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I'll be sure to try those out. I used the wimpy soundfonts that came with Finale Notepad, as I didn't know what my other options were (that didn't require spending money). My primary focus was (and still is) getting a recording made, but making mockups would still be a good thing for me to learn.

The harmonic and rhythmic stagnation is probably due to me trying to imitate fiddling tradition, e.g. open strings, Ionian/Dorian scales, and a solid dance feel. Most of my music also tends to be somewhat formless so I tried to stick to the predetermined ABA form as much as I could. Thanks for the critique! As to the MP3, I just took Lilypond's MIDI output and stuck a soundfont on it. I really have no idea how to make a good rendering, so any advice there would also be greatly appreciated.

A simple string quartet in rough ABA form. It makes liberal use of double stops and open strings, and has some fun chromaticism. Also, the MIDI rendering is horrible. Fiddle Quartet

I live in Utah. :)

There are about a gazillion arrangements of 'Amazing Grace', and yet this one somehow gets to me. It doesn't do anything new or innovative, it's very simple, but so perfectly constructed.

I've heard of him! His choirs always rock.

I think we all have a few song that do this. You listen to the entire piece, but everything feels like a setup for a supremely awesome chord, or a particularly beautiful melody. So what are your favorites? A few of mine: Joe Hisaishi – Journey to the West – Full statement of the "Mononoke-hime" motif Eric Whitacre – When David Heard – "Would God I had died for thee!" Claude-Michel Schönberg – Finale from "Les Miserables" – "Take my Hand..." Roger Ames – Choral Reflection on Amazing Grace – "Alleluia!" Ola Gjeilo – Sanctus – The final entrance of the "Hosanna" motif Jennifer Higdon – Gentle Waltz – The final statement of the descending motif Samuel Barber – Adagio for Strings – The high note

I'm trying to broaden my horizons a little, and I'd heard amazing things about Jennifer Higdon's works, especially "blue cathedral", so I decided to try out one of her shorter pieces, namely Southern Harmony: Gentle Waltz (this choice was based on the 30-second-long iTunes clip). Can anyone help me understand this piece? It sounds unbelievably lush and gorgeous in the slow parts, but the fast portions just confuse the heck out of me; they just don't seem to fit in. Any advice on learning to appreciate this song, and other octatonic/semi-atonal songs?

I feel kinda sorry for your poor basses, but I'm not sure how well it would fit this to give them REAL bass notes.

Second on that Psycho soundtrack. COMPLETELY freaked me out when I heard it in my music theory class. Also a second on Danse Macabre. That piece is just awesome on the organ. Also consider Shostakovich Quartet no. 8

http://www.thresholdofnight.com/ I'm just listening to these with my mouth wide open. What. The. Heck?! These choral pieces are some of the most imaginative and unique things I've heard in a while. These in particular: The Ecstasies Above (III) From Heaven Distilled a Clemency I Had No Time to Hate His slow pieces do sound awfully similar, but are still pretty interesting.

Oh, I understand. It is meant to be classical, but I just feel that some things simply need to be, in the world of this piece. I'm sure you know the feeling. I don't do it to stop people from pointing it out. I change stuff because, I, as a new composer, desperately want solid ideas for what's "right" and what's "wrong", and, finding none, I turn to what rules I do know to govern the piece, which is probably definitely a bad idea. I'm usually pretty good at trusting my ear, but sometimes I let the theory get in the way of the music. Though I know that the theory is very important as well. That's one part of the piece that I do feel needs to be changed. Thanks! A Robert Frost poem.

Thanks! Any criticism at all is welcome. Actually, looking back, I changed a lot of stuff because it was theoretically the correct thing to do, but I'm not happy with it. The parallel 5ths were there because those notes needed to be there, in the alto section. It comes down to this, I guess: Do I go with what I think will sound good, ignoring all the horrifically egregious mistakes, going only by feel, or do I ignore what I feel the note HAS to be, in exchange for a bullet-proof piece? I know my asking for criticism is a really dumb idea if I don't change stuff just because I feel differently. Hmm. Now that I look at it, the parallelism in m. 15 is pretty obvious, and sounds quite static. I'm not quite sure what to do with that, because I need to maintain the symmetry between that measure and the first measure of the song. The bass line in m. 16 is probably going to stay, as the descending line is textually important.

I love his sense of the dramatic. In that piece, in particular, I like how effortlessly he throws those chromatics in there, and how graceful it sounds. But I do kinda hate that piece when I get that blasted flute motif stuck in my head for hours. And hours. :P

Fixed more voice leading issues, parallel 5ths/octaves. NGCS Score.mid NGCS Score.pdf