2021

Hildegard Texts performed by Orange County Women’s Chorus

The Orange County Women’s Chorus got in touch about a performance of two of my Four Hildegard Texts, one of which you can now watch / listen to below:

This was performed as part of their concert program, The Sisterhood of Cecilia, which began with music by Hildegard herself.

Thank you! A beautiful performance.

Updates on the top secret crossover fighting game/RPG soundtrack

It started out just as a way to write more upbeat fight music and then morphed into a project to rearrange old themes…

Talking through the process of revamping a 2003 battle theme:

Samples:

First set, all new ideas

  1. Voyaging (story mode mission select loop)
  2. Main menu (VERY EXCITED AND BOMBASTIC and orchestral)
  3. Battle Stage 5 (ALSO EXCITED AND BOMBASTIC but x rock band)
  4. Another battle stage feat. piano quintet (in prog)
  5. Sad/story segment 

Second set

  1. ‘A voice on the wind’ — character/world map theme originally a midi from ?2004
  2. ‘Rosalie’ — character theme string quartet version, originally a piano piece, from 2010
  3. ‘Warriors of Orpheus’ — original midi from 2002!!
  4. ‘Forest Path’ — original from 2002, even earlier
  5. ‘Arrow to the Sky’ — the original of this was day 6 of pianowrimo last month
  6. ‘Goblin Song’ — original from 2003

Also includes Long Road Ahead, which was also originally a wrimo piece from last month:

Cloud Smiles (FFVII Advent Children) – oboe and piano

The last thing I filmed before Christmas, this gorgeous piece from the end of the Advent Children movie, by Nobuo Uematsu. I watched Advent Children last Christmas Eve, for the first time since it came out (and in the Complete version which I guess I hadn’t seen) and honestly loved it this time round. Also felt like I’d been missing out on the soundtrack all these years. I’ve made a ff7 soundfont version, a music box version, and now…

The first melody is on the oboe in the full orchestral version too so I wanted to see how an oboe and piano take would sound.

I had to practise that piano part quite a bit!! (And even then don’t expect me to ever manage it live.) And the oboe, phew, a lot of sustaining needed.

Long did I toil (ukulele version)

Been doing a bunch new little folk songs and hymn rewrites — but here’s one from a bit ago that I wrote on piano, that also works perfectly well on ukulele.

“Long did I toil”   
By Henry Francis Lyte

LONG did I toil, and knew no earthly rest,   
Far did I rove, and find no certain home;
At last I sought them in His sheltering breast,   
Who spreads His arms and bids the weary come:
With Him I found a home, a rest Divine,
And I since them am His, and He is mine.
Yes I since them am His, and He is mine.  

Yes, He is mine—and nought of earthly things   
Nor all the charms of pleasure, wealth, or power,
The fame of heroes or the pomp of kings,   
Could tempt me to forget His love one hour.
Go, worthless world, I cry, with all that’s thine:
I my Saviour’s am, and He is mine.
I my Saviour’s am, and He is mine.

Whate’er may change, in Him no change is seen;   
A glorious sun that wanes not nor declines;
Above the clouds and storms He walks serene,   
And sweetly on His people’s darkness shines:
Changes may come; I take or I resign,
Content while I am His and He is mine,
while I am His and He is mine.