Seven Minute Distraction

[mcelvogue]

Hi,

   I haven't posted for a while but along my learning path I keep getting distracted. Whilst working through binary form compositions I started this piece last September and ended up developing the main composition into a longer piece including a choral section at the beginning. Whilst I enjoy what happens and where it goes and it seems to work musically for my head I'm not convinced it doesn't need some major surgery in terms of the structure but I have decided to call to a halt the endless re-writes that have plagued my ears for the last month or so.

Most of the time has been spent on trying to continue to learn about harmony and in particular string writing hence most of the piece consists of chamber strings.

I'd appreciate your comments/opinion on sections that you feel don't work or are particularly bad (or good if I'm lucky enough) in terms of counterpoint and string writing/arranging.

https://soundcloud.com/mcelvogue/tmcbinaryformattempt032

Regards,

      Tom

[Jos Wylin]

Hi Tom,

I was intrigued by your composition and listened it through. The choral start is very promising, later taken over by the harpsichord and the chamber strings. In itself a good idea, but you keep fiddling (!) with the same phrase over and over again without much variation. It looks like a study with the material. If it is meant that way, it is a decent attempt. But you should go further: adding a second theme, a countertheme, transitions, modulations... to make it thrilling.

Then there is the chamber strings sound. I don't know how you used them, but they sound so mechanical, like an organ and sometimes not string-like. Did you use a DAW or a notation program (or both)? The harpsichord is all right, the choir also. But with the strings, there's some work to do as tro their natural sound. They do sound good even when not processed in any way.

Thanks for sharing

Max

[William]

The theme is good, maybe it should modulate for variation.  I thought the choir sounds should have longer tails and/or more reverb. 

I also liked "A Little Distraction" - a good short piece that sounded like it could be part of a period film score.

What is the story on those Irish pieces of "The Long Hard Road"?  A lot of that stuff is fantastic.  Are those arrangements of traditional Irish folk music or original pieces?

[mcelvogue]

Hi Max, William,

[William]

You have a valuable resource in your familiarity with Irish folk music, which is such a great tradition.

[mcelvogue]

Hi William,

Thanks again. I’m just downloading your latest tracks from CD Baby (Concert March for Band, Star Harbor, Age of Light: Symphonic Poem and Song of the Forest). I hadn’t realised you’d released more music. Hope it’s all going well for you and I’m excited to be listening to these tonight. I remember how moving I found your “Chivalry” and “Shadows of the Soul” albums and thoroughly enjoyed listening to how it’s done by a master. Congratulations on these new releases. From the previews I heard I didn’t need to think twice.

[William]

Thanks  Tom!

[greystorm]

Hallo tom..

i love this melody... maybe any woodwinds... but it is perfect..

grey

[mcelvogue]

Thanks grey,

I did have some flute, clarinet and oboe lines in an earlier version I was working on. I couldn't work out how or what I wanted them to do so I left them out for the moment. I'm sure I will re-introduce them in my next version. Based on this one, that'll be in another 8 months! This started out as a stylistic copy whilst learning 18th century counterpoint and to that end, I was trying to be careful not to do anything out of context. Over time, I relaxed on that as can be seen from this version but I really wanted to close it out so I could then review and re-write based upon feedback and also allowing some time for myself to forget it and look again with fresh eyes and ears.

Regards,

       Tom