These are compositions I have written using Sibelius Software. For more of my compositions and to download the sheet music (all free) go to https://sites.google.com/view/stevelockscompositions

Steve Locks Compositions

Orchestral Piece No.3 - String Soloists

Autumn Lift

This is the long melody from my Romance for violin and orchestra. Arranged here for violin and piano. Download the score for free from www.scoreexchange.com/scores/167702.html

Melody From Romance

Watch out for the loud start an the false ending!
I wrote this from 6th to 11th April 2015.

Merry Mischief For Orchestra

Romance For Violin And Orchestra

This is the first movement of my Piano Concerto No.1.
Edgy, tuneful, humorous and dramatic - what more could you want!

Piano Concerto No.1 - I. Andante Moderato

Piano Concerto No.1 - II. Largo

The third movement takes elements from the first movement, twists them, keeps up the momentum, tunefulness and edginess. It moves through drama, light and a moment of darkness, to end in a ripping finale.

Piano Concerto No.1 - III. Finale

March

This piece was written to follow "March".

Mystery

An early morning walk through fresh snow with expectation of a treat to come. Passes through different snowy scenes, a little shivering in the cold, then warm up as you pass into the sunlight. Ends with a great gallumping sleigh ride. You can get the score from http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/180348.html

Snowy Walk And Sleigh Ride

Romantic Melody For Violin And Orchestra

A movement for piano quartet (piano, violin, viola and cello) written 4-12th May 2016. The idea came from listening to my daughter's submission for her A-level music composition assessment (for those who don't know what A-level is, it's a school exam for ages 17-18) which was for this instrumental combination and impressed me with many things, but particularly intrigued me with her interesting string articulations (she's got grade 8 violin, whereas I only play the piano). So I've attempted to likewise put in detailed articulation and dynamics for my piece. I pinched the two semiquavers in the high skipping figure from my daughter (first heard in violin bar 13) which was just the start of a phrase she used that I liked, otherwise it's all my own work (I've only pinched 2 notes and an accent and the general inspiration!)
I've tried to develop the ideas. I usually find there is a balance to strive for between too little new material (can make a piece boring) or too much (can make it incoherent) so development is good, as are, I think, episodes interspersed between a theme (which is Rondo form of course). Nevertheless my chosen form of composition is pretty much have an idea, experiment with it then see what it suggests next (I can usually internally "hear" about 4 or 5 seconds ahead), write that bit, then see what I internally hear next. After that there is usually a lot of editing, sometimes moving passages around and about a quarter usually goes in the bin! I wondered if I should have a more formal approach, but I read Aaron Copland's "What to listen for in music" recently and his description of how people usually composed seemed almost exactly what I do. There's always more to learn of course, but the general principles seems to be pretty common.
I've tried to make it tuneful and rhythmic with much interplay between the instruments. I've also attempted to develop themes and motifs (even the opening warming note) - and to thicken the texture or tweak the chords when they return. There is also a little drama and repose interspersed. Originally this was a very short piece in ternary form - which is usually an easy form to write in (finishing at bar 69 with the material from the last bar), however I didn't feel this was long enough and needed some development. The current version is in the form:
- 4 bars intro (that warming initial note also gets used later)
- Theme 1 (bars 5-16)
- Theme 1 re-scored (bars 19-26). Note the held piano pedal under the light strings.
- 28-42 was the original middle section: Bars 28-30, just an element of a new theme which continues to a reworking of Theme 1 leading to a more agitated passage (38-42), some descending semiquavers leading to
- Theme 1 in a fuller treatment (43-69) that was the original end.
- 70-76, theme 2 element developed
- 76-84 agitation taking its springboard from the start of theme 1 figure.
- 84-98 repose, using the opening warming note as the axis of this passage
- 100-118 combines the agitated figure with the long warming notes, which is then foreshortened leading back to:
- 122-132 theme 1 rescored a little
- 133 -147 the figure from 28-30 now gets a fuller treatment combined with elements from theme 1
- 149-163 The rhythm from theme 1 and the semiquaver figures give rise to a more rhythmic and punchy section.
- 164-187 Four bars of wind down, then winding back up to the strenuous figure from 38-42 then working back up to:
- 188 to end: Final recap of theme 1 with fuller scoring and a slightly extended (and cheeky) ending. I particularly liked the effect of non-staccato viola against the staccatissimo violin and cello.

Movement for Piano Quartet

Music For Harp, Violin, Cello And Orchestra - Version 2 (2016)

Adagio 2 For Orchestra

Scherzando

Starts with a few drips, quickly gathers pace, then a downpour. Dies away as it started (reversing the pattern from the start). The sun comes out as the last of the raindrops drip off the foliage.

Rain

Finally I made a 60 second abridged, sped up and slightly re-orchestrated version for the 2017 60-seconds of scary music online competition.

Monster - 60 second version

After writing the violin, flute and piano version of this composition, I orchestrated it and added a slow introduction