By my reckoning, it's been two weeks since I last posted a Saturday Summary. For about half that time, my wife and I were taking a much-needed vacation on the gorgeous garden isle of Kaua'i. The weather was great, the scenery was just incredible, and the whole experience was rejuvenating. I always come back from a vacation feeling so relaxed and so ready to dive back in to my creative projects.
I've now had about a week back and, as I think you'll see in this Summary, the restorative power of a vacation is miraculous:
Music -- Despite taking a day or two this week to get life sorted back out after our trip, and spending even more time trying to sort out the myriad pieces of music I'll have to play or conduct over the next two weeks or so (six church services by the time Easter day rolls to a close), I did manage to get some composing done this week -- hallelujah! One piece is an arrangement of Hosanna, Loud Hosanna that our bell quintet will play for Palm Sunday. It's written for just less than two octaves, so I'll definitely work with it before it gets sent out for publication.
I also started on a handbell arrangement of the hymn tune THAXTED, which most folks know as the slow theme from Holst's Jupiter, from The Planets. It's such a beautiful melody, and one set of words that pairs with the tune has a patriotic bent, so I'm hoping to have it arranged in time for our church's patriotic concert in late June.
The last thing I did was to throw together a quick French horn descant for a verse of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, which we'll add to our first hymn on Easter morning.
I didn't finish anything major, but I did get decent work done on several things, so I'm happy. For those of you keeping score, here's where we still stand on the year:
- Handbell pieces --
2017 - Piano pieces --
2017 - Choral pieces -10
- String pieces -- 4
- Band pieces -- 2
- Other instrumental pieces -- 4
- GRAND TOTAL FOR 2011 --
6054
Writing -- While on vacation, I did actually do some writing on my Sadonian Chronicles series. I do have one rough draft that I tried to edit a bit, but I think that's going to take a more concerted effort than some other things. Some of my creative pursuits, I can do in small bite-sized chunks, but good, solid editing of a novel isn't one of them: if I'm going to do editing work on a book, I need a good two or three hour chunk to sit down and really pound some things out, otherwise the work goes really badly. I'm hopeful to devote more time to this in the days ahead. I'd like to have the second book in the series -- the one I'm in the middle of editing -- ready to go some time this summer. I have more time to devote to it now, so I'll just need to put in the effort.
Publishing -- There's been so much happen on this front that I'm sure I'll leave something out. Still, I'm not complaining -- if there's that much that's gone on here, it's been a good couple of weeks!
Composers Copies -- While on vacation in Hawai'i, I received my copies of Fanfare and Reflection, my first publication from AGEHR music. This is the piece that won the AGEHR Area II contest for their youth festival, where it will be played this summer.
Then, just last night I received a hefty package from Beckenhorst with my copies of all my new pieces from them: Sarabande; On This Day Earth Shall Ring; The Boar's Head Carol; and Advent Triptych (both a 2-3 octave version and a 3-5 octave version, both of which are compatible with each other).
Somewhere in there, too, I received 5 copies of The Church Pianists' Library, a Lorenz periodical with music for, as the title implies, church pianists. My first piano publication, an arrangement of He Leadeth Me, was in there. I've since been in talks with Larry Pugh, the editor, about a second one of my pieces for the magazine, which ought to be out later this year.
I bought a filing cabinet maybe six months ago, just to have storage space for my composing paraphernalia (the important stuff like contracts and correspondence, but also my composers copies), and it's starting to bulge at the seams. It's a good problem to have, I suppose, but I just don't know where I'd put a second filing cabinet in my office.
Proofs -- Shortly before I left, Kevin McChesney sent me a proof of Abide With Me to look over. I got it back to him just this past week, but not because of a glut of errors -- I think I found four (a remarkably small number for a proof), and three of them were questions and not really anything wrong. The sad part of it is, I think this is a piece he told me he wouldn't be able to fit in until sometime in 2013, so it will still be a while before it sees the light of day. The good part, of course, is that now I don't have to do anything with it and it will still see the light of day.
I also just this week got a proof from Doug Wagner for my Fantasia on "Tretham", which ought to be available for Pentecost next year (I think).
Acceptances -- While sitting in the lobby of our hotel in Kaua'i, checking email and getting eaten by mosquitoes (if you've never been to Kaua'i, you should know that nearly all hotel lobbies there -- and many other businesses, as well -- are open air, meaning there's no way to shut out either the elements or the creepy-crawlies), I had a somewhat cryptic email from Philip Roberts at GIA asking for my address. I had my suspicions why he wanted it, but not until I got back did I find the contracts from him for my Jubilation. That marks my first with GIA, and my ninth different publisher for my handbell pieces.
Then just this past week, I got an email from Lynne Latham, and she's accepted a set of three Christmas violin solos with piano accompaniment. That marks my second string-related acceptance (if you don't count handbell pieces with optional violin parts), and my first solo-instrumental piece accepted (if you don't count piano). Either way, it's good news.
That's all from here (and heaven knows it's quite a lot). With a new week stretching before me and some extra time this weekend, I hope to have more good news next week on all fronts. Until then, keep creating, and if you'd like to share your own triumphs and trials, feel free to comment below.
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