of grief that I couldn’t express anyway except through music. My deepest sympathies to the families of the slain. I can’t imagine your pain. 

Performed by Brian Lambert, saxophone, Nelson Walker, cello, Tyler McMaken, piano. Recorded and mixed by Nelson Walker.

King at Table

I wrote this for a friend's senior recital. Drogo is the patron saint of coffee and homely people. He made 9 or 10 pilgrimages from France to Rome. On his last trip he contracted an unsightly bodily affliction that made him so ugly he frightened others, so he became a hermit, staying in a small cell attached to the local Church for the rest of his life. Nobody knows why he is the patron saint of coffee. Performed by Danielle Valdez on violin, Drew Keeve on viola and Haley Slaugh on Cello. Written in 2016.

Pendulum 3/22/2017 Dress Rehearsal

Drogo's Trio; I. Hermit's Song; II. The Pilgrim's Dance

I wrote Rachel’s Lullaby at the request of my friend Brian Lambert after overcoming one of the longest-running cases of writer’s block I’ve ever had. After I had made several attempts to start the piece, I finally decided to go back and use a melody I had written at the beginning of my first year at school. The first melody, a barcarolle, was inspired by Charlotte’s Web from the 1973 animated film, Once Upon a December from 1997 film Anastasia, Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2 and the Coventry Carol. As I considered what to do for the middle section, I was trying to think of what I was trying to say in the piece overall. I realized that the first section was a lullaby to the unborn children, particularly those whose lives are lost to abortion. With that in mind, I felt that a chorale would fit well in the middle. 

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
And she would not be consoled,
Since they were no more.”
Matthew 2:18
Performed by Brian Lambert on tenor saxophone, Megan Hurley on horn and Cecilia Kao on piano. Written in 2016.

Brian Lambert's Recital

Rachel's Lullaby

Inspired by the plays of Shakespeare. Performed by the Ajax Quartet. Written in 2018.

Pendulum New Music; March 21st, 2018

Quartet No. 1; I. History

Quartet No. 1; II. Farce

Quartet No. 1; III. Tragedy

Inspired by the life of Saint Monica and her son Augustine. Silas Huff, conductor; Indigo Fischer, flute; Michael Ochoa, oboe; Rachel Wood, clarinet; Michelle Chen, bassoon; Cecilia Kao, piano; Esther Hou, violin; Jonathan Galle, violin; Thomas Maeda, viola; Libby Murphy, cello.Written in 2018.

Pendulum New Music; January 31st, 2018

Oratio Sanctae Monicae; III. Gratiarum Actio

Oratio Sanctae Monicae; II. Constacia

Oratio Sanctae Monicae; I. Inordinacio

Catacomb, the word given to underground cemeteries, was not always used to describe these things. It comes from the directions that were given to pilgrims seeking to visit the Cemeteries of San Callisto and San Sebastiano which were under a dip in the ground along the Appian Way in Rome. The term Catacomb comes from the Greek words Kata and Kymbe meaning under or near the hollow. St. Jerome in the 3rd century, compared the catacombs to descending into dark Hell. On my trip to the Catacombs of San Callisto, I did not identify with this description, maybe because I was surrounded by friends, or perhaps because of the modern addition of electric lights. Even so, I almost felt transported back to the time of martyrs and could feel the connection through the ages that we have to the early Christians. Writing this piece, I was inspired by how the timeless feel of Gregorian chant matches the timeless feeling I got in the catacombs. I used some existing chants, and wrote some of my own, mixing and combining them to create a meld between the ancient and the modern. Conducted by Carter Pann, performed by the Boulder Altitude Directive. Written in 2019

Under the Hollow

Written for Father Adam Bradshaw on the occasion of his first Mass.

Performed by Jonathan Galle, Brian Lambert and Benjamin Morrow. Recorded by Jonathan Galle.

Written in 2018

Ave Verum Corpus

Written for intermediate string orchestra. Read and recorded by the CU Symphony. Written in 2018.

N. Schneckenburger

Popular tracks