(Incomplete) Tank of the Day ~ Unable to sleep

    
Unable to sleep
    I listen throughout the night
        to the silent song
            of falling snow in my yard.
     
    With the soft dawn ... 

                             

(Sometime before 2010)

EOUS a bit of "free jazz".

Eous

As a composer I occasionally get a musical idea stuck in my craw that I can not shake out of my ears until I get it down on paper and published; "Eous"(1) is one such piece.

"Eous" is a piece for a Jazz group consisting of Soprano Sax, Vibraphone, Bass and Drums. Please take a listen to the MP3 for an example of one way the piece could be interpreted. Thank you.

Eous

   

(1) "Eous" is a made up word with no meaning.

Meisa's Lullaby

An arrangement of Brahms' Lullaby [Wiegenlied] for Big Band that I did two years ago.


"Meisa's Lullaby"



(Renamed "Meisa's Lullaby" in honor of my granddaughter.)

The Moon Goddess

An ambient piece for flute and percussion.

MP3 at AMazeFM
http://www.amaze.fm/artist/Ed_Sharpe/the-moon-goddess/


Score and MP3 at SibeliusMusic.com
http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=home.score&scoreID=166121


PS: You do not need to install the “Scorch” plug-in to listen to the MP3 file, only to view the score. The MP3 uses only JABB.



=====
“The Moon Goddess”

Back in April 2009 I wrote a detailed critique of an ambient piece of music written for flute, piano and strings. While critical, I felt that my critique was fair and even-handed. The reaction to my critique, which was in response to a post on the forum by the composer, was silence by the composer, followed by two posters who had never posted to a chat page thread before, nor since, and finally the original poster (composer) deleting his initial post. This was disappointing as I was also trying to deal with the limitations of an “ambient new-age tinged” piece for flute and strings. I was curious if what I saw as limitations and weaknesses in the “style” where shared by others.

Unable to come to a satisfactory solution to static and bland harmonies, static harmonic movement, and static/repetitive rhythms I shelved the flute theme I was working on. At the same time I was working on a piece for un-pitched percussion. This piece had its own problems and limitations to over come and like the piece for flute and strings I shelved it. After working on and finishing some other pieces I went back and took a look at several unfinished scores I had lying around. Coming across the flute piece and the percussion piece I decided to smash them together into a single piece. I got rid of all the string parts in the flute piece, double the note values of the flute part and then re-bared it in 6/4 time and dropped it on top the percussion piece that was notated in 12/8 time. Thus was born “The Moon Goddess”.


The original critique: Walking

Until They Took Her Away (Video)

Until They Took Her Away

A Tone Haiku for Fute, Koto, and Percussion.

bluegrey clouds

rain and bluegrey clouds
midnight rain on red roses
the tears of Angels.

Random Poem Of the Day.

Over the years,
to cross the chasm between
experience,
and
people
and
space
and
knowledge
is clear to me

Fear

I have two fears. One; that I will never again get a live performance of any of my pieces. Two; that the music I am writing is too difficult for human performers.


Ursus Demens

Do you remember?

A transient convergence
First in winter, then in spring
Do you remember?

So what have I been doing since April?

Well I created an MP3 of what exits of “Morning Prayer” and loaded into my mp3 player at the end of April, I then took a walk every night for about six straight weeks while listen to the entire 36 minutes of music. What I came away from this experiment is that I am happy with the prelude, which is finished. I am happy with the first movement which is 99 and 44/100ths finished. I am happy with the second movement which is 99 percent finished. I am happy with the third movement which is 90 percent finished. I am pretty happy with the fifth movement, some doubt about the “second theme”, but overall happy with is and it is about 80 percent finished. And I know what needs to be done with it, and I just need to take the time to do it.

That just leaves the troublesome fourth movement. I have altered it several times, have tired different approaches; making it only drum and bass, making it an acoustic piano feature, using a bunch of synthesizers, using synthesizer pads with free soprano sax lines over a driving bass/drum ostinato and even considered replacing it whole sale with my piece “Eous” But nothing seems to work, so I have put the piece back on the back burner.


So putting “Morning Prayer” on hold I began working on my “Symphony No. 0”. First by working out the high level concepts and ideas and organization of the piece. I used the FreeMind Mind Mapping Software to brain storm and organize my ideas for the Symphony. This step is mostly complete at this point; The third movement has already written and is finished, baring any last minute changes. The fourth movement is a work in progress and is maybe 50 percent completed. I have begun sketching out the first movement and then end of final fifth movement.

I have also upgraded my Sonar DAW from version 5.x to 8.5 and been working through some of the video tutorials that came with it and others that are available on YouTube . What I am finding is that all of the tutorials are geared towards pop/rock/hihop/techno productions and music, but very little in the way of classical (and I do NOT mean hollywood movie sound tracks) and jazz, which is my main focus, but never the less I am enjoying the ride and might end up doing some more tehcno sort of stuff. Note; trying to do 13/8 in the step sequencer is not straight foreword, as it is so 4/4 (or at least quarter note) oriented in its world view.

So while I have not been keeping up with the Blog I have been moving forward with the music.

Ursus Demens

PS: I also spent two weeks in Japan in July.

String Quartet No. 1: 雪 (Yuki)

雪 (Yuki)

String Quartet No. 1


I have just uploaded a revised version of my first string quartet. I re-laid out the score and parts, made a few minor changes to the cello part in the second movement, and cut a bit out on the first page of the fifth movement.

The big change is a new recording of the piece for your listening pleasure, or torture. The cello and viola have been place in the center of the group with the two violins on either side.

Note: You only need to install the Scorch plugin if you want to view the score, you do not need it to listen to the recording.

雨 (Ame)

Walking in the rain
tiny cold tears of heaven
caressing my hair

雨

The Return of Morning Prayer

The Return of Morning Prayer

Well after a hiatus of two years I have finally returned to working on my piece “Morning Prayer”. As it stands now it 146 pages, 738 bars and almost 36 minutes long.


I am still struggling with the fourth movement and what I want to do with it. Still considering inserting a new movement between the current fourth and fifth movements. (Possibly the piece Eous ). Or additional movements to follow the current fifth movement, perhaps possibly a “postlude” similar to the prelude to round the piece off. We shall see.



Out of Control Bit of Self Indulgent Musical ...


I have not ruled out a return to the first section.


Prelude to a Morning Prayer


Morning Prayer


Ursus Demens

Meisa's Lullaby Video

Meisa's Lullaby

Meisa's Lullaby

My latest piece is an arrangement of Brahms' Lullaby for big band, with the saxes playing flute, clarinet and bass clarinet. It features a flugelhorn soloist with the rest of band backing him up. I have taken many liberties with the piece.

I have retitled the piece Meisa's Lullaby in honor of my granddaughter.

Meisa's Lullaby


Those of you who take time to listen I hope you will enjoy it and I pray that the fans of Brahms will not stone me.

Thank you.

Ursus Demens


http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=home.score&scoreID=155010

Current Project.

Currently I am working on a Big Band arrangement of Brahms' Lullaby. My arrangement is titled “Meisa's Lillaby”. It is for a standard big band, with the Saxes doubling on flutes, clarinets and bass clarinet. it might be a it ia a bit “out there” for some.


Ursus Demens