In the Guidelines for Submissions, The Dorset Fiddlers wrote, “Perhaps your tune is named after a friend or historical figure from Dorset or one of your favourite places/landmarks that makes the county special to you?” I know no one there, and the inspiration does not come from historical Dorset residents. Rather, the inspiration is from our time: the inspiration is The Dorset Fiddlers! Hence the title. Had I not found their listing on the Musical Chairs website (https://www.musicalchairs.inf...

I composed "America 250" for brass ensemble and percussion in 2026 as an entry in the 10th annual Tampa Bay Symphony Call for Scores Composition Competition. The duration is 6:30. The musical language alternates between modal and tonal with a heavier emphasis on the former. A pedal tone D in the tuba and a snare drum sound a couple of times to begin the piece. This is followed by the 1st horn sounding an accompanimental ostinato figure made up of the intervals 2nd and 5th (2-5 [0]). Then the...

I composed “The Voice of One” in 2026 for the 9th International San Colombano Competition for sacred songs composed for voice and piano. The text is from Isaiah 40:3–5, the King James Version adapted by me. The form is A-B-A, the musical language is tonal, and the duration is 2:25. The piece opens with an unaccompanied statement of the declamatory main theme followed by an altered restatement of it by the piano, then an accompanied second theme that is shared by both performers which closes...