Composition Commons^™

Where Springs Not Fail, Hannah Guo

Graduate Thesis Collection

Where Springs Not Fail is a 23-minute multimovement work for mixed choir, mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists, and a chamber instrumental ensemble. Drawing texts from Gerard Manley Hopkins and Rabindranath Tagore, the composition explores themes of spiritual darkness, anxiety, and a profound yearning for hope—shared human experiences that are often under-acknowledged. The work aims to reside between sacred and secular expressions, offering a space of vulnerability, reflection, and honesty for performers and listeners alike.

The composition engages a wide range of stylistic influences, including serial and minimalist techniques, chant-like melodic writing, modal language, and motivic symbolism. Structured as an arch form, …

Blue Waves And Razor Blades: For Large Jazz Ensemble / Big Band, Mikel Shane Prather

Graduate Thesis Collection

The concept and main theme of Blue Waves and Razor Blades originally began in 2014 when I was a young composer attending Butler University for my master’s degree in composition. The idea of the piece was to use flow and motion based upon my imagining of an ocean wave crashing into the bank, sometimes moving past rocks and barriers causing slight tension. The theme and the beginning structure was created and originally titled Blue Waves. Before I could really focus on this piece, opportunities arose in Los Angeles where I started my current career in the music film industry and …

Saxophone Quartet "Phoenix", Noah Magnus

Graduate Thesis Collection

This thesis is a musical composition which is a saxophone quartet lasting ca. 35 minutes. It also has an accompanying paper.

Concerto For Flute, Wind Ensemble, And String Quintet, Catherine A. Hoelscher

Graduate Thesis Collection

Concerto for Flute, Wind Ensemble, and String Quintet is a 15 minute work created to demonstrate the virtuosic abilities of the flute. This thesis contains a 47-page score separated into three movements, along with a list of its instrumentation and statements of gratitude. Alongside the score there is a brief overview of the piece with excerpts from the score and descriptions of its musical themes. The overview compares and contrasts the themes and the three movements.

From The Four Winds: A Suite For Orchestra And Jazz Musicians, Thomas James Johnson

Graduate Thesis Collection

From the Four Winds is a four-movement suite for orchestra and jazz musicians. Work on the first movement started in early 2021, and work on the other three movements began in fall 2023. All of music is based on four pitches, B, C, Db, and Eb, which are usually used as chord roots. The concept of four winds was inspired by Chinese culture, but the relationship between the music and the four compass directions was from the perspective of the Midwestern United States. Two movements have sections for jazz style improvisation, and two were influenced by musical minimalism. The final …

Songs Through Statues: The Mask Of Sorrow For Baritone, Accordion, Guitar, Piano & Wind Duo, Alexander T. Schmidt

Graduate Thesis Collection

The Mask of Sorrow is a twelve-minute song written by me, Alexander Schmidt, that utilizes a variety of techniques that I have learned over the course of my study in graduate school. The piece utilizes leitmotives in a unique and interesting way via the usage of set theory to represent the text in musical form, produce a constant development of material, and encourage a musical narrative to supplement the text. This analysis moves through the whole of the form and documents its usage of timbre, motive, harmonic set, and much more, to showcase the means of which all the techniques …

Letters Between Lovers: A Wartime Woe A Romantic Seven Scene Dance, Rachel Gruszecki

Graduate Thesis Collection

Letters Between Lovers: A Wartime Woe is a ballet that tells the tragic tale of Genevieve and Raymond. Once childhood best friends, their bond grew into a romance that is quickly ripped apart when Raymond is drafted into World War II. Genevieve must fight for her love of Raymond, as well as within the war itself to get him back. This ballet instrumentation features a brass quintet, strings, piano, and various percussion.

Symphony: Tambora, Logan Purcell

Graduate Thesis Collection

Symphony: Tambora is a piece for chamber orchestra that is inspired by the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in the Lesser Sunda Islands of the Phillipines. Its three movements deal with the genesis of Mount Tambora, the magma chambers filling up and spilling over, and the series of eruptions that resulted in some of the worst climate crises in recorded history. The thesis includes a score of the work, and an accompanying analysis.

"You Are Safe. You Are Calm. You Are In Control.", Carly Erst

Graduate Thesis Collection

"You are safe. You are calm. You are in control." is a piece written out of a state of emotional and physical exhaustion. The piece uses an electronic track comprised of the sounds of distressed children recorded at a daycare and a flex string quintet that plays along with the track. This paper explores the reasoning behind the music, the connections the piece has to the past, and the relevance of the piece now and in the future.

Pity The Nation, Kameron Zebadiah Mechling

Graduate Thesis Collection

In light of the unprecedented events of social unrest that took place in the year of 2020, this piece takes inspiration from the timeless poem “Pity the Nation” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Just as the text and themes relate to the United States during this time, they continue to resonate beyond multiple areas and eras.

When recalling the events of 2020, some remember fear, uncertainty, pain, anger, disgust, and loss. Pity the Nation depicts these emotions. The alto and tenor voices follow each line of text in the poem, interpreting the themes musically as they are given. The fear of the …

A Constant Haunting, Russ Wilcox

Graduate Thesis Collection

A three movement work for wind ensemble and soprano soloist.

Lake Pleasant, Ryan Blauvelt

Graduate Thesis Collection

Lake Pleasant, a work for wind ensemble, receives its title from the composer’s memories of visiting a cottage on a small lake that straddles the border of Indiana and Michigan. The primary influence of the piece derives from the howling sound produced by the echoes of traffic noise one hears while standing on the opposite side of the lake in the quiet of night. The recollection of this soundscape takes the musical form of nine clarinets spread throughout the audience accompanied by pairs of flutes, oboes, saxophones, trumpets, and a single piccolo. While the placement of performers in the audience …

Overgrown, Tori C. Ovel

Graduate Thesis Collection

OVERGROWN discusses the music elements found in the thesis composition of the same name.

OVERGROWN was written for soprano solo, flute, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, trumpet, trombone, vibraphone, percussion, cello and double bass. The text was written by Matthew Raymond Smith.

On The Presence Of Christ, William A. Peacock

Graduate Thesis Collection

On the Presence of Christ is a musical work for septet (three strings, three winds, percussion) exploring Christ’s presence throughout all time as described in Scripture, wherein the individual movements are thematically grounded and arranged from ancient past to coming future. “In the Beginning” is based on Genesis 1:1-2 and John 1:1-5; “At the Throne” is based on Revelation 4:2-11; and “With His Saints Forever” is based in Revelation 21:1-5a and 22-23. I use these chosen Scriptures to guide my musical exploration, allowing my reflections and perspectives on them to give this music its substance and form My hope is …

Dear…,, Tiffany Mckinney

Graduate Thesis Collection

This paper discusses my thesis piece Dear...,. It describes how the piece was put together and the deeper symbolism of aspects of the music.

Surfaces, Rob Funkhouser

Graduate Thesis Collection

Surfaces is a work for two percussionists in four movements. It uses a variety of small percussion instruments, keyboard percussion, and two specially built kalimbas. This document contains both the score and an analysis of the piece that covers instrument choice, performance practice, form and compositional techniques employed

Indigiana, Elizabeth A. Knox

Graduate Thesis Collection

Indigiana, for orchestra and audio soundscape, is dedicated to the 2016 bicentennial celebration of the State of Indiana. The title is derived from the words, ‘Indiana,’ ‘Digital,’ and ‘Indigenous.’ Its programmatic style is based on the natural landscape and my reflections on four Indiana state parks. In addition to the state's bicentennial honor, Indiana celebrated its 100^th anniversary of the purchase of its first two recreational facilities, McCormick's Creek and Turkey Run State Park.² To honor the state and my family’s longstanding heritage as Hoosiers, I used the natural landscape and environmental sounds of four Indiana state parks …

Tu Lo Sai | 10-96190, James Q. Mulholland

Music Faculty Scores

Tu Lo Sai

Part Number: 10-96190

Price: $1.80

Voicing: TTBB

Transcription By: Piero Floridia

Music By: Giuseppe Torelli

Arranged By: James Q. Mulholland

Commissioned by the "Singing Statesmen"University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireGary Schwartkoff, director

And I Will Sing A Lullaby | 20-95750, Robert I. Hugh, Henry Leck

Music Faculty Scores

And I Will Sing a Lullaby

Part Number:
20-95750

Price:
$1.85

Voicing:
Two-Part Treble

Lyrics By:
William Blake & Thomas Dekker

Music By:
Robert I. Hugh

Edited By:
Henry Leck

Featured at:
2016 TCDA Convention
2016 KCDA Summer Conference

Branch Of May, A - Ttbb | 41-96550, James Q. Mulholland

Music Faculty Scores

A Branch of May (I Brought You Here)

Part Number: 41-96550

Voicing: TTBB

Lyrics By: Tradition May-Day Song

Music By: James Q. Mulholland

Branch Of May, A - Satb | 10-96020, James Q. Mulholland

Music Faculty Scores

A Branch of May (I Brought You Here)

Part Number: 10-96020

Voicing: SATB & Treble

Lyrics By: Tradition May-Day Song

Music By: James Q. Mulholland

One Thousand North, Amber Beams

Graduate Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Theseus And The Minotaur, Ben Lutterbach

Graduate Thesis Collection

Theseus and the Minotaur is a four movement, through-composed chamber work for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The work explores elements of fear, chaos, love, and aggression.

May Peace Be With You: Alleluia | 10-96030, James Q. Mulholland

Music Faculty Scores

May Peace Be With You: Alleluia, for SSAA Voices with Violincello and Piano

Part Number:
10-96030

Price:
$1.85

Voicing:
SSAA

Lyrics By:
Paraphrased from Phillipians 4:8,9

Music By:
James Q. Mulholland

with Optional Violincello (part included)

Commissioned by colleagues and students of Nancy Leisl, choral director at Connor High School
To honor all of the things she has taught us.

Sleep, My Loved One | 16-96750, Christopher Matthews

Music Faculty Scores

Sleep, My Loved One (Sleep and Dream of Me)

Part Number:
16-96750

Price:
$1.80

Voicing:
SATB

Lyrics By:
Nixon Waterman (1859-1944)

Music By:
Christopher Matthews

a cappella

Featured at:
2015 National ACDA Convention
2015 Atlanta Summer Conducting Institute
2015 Rodney Eichenberger Summer Conductor's Clinic
2015 ICDA Summer Conference

Softness Of My Mother's Hands, The - Satb | 20-96235, John Starr Alexander, Henry Leck

Music Faculty Scores

The Softness of My Mother's Hands

Part Number:
20-96235

Price:
$1.90

Voicing:
SATB

Lyrics By:
John Starr Alexander

Music By:
John Starr Alexander

Edited By:
Henry Leck

Featured at:
2015 Atlanta Summer Conducting Institute

Snowflakes Fantasy | 20-95760, Hyun Kook, Henry Leck

Music Faculty Scores

Snowflakes Fantasy

Part Number:
20-95760

Price:
$1.90

Voicing:
SATB

Lyrics By:
Linda Marcus & Julie I. Myers

Music By:
Hyun Kook

Edited By:
Henry Leck

with Optional Triangle and Bell Tree

Snowflakes Fantasy Percussion Part | 20-95761, Hyun Kook, Henry Leck

Music Faculty Scores

Snowflakes Fantasy

Part Number:
20-95760

Price:
$5.50

Voicing:
Percussion Parts

Music By:
Hyun Kook

Edited By:
Henry Leck Triangle and Bell Tree

We Live In Waves, William S. Trachsel

Graduate Thesis Collection

Composition for orchestra.

Inferno, Stephen Kachenovich

Graduate Thesis Collection

Composition for piano.