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

I composed this piece for my mom for her last birthday on July 31. It was intended to be an instrumental commentary on the challenges and victories we faced as she battled AML (leukemia). I am very sad to share that she passed away on December 31, ten months after diagnosis and eighteen months after my dad passed away. 

I had bought her a nice set of wind chimes for Christmas, but she passed away before I had a chance to give them to her. They hang on my back porch and I can hear her presence from time to time. I took these chimes into the studio and recorded them to add to the original rendition of this song. I think they add a very special touch to the piece.

Music has been a way for me to deal with the situation and the range of emotions that continue to fluctuate. I hope that you enjoy this piece and think of anyone that you know and love that are facing adversity.

Hope (Revised 12.31.21)

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)

This makes the third year I have composed a piece for Brennan's (my son) birthday. It is fun to write new pieces that challenge him to grow as well. Brennan has his best buddy, a stuffed animal creatively named "Bear" that has been with him since before birth. This piece was composed for bear and features a main theme that follows B-E-A-Re. Yes, the piece is in G major, but just go with me and think of R as Re in the key of C.

A Lullaby for Bear

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)

As The Vessel Emerges From The Fog

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

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)

Libera Me

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

Gentle Memories

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)

The Symphony of the Mountains (Kingsport, TN) and conductor Cornelia Laemmli Orth perform Donald Sorah and Roy Crawford's orchestral edition of "The Trestle Tree" on Monday, June 26, 2023 in Banner Elk, NC.

Music Copyright DSorah Music
Music Distributed by Cane River Music

The Trestle Tree (Symphony of the Mountains performance at Banner Elk)

Live recordings from the Summer 2023 Winds of the Mountain Empire concert.

In the Shadow of Pines (Dan Boothe)

Canticle (Donald Sorah)

Evolution (Donald Sorah)

The Star-Spangled Banner (arr. George Naff)

The Winds of the Mountain Empire present their 2023 Winter Holiday Concert.

Recordings mixed and mastered by Donald Sorah.

Sleigh Ride

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

A Home Alone Christmas

Blue Christmas

Holiday Piece

Ice Crystals

The Eighth Candle

O Magnum Mysterium

Patapan

Angels Of Joy

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.

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