This is a ballet score I wrote for a short choreography project with the Dance Department at Shenandoah Conservatory. 

The theme is "light on water", in three movements:

   1. Sun on Water
   2. Bioluminescent Waves
  3. Moon on Water

All are in the minimalist style, as requested by the choreographers, and scored for orchestral string section (violins, violas, cellos, basses). 

This is a MIDI realization.

(remastered 22 September 2017)

Shimmerings

This was a quick project to write a few variations on the "Ode to Joy" theme from Beethoven's 9th Symphony. It consists of 4 sections: "1. 'Ode to Joy' Theme", "2. Variation in the Style of Mozart", "3. Variation in the Style of Bach", "4. Variation in the Style of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'". This is a MIDI realization for piano.

(revised 06 October 2017)

Ode To Joy Variations

This is a live recording by the Aeolus Quartet from 24 October 2013.

Twenty-Eight is my reaction to the twenty-eight shooting deaths, including twenty young children, at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, on 14 December 2012. 

Its five movements trace the five stages of grief: (1) Denial, (2) Anger, (3) Bargaining, (4) Depression, and (5) Acceptance.

This composition was awarded an Honorable Mention for the William Averitt Prize in Composition for the year 2013.

(recording updated 23 September 2017)

Twenty-Eight - Aeolus String Quartet

This was a commission from the Shenandoah University Cantus Singers to portray works by women. The poem is "The Hawthorn Tree" by Willa Cather.

The Hawthorn Tree is a poem by Willa Cather (1783-1847),
pulitzer-prize winning author and journalist. She is well known
for her novels about the Great Plains (e.g., O Pioneers!), but
she was born in Gore, Virginia, a few miles west of Winchester.
She lived nearby for her first ten years, then moved with her
family to Nebraska, where she is a cultural icon. Her birthplace
is on Route 50 west of Winchester. There is an historical
marker on the highway, although the house itself is in disrepair.

THE HAWTHORN TREE
by: Willa Cather

Across the shimmering meadows–
Ah, when he came to me!
In the spring-time,
In the night-time,
In the starlight,
Beneath the hawthorn tree.

Up from the misty marshland
Ah, when he climbed to me!
To my white bower,
To my sweet rest,
To my warm breast,
Beneath the hawthorn tree.

Ask of me what the birds sang,
High in the hawthorn tree;
What the breeze tells,
What the rose smells,
What the stars shine–
Not what he said to me!

“The Hawthorn Tree” is reprinted from “April Twilights” 
by Willa Cather; published by The Gorham Press, Boston, in 1903.

This setting is modeled on the style of an English madrigal,
calling for restraint in dynamics, gentle lyricism, and clear
articulation of the text.

The Hawthorn Tree - Live

This is a bit of whimsy: a 16th century counterpoint setting of three songs: "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man", "Oh the Sailor's Life is the Life for Me", "Many Brave Hearts are Asleep in the Deep". It is also an experiment with a synthetic voice generator ("Alter/Ego" by Plogue Art et Technologie, Inc., Montreal, Canada) that will "sing" words and music input to it.

"I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" was written by Sammy Lerner, and published in "The Popeye Song Folio" by Popular Melodies (New York CIty, New York) in 1936, and served as the theme song for all of Paramounts "Popeye" cartoons from 1933 to 1957.

The "Sailor's Hornpipe" (also known as "College Hornpipe" or "Jack's the Lad") is a traditional hornpipe (sailor's dance) melody dating from at least the 18th century.

"Asleep in the Deep" ("Many Brave Hearts are Asleep in the Deep") was written by Arthur J. Lamb and Henry W. Petrie in 1897.

Sea Chant-y

This experimental solo piano piece is in minimalist style (therefore, "Mini Me"), but seems to convey the monotony of dystopian
 industrial-automated life, which gets faster and faster until it breaks down entirely.

Mini Me

This is a string transcription of my "Parody (homage) of Eric Satie's Gymnopedie #1. I thought it would sound nice as a string piece.

une gymnopédie pour cordes

Here's a one-minute sampler of music clips from films and videos that I rescored in 2016-2017.

Film Music Sampler 2017 - 07 - 25a Mix

Hymn for Holy Thursday/Maundy Thursday telling the story of the Agony in the Garden and arrest of Jesus, based on the Gospel of Mark, 14:32-50. 

The vocal parts are emulated by the Plogue “Alter/Ego” real-time singing synthesizer.

Words and Music Copyright © 2019 Steven K. Sanford, all rights reserved.
 
 
Gethsemane
------------------

Stay here while I pray, do not slumber
I am deeply grieved, e'en to death.
Stay here, keep awake, pray you will not
come into the time of the trial.

Stay here with Me, stay here with Me.

Abba, Father, can this hour pass Me?
Take this cup from Me, I'm distressed.
All for You can be, yet You ask Me.
Not My will be done, but Your will be.

Stay here with Me, stay here with Me.

Simon Peter are you asleep now?
You can't stay awake for one hour?
Keep alert and pray, for the spirit
willing is, but yet is the flesh weak.

Stay here with Me, stay here with Me.

He went off and prayed to the Father.
Peter, James, and John fell asleep.
Heavy were their eyes, they were dumbstruck,
when the Lord returned to arouse them.

Stay here with Me, stay here with Me.

Do you take your rest, are you sleeping?
Now has come the hour, I'm betrayed.
Son of Man is giv'n to the sinners.
Now at hand you see My betrayer.

Stay here with Me, stay here with Me.

Judas came to Jesus and kissed Him.
Armed with clubs and swords, they laid hands
on the One that Judas called Rabbi.
They arrested Him like a bandit.

Stay here with Me, stay here with Me.

Daily did I teach in the temple.
I was there, but you did not seek
to arrest me then, yet you come here.
Scripture's now fulfilled, all have fled Me.

Stay here with Me, stay here with Me.

Gethsemane

An original arrangement of the seven verses of the traditional Advent hymn, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", with a jazz piano prologue. Four of the verses (1, 3, 5, 7) are 4-part choral modal realizations of the theme with piano accompaniment, while the other three verses (2, 4, 6) are simplified plainchant.

Sheet music available.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

- Lifelong Composer
- Retired Engineer / Project Manager 
- Academics, Career, & Awards: BS Electrical Engineering (1973), MS Industrial Administration (1975), US Army Officer (1975-1979), IT Professional (1969-2011), Project Management Professional (2003-2011), BM Composition (2015), MFA Composition (2017)

Steven K Sanford

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