A composition using the Alev Lenz 3 sample library with harmon mute trumpet.

Dispute (#alevlenzsparkcompetition)

Christmas Memories

This score uses Orchestral Tools Berlin Series Sample Libraries.

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly #12ScoresOfChristmas

Year of the Tiger begins very modest with a simple unison melody in strings and transforms to an epic orchestration after building through a middle section that indicates growth and empowerment.

Year of the Tiger

Sparks was inspired and solely recorded using the Pianobook Chapters Piano library.

To find out more about the project, how you can get involved and to download the 'Spring Piano' and many more free pianos visit
www.pianobook.co.uk

Sparks (Pianobook Chapters Piano Demo)

Death of The Favored Emperor

This composition was created using Emotive Living Room Upright, a free sample instrument made by Morgan Fator. You can download this sample pack from Morgan Fator's Pianobook page.

Regression

Royal Flush (Soft Steinway Demo Version)

Composed in the days leading up toward Independence Day in the United States, this peace is a musical wish to the world. The title was taken from a quote from Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Prize winner in 2014. "Let us bring equality, justice, and peace for all. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me. You. It is our duty."

Equality, Justice, and Peace for All

A waltz for solo piano in a melancholy mood.

Melancholy Waltz

As he drifts off, the pathway to success is revealed.

Daydream Epiphany

In the summer of 2020, in the midst of COVID, I desperately felt like I needed to write something joyful. So I started writing, and after about 24 measures, I had this terrible feeling - not uncommon for composers - that maybe the piece I was writing had already been written. And in this case, I feared that I had just plagiarized Frank Ticheli.

I sent the opening to Frank, who was incredibly gracious in his response. He said that he had NOT written this tune - although it’s clear to anyone that he could have. This is a Ticheli-esque tune if ever I had written one!

It turns out that if I think “let’s write 3 minutes of joyful fun,” my brain jumps to “you mean Ticheli but with an excessive amount of snare drum and a few extra ‘wrong’ notes.”

WME 2022 "Home Grown"

Let Me Be Frank With You (John Mackey)

The Winds of the Mountain Empire held their sixteenth annual summer concert on Sunday, July 17. These are the audio recordings from that concert.

Trestle Tree (Donald Sorah & Roy Crawford)

While this particular piece was not written to any actual movie scene, the inspiration for this piece came from scenes in war movies where the battle has ended, and a few surviving soldiers sorrowfully make their way across the battlefield, looking for other survivors of their horrific experience. A hymn, no longer inspirational or pushing toward victory, emerges as the remaining few mourn the loss and destruction of their cause.

Mourning Hymn (Steve Sensenig)

Southwest Virginia Portrait Mvmt. III (Jason Bailey)

On Wings Of The Morning (George Naff)

And The Home Of The Brave (Jason Griffith)

Libera Me

A Grade 2.5-3 composition premiered by the Sullivan County Junior All-County Band on November 19, 2022 with the composer conducting.

Evolution

An original composition for orchestra transcribed for Grade 4 Concert Band that offers a sense of optimism and hope.

In December of 2021, one of Santa’s elves decorated a small pine tree in Whitesburg, Kentucky. The site was a trestle that had been abandoned by the railroad many years prior. In recent years this trestle, which was originally double-tracked, had been made part of an exercise trail on one side. The other side had grown up in weeds and small trees. There is a fence on either side of the exercise trail, so the elf must have thought it would be a good choice of locations since it would be seen by many, but separated so that it wouldn’t be tampered with.

The mystery of how the decorations appeared and the novelty of its being outdoors caused its popularity to grow. One man took a picture of it to send to his grandchildren. A woman who had never personally seen the tree, saw a picture of it on social media and had a friend render it in watercolor. That painting now hangs in city hall.

The elf probably never expected that the tree would become an inspiration to many because of the fact that it grows out of a rotten railroad tie rather than the ground. However, now it is commonly thought of as a triumph of perseverance over adversity.

In early March, a leprechaun added green tinsel with small shamrocks to help prepare us for Saint Patrick’s Day. Unfortunateley, after heavy snows the tree was lying almost flat on the ground, worrying some that the decorations were harmful to its survival. However, when the snow melted the tree would resurrect triumphantly.

Roy Crawford shared some original themes (the A and B sections of the completed work) with Donald Sorah in the Spring of 2022, commissioning a Grade III-IV composition for wind ensemble to be premiered with the KYVA Winds (Dr. Jason Griffith, director) in Whitesburg, just a few yards front the Trestle Tree itself on June 21.

The Trestle Tree (University of Louisville Symphonic Band Performance)

Composed using Soft Nylon Guitar, Soft String Textures, The Feathered Flute, and Hearth and Hollow sample libraries from Pianobook and Spitfire Audio.

Gentle Memories

We Three Kings (String Quintet)

The First Noel as one might experience in a cathedral on Christmas Eve.

The First Noel (Cathedral Edition)

Rhapsody on In The Bleak Midwinter (String Orchestra+Percussion)

Solstice Song

Smart - Sounding Music (Documentary Style Video Underscore)

Wind and Brass sections added to the original work for strings and percussion. It is my intent that the string and percussion sections can live on their own but the addition of winds and brass add another dimension to the work. Lots of flexibility for performance.

In The Bleak Midwinter (Full Orchestra)

Three of these pieces were written many years ago. The newest - Lo, How a Rose - was finished up a couple weeks ago and is actually supposed to be for trombone trio, but I also wanted to add it to my collection so I recorded it on trumpet. Her version will be recorded this weekend.

Advanced Christmas Trios: I. Ding Dong Merrily On High (1993)

Advanced Christmas Trios: III. Angels We Have Heard on High (1993)

Fresh out of Logic today, this contemplative arrangement was created using EWQL and NI libraries. It was my first experiment with writing text for the Symphonic Choirs to sing. Pretty impressive technology, I think. 

This version is very dark and represents the world as we await the coming of Jesus.

O Come O Come Emmanuel (2020)

A few weeks ago, Kelly told me that Lo, How a Rose was one of her mom’s favorite Christmas carols. I thought that I would create another trio arrangement to add to my selection of Christmas trios. As I was arranging, I had a bit of Bach come into my head, thus the third variation of the tune. I hope you enjoy my wife’s lovely trombone trio rendition of Lo, How a Rose.

Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming - Trombone Trio(2020)

Donald Sorah is Associate Professor of Music at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise where he teaches courses in music technology, composition, trumpet performance, orchestration, conducting, music education, and jazz. 

Dr. Sorah is a composer who writes in a variety of styles from traditional chamber and orchestral works to chamber music and music for media. 

Dr. Sorah is a member of the Symphony of the Mountains and Johnson City Symphony. He has taught and performed throughout Europe and South America. He also is the founder and conductor of Winds of the Mountain Empire. 

His credentials include a bachelor of music education degree, a master of music in trumpet performance, and a PhD in music education.

Donald W. Sorah

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks