by Michael Grimes | Nov 27, 2020 | Compositions, Other stuff
This is a piece for mixed ensemble that started life when I was noodling in the mixo-blues scale on a guitar. It’s name reflects the rhythm of the initial phrases. It’s written for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet (In B-flat), Bassoon, Cello, Tuba and Piano. Doo-doo...
by Michael Grimes | Nov 27, 2020 | Compositions
This is my first attempt at a Christmas carol and my first attempt at anything choral. I haven’t heard it sung so I don’t know how well the words work together. ...
by Michael Grimes | Nov 23, 2020 | Compositions
This is my first fugue, which I’ve been trying to write as an exercise in understanding fugues, counterpoint and the development of all of this stuff. It’s written for recorder, oboe, Bb clarinet and bassoon. ...
by Michael Grimes | Oct 1, 2020 | My music
I’ve been trying to learn how to write a fugue (I’m in the VERY early stages). I got confused about what went where in the exposition so I made a little diagram to help me. My teacher liked it so much he asked if could use it himself, so I thought maybe...
by Michael Grimes | Aug 9, 2020 | Compositions, My music
I always struggle to think of names for pieces that I write. This one was the result of desperate grappling: oboes and bassoons often put me in mind of pirate films and the slightly untethered nature of the piece put me in mind of cats, so I named it The Pirates Cat....
by Michael Grimes | Aug 2, 2020 | My music
I sometimes record snippets of musical ideas, either played into my phone or notated on paper or in MuseScore. They usually stay there, but occasionally I dig them out and try to make something out of them. I did that a few weeks ago and settled on this snippet, which...
by Michael Grimes | Jun 8, 2020 | Other stuff
In the spirit of posting about things I started and didn’t finish, here’s a story I wrote a couple of years ago with the intention of writing more (that’s the bit that didn’t happen). I was quite pleased with this at the time. I hate it now....
by Michael Grimes | May 25, 2020 | Compositions, My music
Here are three things I wrote before I started exploring tonal harmony a bit more seriously. They’re numbered one to three because they do sort of tell a story, but it’s not one I’m going to put into words; suffice it to say it ends upbeat and...
by Michael Grimes | May 18, 2020 | Compositions, My music
It’s been a loooooong time since my last post. Since then, I’ve started learning the clarinet, acquired more technology that I don’t understand, and sharpened my composing talons a little (just a little). And it’s that which brings me here...
by Michael Grimes | Jul 2, 2018 | My music
I’ve had this snippet of organ-based psychedelia kicking around on my computer for a while now and I don’t know what to do with it. (It wasn’t played on the organ in the picture, sadly; that needs repairing.) I’ve tinkered around with it on the...
