Original Compositions
I’ve composed routinely since the 1970s, mostly as an arranger of existing tunes into solos for hammered dulcimer and diatonic autoharp. Since 2002, after I spent a week studying melody and two-part writing with Alice Parker, the list has grown to include choral works (some with dulcimer or autoharp accompaniment), with several of them based on original melodies. Additionally, I occasionally compose for instruments outside my realm, some of them unexpected!
This page lists everything I’ve composed; click on your choice below. Be sure to check out my Solo Repertoire page, too.
To commission a choral work, contact me.
Categories:
Choral Works Handbells Plus! Tunes and One Song
Choral Works
Titles in this list include secular and sacred works. Sacred titles suggest suitable times of the church year to present. Click on any highlighted title to peruse sample pages.
To purchase any of the titles below: I use the honor system. State the work(s) you want, and I’ll mail you a master kit, including the full score and any parts, on high-quality paper, along with an invoice. You or your organization pay for the master kit (the price is stated on the invoice) plus 8 cents per page per copy (for example, an eight-page score is 64 cents per copy).
To commission a choral work, contact me for information.
| Title | Composer |
|---|---|
| Angels Visit When We Sing (SATB & keyboard) | text by Thomas H. Troeger (Christmas) |
| Comfort Ye, My People (SATB, hd) | Psalm 42 (Advent) |
| Ding! Dong! Merrily on High | 14th century French carol (Christmas) |
| Go Tell It on the Mountain (SATB, hd, piano or gtr & bass) Click here to hear it! | Spiritual (Christmas through Epiphany) |
| Home on the Range (SATB & diatonic autoharp having G major) | American cowboy song |
| I Saw Three Ships (Selah #405-264; SATB, hd) | Appalachian song in 4/4 (Christmas) |
| I Wonder as I Wander (solo or unison voices, hd) | Appalachian song (Christmas) |
| Jesu, Jesu (SATB a cappella) | text by Thomas H. Troeger (Palm Sunday) |
| O Come, O Come Emmanuel (SATB, hd) | Plainsong (Advent) |
| O Send Out Thy Light (SATB a capella) | Ps. 43: 3-4 (ordination) |
| Prepare the Way (SATB, hd) | Swedish tune (Advent) |
| Psalm 23 (SATB, hd; hymn harmonization also available) | original tune and text |
| Sanctus ( SATB, E or F diatonic autoharp) | Franz Schubert (from Deutsche Messe) |
| Shady Grove (TTBB, hd), sung here live by the men's group, de Profundis, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Lucille playing the dulcimer: | American folk song |
| Three Folk Songs (SSAA, hd): | commissioned by the Lakeland Chamber Singers, Wanaque, NJ |
| 1. Corn Husking Song (also scored for TTBB) | North Carolina |
| 2. He's Gone Away | North Carolina |
| 3. Cluck, Old Hen (also scored for TTBB) | old-time Southern |
| What Child Is This? (2-part voices, hd) | Greensleeves |
| When Christ Was Born (SATB unaccompanied) | Neapolitan Christmas carol |
| When We All Get to Heaven (SATB, hd, piano) | E.E. Hewitt/E.D. Wilson (general, All Saints Day) |
| Why Are You Weeping? (SATB, piano, bass, percussion) | Easter; original text based on Bible verses |
Handbells (Plus!)
| title | scored for | about |
|---|---|---|
| The Carillon of Sneek | diatonic autoharp and carillon! | based on a Dutch tune (and yes, a world premier of this piece was in fact performed July 11, 2004!) |
| The Carillon of Sneek | diatonic autoharp and handbells | autoharp is quite a bit more accessible than carillon! |
Tunes
| Title | Composer | |
|---|---|---|
| bsolutely Lovely (2001) | autoharp | for the 2001 Sore Fingers Summer School's first ever diatonic autoharp class, Kingham, England |
| The Bicentennial Bit (1984) | dulcimer | for the United Methodist Church's Bicentennial celebration at the Council of Bishops |
| Farewell to Evart (1999) | dulcimer | for Evart MI and its Dulcimer Funfest |
| The 50th Birthday Reel (2002) | fiddle tune | for Mark Haas, a Philadelphia PA contra dancer |
| Gånglåt från Bach (2004) | autoharp, in the style of a Swedish walking tune | for Louise Del Vecchio, a college alumni friend |
| Les Raber's Jig (1999) | fiddle tune | for Les Raber, performed on autoharp |
| Lost Love (1999) | autoharp | this tune says it all |
| Robbie Robertson's March (1996) | autoharp | a Scottish-style tune in honor of George Robertson |
| The Very Reverent March (2001) | autoharp | For the Rev. E. M. "Bert" Womack, on his retirement |
| Winston's Wedding Polka (1984) | fiddle tune | performed on dulcimer; for Brad & Lisa Winston's wedding, May 1984 (and they are still going strong!) |
And One Song
| Title | For |
|---|---|
| I Am Home | original tune and text, remembering the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, USA |