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Hi I am Henry. This is the first year I have joined YC. What a fruitful year this is! I am very grateful to have accidentally joined YC and have the chance to see many great composers and works here, which are in different styles, and through reviewing and communicating I think I have made some progress too. Also I get a chance to share my own works here. It’s hard to have fellow musicians to give you advice if it’s not performed in real life. Deepest gratitude to our boss Mike @chopin, since without his persistence (and paying the fee LoL) YC won’t become the oldest forum still existing now. I have basically reviewed most of the pieces in the forum during this year. I have recently cut down some of the reviewing numbers but hopefully will keep on doing this. What I want to do here is to feature some of the pieces that are the most memorable for me. I will do the orchestral music list first and later the chamber and solo keyboard ones. I will only select 1 work from each composer in each category to feature more members with different styles. I am more inclined to longer works since I tend to love longer works more (and I myself compose longer works if not overly long LoL). The pieces included here are those I have reviewed before, so they are not necessarily posted within this year. Pieces that are included here of course do not mean that they are not great pieces, since the pieces here are more to my personal taste. And of course there will be many past great pieces that I have missed here. I will only write down some brief sentences on each of them, as I have already provided my reviews on their respective posts and you may check their wonderful music via the link!! The order is ranked not in terms of how good the pieces are, but what is more memorable to me since they are included chronologically to my brain’s memory to the works. Orchestral 1. @PeterthePapercomPoser's Suite for Strings This one is simply my favourite piece on YC this year, and is undoubtedly my personal no.1 piece. Just listen to the Postlude and I cry every time to it. Sublime in a simple and direct way and you see a beautiful and honest soul here. 2. @gmm's Symphony no.1 mov.1 I am fighting between this one and his suites. If I don’t limit myself to choose only one work from each composer, all of his works will be included here with his masterful orchestration. I choose this one since it’s longer, structurally more complex and chronologically more recent. Hope you will post more frequently! 3. @Thatguy v2.0 's What the Ocean Knows A great depiction of the ocean here with great quartal and unstable harmony, while at the same time shows how powerful the ocean is. Don't blame me for digging your old posts out LoL bro. 4. @Camfrtt's Piano Concerto in C minor I include only the movement three here, since the posts have all 3 movements attached in it. This one is simply a sublime Rachmaninoffian romantic piece which displays great piano virtuosic skills, melodic writing and harmonic progression. Also featured in Mike's video on melodic writing. You are so young and hope you compose more! 5. @Left Unexplained's Odyessey Such an accomplished piece. Again, all of his orchestral pieces deserve spot here, but only limited by my requirement. His pieces are always full of imaginative orchestral colour. Hope you will post more frequently too! 6. @Quinn's Music for Orchestra 14 - (Approx 5 1/2 minutes) Great orchestral colour with klangfarbenmelodie technique used. I choose this one over the Sun one simply because this work is more recent. 7. @Krisp's Lucid REM and Reached Alert It’s hard to choose between this one and the Nightfall Fugitive or the Gravedigger one. They are all in unique dark style with very colourful orchestration and harmonies. I choose this one simply because two pieces are included here so you may enjoy one more piece! 8. @WowBroThatWasReallyEdgy’s The Tortoise and the Hare This is the winning piece of the Tortoise and the Hare competition and you know why. Great descriptive piece to depict the two protagonists. 9.. @Ferrum's Adventure This is the winning piece of the Bits to Bangers Competition. @Ferrum just transforms the 8 bit melody out of nowhere, from banality to sublimity, from ore to score (yup this is one of the name I think that will fit for the competition but banned LoL). All the color change are creative and the materials are all from that 8 bit melody. 10. @Schorninator's Symphony no.8, 4th movement This one is just a beautiful tone poem, even though the form may be less noticeable. I will continue with the selection of the chamber pieces and solo keyboard pieces later. I force myself to 10 pieces here, otherwise I may include much more than this! P.S. Don’t forget to watch Mike’s video for the announcement of the Dreamscapes result!!:

Next I will have the chamber pieces here: 1. @Thatguy v2.0's Verdant Dawn This piece is so vivid at depicting the dawn, and it serves as the main inspiration of my own Wind Quintet. The quartal harmony also inspires my own String Sextet. 2. @Jean Szulc's String Octet This piece is just a powerful display of rhythmic power. The quartal harmony and idiomatic strings writing are amazing too! Another inspiration for my own String Sextet. 3. @Sean Brown's Romance in D major for violin and piano This is such a virtuosic showpiece. I don't see any piece as vituosic as this one and Sean plays the violin part himself!!! 4. @Krisp's "Nocturne", for Harp, solo strings, choir, clarinet and voice. I choose this one over his late Crépuscule d'automne since this one features even more timbre here, but both are excellent and unique, especially with Jean's own rich and mellow singing! 5. @Gwendolyn Przyjazna's Violet for Saxophone Quartet This one is such a magical piece full of film noir mood. Such a delicious piece for the ear. 6. @Ivan1791's Una noche de primavera (A Spring Night) Such an emotional deep piece with Ivan's spectacular benighted style! Of course Ivan plays the piano part. 7. @Eickso's Toy Box Suite Such an impressive piece featuring the percussion instruments and Evan's aleatoric style well fit with the timbre here! 8. @PeterthePapercomPoser's Variations for Wind Trio in Bb minor There'a no way the king of variations in this site is not featured here with one of his variations. I choose this one over his London Bridge one or the Wind Trio in Gb major one, simply because I love this one more LoL... (wait I forget that the London Bridge is a piano work rather a chamber piece...) 9. @jawoodruff's String Quartet This one can be hard to get into in the first place, but as Jason has said it IS indeed very serious, and here you will see mature chamber writing! 10. @dhslamas's Variações Seresteiras(Woodwind quintet) This one is unforgettable even though I remember it in the last place... Great wind colour, mature writing and fascinating harmony and rhythm... Do you want more??? (11. My Own String Sextet LoL... But that will be unfair!!!) P.S. Remember to watch Mike's premiere on the result announcement for the Dreamscape Competition! Henry

Wow, I'm so honored to be mentioned here! Thanks for making this list, so many talented composers!

Hey, this was so unexpected! I imagine it took you quite some time to gather all the pieces and share these posts with us. The effort is very appreciated! 😄 This also reminds me I should start planning to compose an orchestral piece, I hope I will do so between now and 2024. Also I agree with Gwen, Theodore deserves a place in the chamber music and solo piano spots, he's one of the best composers we have in the forum. But still these 3 posts are so great to get to know pieces and composers I had personally not noticed. Thank you!

Thank you! Yes, bar 33 is meant to symbolize the moment when the man realizes he is dead or when that thought comes to his mind. The background is the liminal foggy forest I had seen in my mind when composing the piece, some kind of limbo. Should I link the video from where I got the footage? Really glad to hear so! I really appreciate when people listen to a piece more than once, it can make a considerable difference on how the piece is understood. Thanks, I was in a spooky mood that day haha. What kind of climax do you think could have worked well? I made the piece quite plane because it is pretty short and I wanted it to feel very still, like the fog of that forest. A climax would fit the moment the man realizes he is dead but I preferred to do something more eerie and subtle. I appreciate the suggestion!

Of course you should post it on YC!!

aw these sorts of posts are so nice, and thank you sm, I wish I wasnt such a lurker/lazyposter everyone seemed to really like that snowfall piece I wrote, I actually repurposed it as a “song” as well, with what you could call a field recording of my family during a christmas party distorted in the background, I think it adds even more strange feelings to the piece, maybe i’ll post it as well/edit the post to include it?!

Thank you again. 🫠 Theodore's Ballade in E flat minor was just the piece I had in mind too, actually! I'm glad to be back on Young Composers -- I really should be more active. I love this community. 😄

Your piece definitely deserves to be on the list! Indeed, had I reviewed his pieces before I should have included his pieces here, especially his Ballade in E flat minor! Definitely Ivan's pieces should be included. And you too Gwendolyn... Finally you reply something after months off!!!! Henry

Hello Henry, Thank you so much for making this post, and for mentioning a piece of mine! I'm so flattered by your thought and kind words. 🙂 Might you consider giving a work by @Theodore Servin a mention here? I've seen you leave very kind and enthusiastic comments on his pieces before, and I believe he deserves the honor of being on one of these lists. A deep, sensitive, and talented music maker, in his performance as well as his composition. 😊 And @Ivan1791, it's great to see you here as well -- deservedly! By the way, Una Noche de Primavera has become one of my favorites of yours, if I didn't say it already.

Thanks for doing this and your support to both the forum + my own pursuits. I love seeing your name show up and it always means a lot that you take time to comment on my work. I wish I had time to be active here less selfishly, but I hope some of my other volunteer efforts morally make up or this… Regardless, please reach out by email or on my website any time you want my feedback on a work (or just a guaranteed listen)! Best, Evan

Last but not least, pieces for solo keyboard! I will put 15 pieces here since there are many great ones on the forum this year: 1. @Thatguy v2.0’s 12 Preludes I really like how Vince achieves different styles in his 12 preludes. I have only included the link of no.1 here, but make sure check them all out! (Especially ones that are played by me LoL!) 2. @Antonio Alvarado-Genie's Rusted Box in Wasteland This one hangs on in my mind for a long time with how honest and crafty this one is! 3. @jejrekmek's Snowfall (Vignettes) It's hard to decide which one from him is my favourite. They are all simply sublime and sentimental at the same time! 4. @Ferrum’s Variations on Alula's Theme | From the game OneShot This is an absolutely amazing set of piano variation with 25 variations! 5. @Carl Koh Wei Hao’s Etude in C sharp minor Carl has many amazing piano piece but I choose this one since this one is absolutely pianistic and expressive at the same time! 6. @gaspard's French Suite (played on clavichord) It's hard you see a clavichord piece featured here! Nice playing and a special one. 7. @muchen_'s Keyboard Suite in F major (updated version) This one is just a comprehensive display of Baroque Suite prowess, with all kinds of dance and especially a gigue featuring the "Row, row, row your Boat" melody! 8. @Claudio Camacho's 2 poèmes i include only the first one here but you should listen to both! Very sensitive writing and playing! 9. @JWNewton's Ballade in F minor - for the piano This one is a great display of romantic piano writing! Very chopinistic here. 10. @Omicronrg9's Nocturnes I cannot choose which one is my favourite, since all of Daniel's nocturnes are unique. His dark but chic style is so distinctive! I choose this one simply because this is the one I comment on first! 11. @Ivan1791's Eternal Dream This one is simply my favourite from him, in his sensitive and dreamy benighted style! Also listen to this! 12. @ComposedBySam's Nocturne, Op.1 Nr.2 All things from Sam is ultra-expressive, but this one is simply sublime and I'm speechless... 13. @Eickso's Where Light Doesn't Shine Such a dark one, and combined with aleatoric technique it really displays something Buddhist. 14. @The Turtle's Poetry Even though I have yet to comment on this, I have listened to it and know how good this is! 15. @veps's 5 Textures I just include the no.1 here. But all are great impressionistic pieces! Now I have finished my year review! Thank you all are sharing your music here, and even more so with members who share their thoughts and views with other members! P.S. Remember to watch Mike's Premiere for the result announcement of the Dreamscapes Competition! Henry

Thanks Henry! Yeah I just saw that, and it's apparently up to 1000 views on YouTube already. What is going on

Hey Chris @AngelCityOutlaw, As I have said in your YT channel I really love this (as usual). The stricture here is ABCABC and I really love the sound effect in the C sections. F Aeolian is cool as well. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hello everyone, This is my first post here and I wanted to share a piece I recently wrote with you all. Let me know your thoughts! The five poems within my composition Poetry collectively narrate a heartbreakingly beautiful, vastly complex, and motivically interwoven tale. The suite opens with the Prelude (0:02), a fantasy-like prophecy of the other poems in the suite; the bells of reality can be heard in the distance. Dreamy visions pass transiently through the background noise, and as the piece progresses, the bells increase in intensity to prevent the visions from fully materializing. The bells soon find themselves trapped in a climactic whirlwind as they start to transcend time and space, like accelerating into a wormhole, falling faster and faster and faster... In the Lament (4:34), one finds oneself in a completely new world - one that is bare and empty. The offbeat rhythms insinuate a notion of regret, and the unresolved pedal point during the climax leaves the listener yearning for closure, although there is none to find. This poem ends with a painful lullaby-like restatement of the opening theme, as if crying oneself to sleep. During the night, the Nocturne (8:12) slowly brings the once-barren world to life. After a plainly stated opening theme, the progressive harmonies start to bring wonder and color to the world, while the stars twinkle in the distance. As the sun rises, its rays illuminate the colors of the landscape, which mix to create a brilliant backdrop of green mountains, purple flowers, and a golden sky. The Scherzo (12:07) is an idyllic depiction of the utopia the world has now become. There is joy to find in life! Jokes to laugh at! Authentic cadences, for the first time! The tender, warm feeling of being loved! Moments of pure brilliance and ecstasy! Excitement! What is there not to live for? It's everything one could ever want in... Postlude (18:46): a snap back to the bells of reality.

long time ago song time ago

Then the answer is EWQLSO. Go for the Gold version. If you're going to start working with these kinds of professional tools, do yourself a favour and don't do it in a notation program like Finale. It's not designed for it. It's designed for making engravings. Using something like EWQLSO in Finale is essentially using it at less than half its potential power. Producing respectable audio renderings is the realm of the Digital Audio Workstation (or DAW) software packages like Cubase, Logic, Reaper, etc. Reaper is cross-platform, extremely powerful, versatile, and dirt cheap. It's a great one to learn. And there is a LOT of learning involved because sequencing and mixing and mastering are all distinct skills that have nothing to do with music writing skills. Don't be daunted, but be prepared for a steep learning curve. Nothing in this industry is plug-and-play.