Devotional Music
Notes: A piece in three movements: (1) Peace - the purity, peacefulness and wholeness of Eden; (2) Evil - something sick creeps into Eden; (3) The Fall - the original sin; (4) Banishment - realisation of the magnitude of the consequence of temptation and loss at being banished from Eden.
Composed: 2020.
Instruments: String orchestra with solo trombone and solo alto clarinet.
Notes: A trilogy of short pieces based on Paul the Apostle’s comments in a 1 Corinthians: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Each piece stands alone, but they are all linked thematically and musically and should be listened to in the order Faith, Hope and Love (because of the evolution of the instruments used in each successive piece).
Composed: 2025.
Instruments: Oboe concerto - string orchestra with solo oboe.
Notes: A trilogy of short pieces based on Paul the Apostle’s comments in a 1 Corinthians: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Each piece stands alone, but they are all linked thematically and musically and should be listened to in the order Faith, Hope and Love (because of the evolution of the instruments used in each successive piece).
Composed: 2025.
Instruments: String orchestra with solo oboe and solo trumpet.
Theme: A trilogy of short pieces based on Paul the Apostle’s comments in a 1 Corinthians: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Each piece stands alone, but they are all linked thematically and musically and should be listened to in the order Faith, Hope and Love (because of the evolution of the instruments used in each successive piece).
Composed: 2025.
Instruments: String orchestra with solo oboe, solo trumpet and SATB choir.
Notes: Minimalist piece reflecting that Truth is always there, often obscured with dissention (disharmony), never in a hurry to prove itself, not always comfortable to accept and completely indifferent to opinions; but after all is said and done and all lies have disintegrated, Truth prevails. “Truth is truth to the end of reckoning” (Shakespeare, Measure for Measure).
Composed: 2021.
Instruments: Piano concerto - string orchestra and piano.
Notes: Full title is The Tower of Babel. The exigent need of some people to play god by frenetically spending vast amounts of effort, energy and money to create something that contributes little or nothing to society or humanity but which is in fact nothing more than a public display of their egos; and notwithstanding that whatever they create will inevitably crash to the ground eventually anyway.
Composed: 2024.
Instruments: Strings with piano, semi-acoustic guitar, drum set and synthesizer.
Notes: When you think you’re pretty good (at whatever) and God (or Life or Fate, if you prefer) intervenes to show you that you’re not as good as you think and have some learning to do.
Composed: 2022.
Instruments: String quartet.
Notes: A reflection on the nature of contrition - not so much guilt and sorrow for a misdeed, but genuine remorse that one is the kind of person who would choose to do a misdeed.
Composed: 2021.
Instruments: Piano concerto - string orchestra and piano.
Notes: Soulful expression of gratitude to God for His grace. Variations on a theme.
Composed: 2021.
Instruments: String orchestra with solo oboe.
Notes: Based on a quote by Paul the Apostle: “For now we see through a glass, darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12) about only being able to see a dim image of God; but the idea can apply to any deep idea. No matter how hard we look, we only ever catch glimpses of the truth, never quite the whole truth.
Composed: 2021.
Instruments: String quartet - 2 violins, viola and violoncello.
Notes: A polyphonic (each instrument has its own independent melody, all blending to create a sound that’s bigger than the sum of its parts) dialogue with a deliberately ambiguous title – wanting love from God or giving your love to God, whatever you feel at the moment.
Composed: 2019.
Instruments: Trumpet, violin and violincello.