What Child Is This? is a traditional English Christmas Carol composed in the 1800s. This arrangement, commissioned by Jonathan Bautista and Nova Vocal Ensemble, fuses the melody and lyrics of “What Child is This” with motives and harmonies found in “Carol of the Bells”, a Ukrainian carol. Each voice has a chance to sing the various motives drawn from “Carol of the Bells”, making this a fun choral piece that combines two beloved Christmas carols.

Lorem Ipsum is an a cappella piece for SATB, with occasional divisi. The text of Lorem Ipsum originates from the non-sense Latin used as filler text in media design, such as newspaper and newsletter templates. The non-sense Latin is a useful way for designers to see how the layout will look with text, without the distraction of real words.

“Lorem Ipsum” sets this Latin text in a chant-like fashion, reminiscent of Gregorian chants containing actual Latin text. The voices weave in and out of each other, creating rich and surprising harmonies. This piece plays with the juxtaposition of ancient-sounding Latin combined with modern, tight choral harmonies.

A Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky is the closing poem of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The first letter of every line of text spells out the name Alice Pleasance Liddell, whom Carroll was (scandalously) very close to and was said to have inspired his book. The musical setting of the poem captures the wonder of childhood but also the dark nostalgia that accompanies the passage of time.

The Skye Boat Song is a Scottish folk song that tells the story of how Prince Charlie escaped from a defeat in battle by disguising himself as a serving maid and sailing away on a boat. The lyrics describe the aftermath of his defeat in battle and refer to the Claymore, which is a Scottish sword, and Culloden’s Field, the battlefield where Prince Charlie’s defeat occurred in 1746.

Commissioned by Jonathan Bautista and Nova Vocal Ensemble, this arrangement reharmonizes the traditional folk song with a contemporary twist and features an SATB choir and featured Tenor solo. This arrangement would work well for any a cappella high school, college, or community choir looking for modern arrangements of traditional folk songs.

Coventry Carol is a traditional English Christmas Carol written in the 1500s. It tells the somber story of how King Herod, feeling threatened upon hearing the news of Jesus’ birth, ordered that all young boys under the age of two in Bethlehem be killed. The “Coventry Carol” is a lullaby sung by the grieving mothers who have lost their children in this tragic massacre.

This arrangement, commissioned by Jonathan Bautista and Nova Vocal Ensemble, sets the traditional English melody with jazz-inspired harmonies and modal inflections. A powerful Baritone solo, representing King Herod, highlights the darkness of Herod’s decree. The arrangement also contains an original intro, interlude, and outro. This arrangement would be a great fit for any Festival of Lessons and Carols or sacred Christmas concert.

The fabulous Nova Vocal Ensemble will be performing my a cappella arrangement of “Coventry Carol”, commissioned by director and conductor Jonathan Bautista. Tickets are $10 (+service fee) online and $12 at the door. I will be singing in the choir as well. There are breath-taking a cappella choral pieces on this program, so I hope … Continue reading November 25th, 2015 →

I am very excited to announce that my a cappella piece “A Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky” will be performed at Disney California Adventure on Monday, August 17th 2015 by the wonderful Nova Vocal Ensemble! You can listen to the piece before the fun begins at Disneyland!