Doo-doo Dah-dah Dum Dum

Doo-doo Dah-dah Dum Dum

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...
My first Christmas carol

My first Christmas carol

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. ...
Attempting my first fugue

Attempting my first fugue

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. ...
Diagram of a fugue exposition

Diagram of a fugue exposition

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...
Setting the Cat Among the Pirates

Setting the Cat Among the Pirates

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....
Wool-gathering by twilight

Wool-gathering by twilight

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...
The Accidental Librarian

The Accidental Librarian

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....
Suite for five parts

Suite for five parts

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...
Ooh Look – Squirrels!

Ooh Look – Squirrels!

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...