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Hi all! I'm excited to show a new piece I was commissioned to write by a local youth orchestra: Cantus. It's not very long (5'30'') and mostly consists of a single motif tucked between melodic material and developed into a theme that is tweaked for the entire piece. As indicated by the title, I attempted to juxtapose choral style on top of string writing, which I enjoyed a lot more than I expected I would. All constructive feedback is very much appreciated. As I composed, I struggled a bit with two main challenges. Even though I enjoyed mixing my love of strings and choir (I'm a violist and sing baritone), it was difficult to balance these two very different styles. Additionally, extending a single motif both rhythmically and melodically for a decent period was more stretching than I thought it would be. Regardless of that, although it's no Beethoven 5 first movement, I'm quite proud of how the theme and piece overall turned out in this respect. But maybe that's just me. I'd love feedback on how well I met these challenges. Stylistic commentary is also very appreciated. Additionally, I have just a couple of questions to prompt a bit of specific critique on a few things. Answer as many as you'd like! What was your favorite part of the piece? Why? What did you dislike most about the piece? How well was the motivic/thematic development executed? Did you feel that the piece ended too long after the climax? Do you have comments on compositional technique (i.e., harmony, orchestration, part-writing, etc.)? Did anything in the piece feel out of place? Any overall suggestions for improvement (in this piece and in my composing in general)? I've attached the full score below; feel free to follow along. Since this was a commissioned piece, I am fortunate to have a live recording! I was commissioned by the Preucil School String Orchestra, and Cantus was performed on their recent tour in Europe. I have several different recordings from different halls, but I'm attaching my favorite. This particular recording was made in the Czech Museum of Music in Prague (incidentally, the most live space I've ever been in). I really loved how the live acoustics of the hall interacted with this piece and even enjoyed hearing it more in this room than in the other, more acoustically flexible spaces Cantus was performed in. Recordings are never really able to capture the beauty of a space, but maybe you'll be able to hear a bit of the lingering character of the hall. I want to take just a moment to acknowledge the PSSO and its amazing conductor Carey Bostian for their fantastic interpretation and wonderful performances. It was an honor for me to work with them and a pleasure to watch as Cantus became not just an idea in my head but a real, living and breathing piece of music. I'd like to extend a huge thank you to them for being excellent musicians and amazing people. Finally, another huge thank you to you for taking the time to listen to my piece! I hope that you enjoy it and that it brings you peace.