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Hi all, A few weeks ago I posted a piece called Ninlil. I liked it too much to leave it just as a short piece stuck there all on its own. I always had the idea that it was a musical depiction of Ninlil, the Mesopotamian Goddess of the sky and in this incarnation, representing the wind. I started thinking of a suite of short pieces to represent various goddesses connected to the weather. So here is the second piece in the suite, "Elurra" . It's the Basque word for snow. The goddess in this case is Mari, La Dama de Murumendi. An ancient Basque goddess responsible for wintery weather. Here she is merrily making the world white. Hope you like it 😊 Listen to Elurra by Mark McDonald on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/p8syo

Hello! I don't post here much anymore, but I'm an older "Old Timer" from the early days of this community. I compose mostly in Classical style of the late 18th-early 19th Centuries. I've been extremely busy writing all kinds of stuff, but here is one of the best examples of my recent output, my Symphony No. 9 in C. This work was premiered by the Delano Chamber Orchestra, Wichita, Kansas, under the direction of Dr. Wesley DeSpain on February 5, 2023. I may post a link to the live performance once I figure out how to edit it down. In the meantime, here is a link to a YouTube scrolling score video with high quality electronic rendering. Details on this work: Composed: August 29, 2019 - July 22, 2021 at Austin. Scoring: Full Classical-period orchestra - 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in B-flat, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns (in C and G), 2 Trumpets in C, Timpani, Strings. Style: Classical, ca. 1790-1800. Duration: 33:30. I. Allegro maestoso (00:00) II. Andante sostenuto (08:00) III. Menuetto: Allegro brillante (16:25) IV. Vivace (22:55) - Electronic Rendering by Finale 26 music notation software "Human Playback" with NotePerformer 3 artificial intelligence assisted interpretation. I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think. Incidentally, the structural repeat in the last movement is optional, and was omitted at the premiere.

A short little carousel thingy I made up in the Sonar piano roll. Horsey go round and round. Cotton candy optional. -Rick

I am really happy you like the 1st movement! It was the weakest one in the MIDI version, but it ended up really cool live. The bass clarinet part with the singing is my favorite section of the whole piece. Sultan’s Parade was the direct project follow up to Toy Box Suite! This piece definitely could not have been what it was without learning about the keyboard percussion instruments/messing around in the toy box first! Isn’t the opening of Tiger Cave hype??? If this piece gets performed by a larger/stronger wind ensemble, there is a lot more room for brass to shine in the colors still. They played even a little shy for this performance, so I hope a different recording beefs the grass up enough to show you again. Thanks for listening and commenting 🙂

Thank you for this very interesting piece! I even didn't know that such difficult effects are possible for solo violin. In the music aspect your composition is interesting with its rhythm. The rhythm and the combinations of measures are very expressive and bright.

Good time of the day, Henry! I'm enjoyed your composition. Your melodies are some similar to Haydn's and Mozart's themes, but facture is some similar to inventions of Bach. Together it makes an interesting stylistic effect. It is really postmodernly. When I have been listening I thought that you played with music forms and melodic idioms. Something was like yours reflections about past music ages.

Hi Henry, What a lovely movement you've posted here. Let's jump into the comments/criticisms: From the first phrase I could tell that you're biggest influence when writing this piece was Beethoven. That's not a bad thing, just an observation. I found the constant quaver accompaniment in the first transition section a bit boring. Maybe vary it a little? That's all I can really comment on from this listen. Great piece. Hope to hear the next movement soon. Kind regards, Arjuna

Hi @Mark101, Very funny texture at the beginning with those tremolos in high register. It's like the snowing everywhere isn't it? Really I have nothing to say, except it is very difficult to play but you play it excellently! Thanks for sharing! Henry

Hi @Alexx, I like this piece!! That modulation to A minor in b.18 is quite unexpected! The Eb minor in b.24 is good as well. I love how you use the same melodic gesture and change the harmony there to swing between Eb minor and G minor, two octatonic related keys. B.32 it literally is a Doppio Movimento there. I love this section very much with more intensity both harmonically and contrapuntally. I really like everything between here and the return of the tonic key. The harmonic progression is mature yet very unexpected and varied, and the voice interaction is great! In b.163 I just feel like the tonic returns quite uneventfully and I hope there's a rhyme or reason for its return! Also the escaping minor nepolitan before the ending chord is quite off for me. But overall this is very enjoyable! For sure this is not a problem. I always write old fashioned music and I think they are even more old-fashioned than yours! Thanks for sharing! Henry

Wow, this wasn't what I expected at all for the innocuous title of Waltz in C. This is great!! Do you know Polyphia? Tim Hensen, one of the guitarists, mentioned something similar when writing a song. He copy pasted a section but accidently placed it a little too far, and it wound up sounding better. Accidents are one of our greatest assets, and how great for you that you capitalized on a mistake. Check it out if you're unaware, it's the second time on the Bm chord of the intro for the guitar part: Anyway, like I said, your piece is great. I get ragtime/super mario vibes when I hear this. I love the "just have fun with it" in the score too. I'll be sure to check out future posts by you, you've got a lot of talent. Feel free to offer discussion and critique as well! Thanks for sharing

A thoroughly enjoyable piece. And even if it can't actually be played fluently as is, I think it would make a great orchestration exercise. There is some very entertaining and well executed modal mixture and chromaticism in it. The next-to-last chord is especially spicy and crisp. The 10ths in the bass would be especially interesting to be orchestrated uniquely, as the 10th is often the next smallest interval besides the octave that can easily be voiced without sounding too muddy in the bass. I also like the many rising chromatic line cliches you execute throughout the piece. Thanks for sharing!

This was fun to listen to! I enjoyed the B section a lot. I would have loved it if it resolved around m. 40, but it is just a matter of preference because it flowed quite nicely to the next section hahaha. Like Henry pointed out, that left hand is insane. But overall very enjoyable. Thank you!

Hi @arpeggia, This is quite a funny waltz! Those flat notes and chords create funny effect. B.63 should have a triplet marking on it. B.58-60 and b.66 LH is literally quite unplayable with this tempo even playing an apreggio. Even without these bars the piece will be difficult to be played with lightness particularly in b.25-41. Thanks for sharing! Henry