Minor Composing

No, I'm not talking about composing for young people (although I suppose my latest little bit of work could count as that). I've just finished a rough draft of a Processional for Easter Day for handbells and organ. It's not much, but it's something to fill that awkward part of Easter morning between everyone showing up and the ministers getting to the front of the sanctuary. Hopefully it'll be loud enough that everyone will realize that service is starting, too.

I've also worked on a choral response or two, also for Easter. We've recently had a turnover at our church, and our music program all but disappeared. Our music directors both left, and I was asked to step in on an interim basis. Going into it back in January, I thought things would be fairly hopeless.

Oh me of little faith.

We've got as many members in our handbell choir as we did before anyone left, and our vocal choir seems to pick up a new member every week or two. However it's still a small choir, so most of what we're doing is unison and two-part music, which is a pain since most of what's in our church's library is SATB. This means I'm scrounging for appropriate and accessible music, or else writing what we need. Hence the choral responses.

I'm still waiting to get proofs from Beckenhorst on O Come All Ye Fatihful, and waiting to hear from them and AGEHR on a total of six different pieces. If you've never submitted anything for publication before, let me warn you right now -- the waiting is the hardest part. At least when I'm composing, I can be doing something, but once you submit, it's a waiting game; and no matter how many pieces I have accepted, no matter how much I put my pieces out there, I still find myself breathlessly checking my email and my mailbox every day, hoping for some good news ... and after a while, any news at all.

Until then, here's hoping I'll be able to share some good news with you all sometime very soon...