Henning's Headquarters

[Cato]

You know, I could have predicted this.

The ease of the organ accompaniment falls within a practice which my great friend and redoubtable colleague Peter H. Bloom drily calls contextual orchestration.

And last night, our accompanist complained about the organ writing, and even used the phrase if you want to write for organ, Karl[/i].

The impression was, where I had written a part for a fourth-grade organist, the complaint was that it was too hard for a second-grader.

I'm not going to change a thing, and she'll just learn the music.  It is what she is paid to do.

Most organists in my experience are a bunch of cry-babies: unless you are giving them massive chords to shake the church, i.e. unless you make the work all about them, and not the choir, they will insist that your work is somehow an insult to them and the King of Instruments!

[Karl Henning]

Re-post & refresh:

Variations on Wie lieblich est, S.10 (oboe & organ)

Time Was, Op.4 (pf solo)
№ 1: Prelude (Charlottesville)
№ 2: Dance (Barefoot Amid Dandelions)
№ 3: The Myth of Motion II:  Toccatina (on the Ekaterininsky Canal)

Pictures Only I Can See, Op.11 (pf solo)
№ 1: Spring in Her Step
№ 2: The Bronze Girl's Spilt Milk
№ 3: The Myth of Motion I:  Chorale
№ 4: The Sleep-Pavane at the Foot of Frozen Niagara
№ 5: Petersburg Nocturne || MIDI on YT

Little Towns, Low Countries, Op.18 (pf solo)
№ 1: Invention (Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester)
№ 2: Aubade (Lake Canandaigua)
№ 3: Gigue (Glasgow Street, Cornhill)

Night of the Weeping Crocodiles, Op.16 (cl/vn/pf)

Night of the Weeping Crocodiles, Op.16a (cl/pf/prc)

To Melt From a Distance, Op.21 (pf solo)

Gaze Transfixt, Op.23 (pf solo)

Lutosławski's Lullaby, Op.25a (organ solo)

Lutosławski's Lullaby, Op.25 (pf solo)

Fancy on Psalm 80 from the Scottish Psalter, Op.34 № 3, performed by Carson Cooman, on YouTube.

O Beauteous Heavenly Light, Op.34 № 2, performed by Carson Cooman, on YouTube.

The Allegro grazioso from the Sinfonietta, Op.38 for brass quintet (some shaky moments)

Journey to the Dayspring, Op.40 on YouTube

'Tis Winter Now (Danby), Op.45a (mezzo-soprano, flute & organ) at Amazon

Initiation of Barefoot on the Crowded Road, the former Op.41 (now the Discreet Erasures, Op.99, below)

Danse antique, Op.44

The Wind, the Sky, & the Wheeling Stars, Op.46 for orchestra

http://www.youtube.com/v/als-l2BI0xs

O Gracious Light, Op.50c (two-part choir, piano & organ)

The original Born on Earth to Save Us, Op.52 for Bill Goodwin.

Born on Earth to Save Us, Op.52a for HTUMC.

Joseph and Mary, Op.53a for HTUMC.

Score of The Wind, the Sky, & the Wheeling Stars, Part I

Score of The Wind, the Sky, & the Wheeling Stars, Part II

Counting Sheep (or, The Dreamy Abacus of Don Quijote), Op.58a for Pierrot-plus ensemble [ score, part I ].

Counting Sheep (or, The Dreamy Abacus of Don Quijote), Op.58a for Pierrot-plus ensemble [ score, part II ].

I Look From Afar, Op.60 for choir, brass quintet, organ & optional timpani

Blue Shamrock, Op.63 for clarinet unaccompanied, at Amazon.

Three Things That Begin With "C", Op.65, clarinet & horn :: Original | Revised

Sweetest Ancient Cradle Song, Op.67 for choir, brass quintet, organ & optional timpani 1^st half | 2^nd half

Sweetest Ancient Cradle Song, Op.67 for choir, brass quintet, organ & optional timpani ::  Choral Score 1^st half | 2^nd half

14 Dec 2014 performance of Sweetest Ancient Cradle Song, Op.67

14 Dec 2014 performance of The Snow Lay on the Ground, Op.68a

Timbrel and Dance, Op.73 [ St Paul's choir plus ].

21 Nov 2015 Triad performance of Nuhro, Op.74:  https://www.youtube.com/v/ftFJdcXz7lg

23 Nov 2015 Triad performance of Nuhro, Op.74.

Scene 1 from White Nights, Op.75 № 2

Scene 2 from White Nights, Op.75 № 3

Scene 3a from White Nights, Op.75 № 4

Intermezzo I from White Nights, Op.75 № 6

Intermezzo I from White Nights, Op.75 № 6, arr. for saxophone choir

Scene 4 from White Nights, Op.75 № 7

Scene 5 from White Nights, Op.75 № 8

Before-&-after, Finale-VS.-Sibelius exhibits from the Op.75 № 8| A | B | C | D

Scene 7 from White Nights, Op.75 № 10

Canzona, Op.77a № 1 (org solo)

Gigue, Op.77a № 2 (org solo)

26 February De profundis, Op.78 [ Jaya Lakshminarayan & friends ]

Mirage, Op.79a (alto fl, cl, pf)

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Op.80 carol for choir, brass quintet, organ & timpani

Moonrise, Op.84 for brass quintet. And MIDI

Moonrise, Op.84a for flute choir in six parts. And MIDI

15 March Passion rehearsal A [ Sine Nomine ]

15 March Passion rehearsal B [ Sine Nomine ]

15 March Passion rehearsal C [ Sine Nomine ]

Conclusion of the 19 Mar 2010 performance by Sine Nomine of the St John Passion, Op.92:

http://www.youtube.com/v/8netMuAHFkI

12 May recital [ k a rl h e nn i ng Ensemble (Bloom/Henning/Cienniwa) ]

18 May recital [ Bloom/Henning ]

23 May pre-concert rehearsal [ Sine Nomine ]

22 June recital [ N. Chamberlain/B. Chamberlain/Henning ]

Love is the spirit of this church, Op.85 № 3

Nicodemus brings myrrh and aloes for the burial of the Christ, Op.85 № 4 for cello & piano | Recording on SoundCloud

For God so loved the world, after Op.87 № 9 {Would you like the Doxology with that?} Yes | No | Recording on SoundCloud

The Passion According to St John, Op.92 (on MediaFire, courtesy of Johan)

Lutosawski’s Lullaby, Op.96a № 1 (string quartet)

Marginalia, Op.96a № 2 (string quartet)

Après-lullaby, Op.96a № 3 (string quartet)

Score of Fair Warning [Viola Sonata, mvt 1]

MIDI of Fair Warning [Viola Sonata, mvt 1]

Score of Suspension Bridge (In Dave's Shed) [Viola Sonata, mvt 2]

MIDI of Suspension Bridge (In Dave's Shed) [Viola Sonata, mvt 2]

Score of Tango in Boston (Dances with Shades) [Viola Sonata, mvt 3]

MIDI of Tango in Boston (Dances with Shades) [Viola Sonata, mvt 3]

Cato's analysis of the Viola Sonata

Johan's MediaFire folder, including the whole of Dana's première performance of the Viola Sonata

Discreet Erasures, Op.99 for orchestra

Angular Whimsies, Op.100a (bass clarinet, percussion [two players] & piano)

Whimsy brevis, Op.100b (bass flute & piano)

http://www.youtube.com/v/OAp3w15ISl4

How to Tell (Chasing the Tail of Nothing), Op.103 (alto flute, clarinet & frame drum); 7 June 2014 performance

These Unlikely Events, Op.104 № 4

These Unlikely Events, Op.104 № 5

Kyrie, Op.106 № 1

Gloria, Op.106 № 2

Credo, Op.106 № 3

Sanctus, Op.106 № 4

(The Sanctus, arranged for tuba quartet)

Agnus Dei, Op.106 № 5 || Première by Triad

Brothers, If They Only Knew It, saxophone quartet (after Op.106 № 5)

In the Artist's Studio, Op.107, for 17 winds & harp

http://www.youtube.com/v/hwMLLajT_jw

Organ Sonata, Op.108
Mvt 1: Eritis sicut Deus
Mvt 2: . . . scientes bonum . . .
Mvt 3: . . . et malum

Thoreau in Concord Jail, Op.109 for clarinet solo

http://www.youtube.com/v/OnLYQ748aEg

Airy Distillates, Op.110 for flute solo

Annabel Lee, Op.111 for vocal quartet

http://www.youtube.com/v/tN3aMOrzEb8

Misapprehension, Op.112 for clarinet choir

Misapprehension, Op.112a for strings

The Mystic Trumpeter, Op.113 № 1 for soprano & clarinet

Après-mystère, Op.113 № 2 for flute & clarinet And MIDI

http://www.youtube.com/v/7RhH161HhlA

just what everyone was expecting, Op.114 № 1 for clarinet & marimba

(very nearly) what everyone was expecting, Op.114 № 5 for bass clarinet & marimba

just what everyone was expecting, Op.114a for clarinet, mandocello & double bass

My Island Home, Op.115 for percussion ensemble

http://www.youtube.com/v/hlh61D6COvU

Plotting (y is the new x), Op.116 for violin & harpsichord

http://www.youtube.com/v/2vKGfppo0o8

Jazz for Nostalgic Squirrels, Op.117 (fl, cl in A, gtr & cb) [ and at Soundcloud ]

When the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy, Op.118 № 1 (shakuhachi, drum & handbell choir)

http://www.youtube.com/v/79tPHWpH3UI

Divinum mysterium, Op.118 № 2 (choir unison & handbells)

http://www.youtube.com/v/MPr7NhE2-Bs

Easter Stikheron, Op.118 № 3 (choir SATB & handbells)

Welcome, Happy Morning!, Op.118 № 4 (handbells)

My Lord, What a Morning, Op.118 № 5 (choir & handbells)

http://www.youtube.com/v/AJzV-RxXiIk

Hymtunes Moscow & Te Deum, Op.118 № 6 (handbells)

Musette, Op.118 № 7 (handbells)

Psalm 130, Op.118 № 8 [ I think ] (clarinet & bass voice) [work-in-progress]

The Crystalline Ship, Op.119 № 1 (mezzo-soprano & baritone saxophone)

I Saw People Walking Around Like Trees, Op.120 (flute, clarinet, double-bass & frame drum)

http://www.youtube.com/v/E0_-CTvtSS8

... illa existimans quia hortulanus esset ...., Op.121 (vc/pf)

14 Dec 2014 performance of Le tombeau de W.A.G., Op.122

Le tombeau de W.A.G., Op.122a (flute, clarinet, double-bass & frame drum) Audio

A Song of Remembrance, Op.123 (mixed chorus SAB & pf)

http://www.youtube.com/v/kYWAm11MX4s

The Mysterious Fruit, Op.124 (mezzo-soprano & marimba)

The Mysterious Fruit, Op.124a (mezzo-soprano & pf)

Tiny Wild Avocadoes, Op.125 (2 vn/va)
№ 1 "Children's Song"
№ 2 "Autumn Leaves (Wind Effect)"
№ 3 "Scampering Squirrels"
№ 4 "Pond at Twilight"
№ 5 "The Gnomes (Paul's Garden)"
№ 6 "Cheerful Song on the Wing"
№ 7 "The Avocado in Winter"

In the shadow of the kindly Star, Op.126 № 1 (violin solo and handbell choir)

I Want Jesus to Walk With Me, Op.126 № 2 (choir SATB unaccompanied) NEW & IMPROVED !! [ Version for brass quintet ]

Variations on a Basque Carol, Op.126 № 3 (clarinet unaccompanied)

Variations on a Basque Carol, Op.126 № 3 (flute unaccompanied)

Beach Balls (Red) , Op.126 № 5 (org solo)

Pat-A-Pan, Op.126 № 6 (handbell choir)

Gabriel's Message (Basque Carol), Op.126 № 7

Little Suite, Op.127 (vc & pf)
№ 1 "Summer Song"
№ 2 "Valentine"
№ 3 "Sparrows Hopping on the Wet Sidewalk" || MIDI on YT

Notebook for Elaina & Anna, Op.128 № 1 "Out for a Walk" (fl/a sx)

From the Pit of a Cave in the Cloud, Op.129, soprano & chamber group

http://www.youtube.com/v/H1GX6gAmom8

The Young Lady Holding a Phone in Her Teeth, Op.130 (double wind quintet)

Visions fugitives de nouveau, Op.131 (pf solo)
№ 1: One Leaf
№ 2: Versuch eines Milonga
№ 3: Beneath the Clear Sky
№ 4: That Tickles!
№ 5: Stephen Goes to California
№ 6: Kay's Blue Crabs
№ 7: Questionable Insistence
№ 8: Morning Prayer

https://www.youtube.com/v/FfL_20Sksc8

№ 9: Bunny Keeping Still
№ 10: Gamboling Squirrels
№ 11: The Street Musician
№ 12: The Shade of an Oak
№ 13: "Could you change one more thing?"
№ 14: Waiting
№ 15: Bicycling in Boston Common
№ 16: Mist on the Harbor
№ 17: Peter Moves to Montréal
№ 18: Seeing a Long-Since-Cancelled Stamp
№ 19: ... but his mind is elsewhere
№ 20: Starless Summer Night || MIDI on YT

Neither do I condemn thee, Op.132 for flute duet

A whimsical Canon:

http://www.youtube.com/v/B6xeqrcavUQ

Saltmarsh Stomp, Op.134 for clarinet choir in 15 parts

http://www.youtube.com/v/7DCc2sD2KAk

Ear Buds (The dream of a young man in the woods, listening), Op.135 for symphonic band

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZSMo90L5xJA

Darkest Doings {work-in-progress} ... or not

Clarinet Sonata, Op.136, movement 1: Another Think Coming

Clarinet Sonata, Op.136, movement 2: « Boulez est mort » (Wounding Silence) | work-in-progress

Op.137: A Sheaf of Bliss

Things Like Bliss, version 1, Op.137 № 1a

Things Like Bliss, version 2, Op.137 № 1b

Considering My Bliss Options, Op.137 № 2 (clarinet & horn in F) work-in-progress

Liv Plays Scrabble, Op.137 № 3 (shakuhachi & toy piano)

Out From the Unattended Baggage, Op.137 № 4 (flute, clarinet & bassoon)

sand dance, Op.137 № 5 (flute  & harp)

Oxygen Footprint, Op.138 (flute, viola & harp)

Brightest and Best, Op.139 № 1 (mixed choir)

Precious Lord, Op.139 № 4 (mixed choir and organ)

Paschal Carillon, Op.139 № 5 (handbell choir)

What Wondrous Love, Op.139 № 6 (mixed choir and handbells)

http://www.youtube.com/v/dXMra6BvZew

In dulci jubilo, Op.142 № 1 (fl, hn, handbell choir, youth and adult choirs, organ)

8 Oct 2013 recital at King's Chapel

Henningmusick at ReverbNation.

Henningmusick at Instant Encore.

About an hour's worth of Henningmusick, too, at SoundCloud

The 9^th Ear at SoundCloud.

And: Maria appears on the evening news in DC.

Maria's harpsichord

[Karl Henning]

I need to finish writing up some material for Kammerwerke.

But first, some more tea . . . .

[Karl Henning]

The Young Lady, Her Progress

The members of Kammerwerke first  wrote to me about a possible commission in January of 2015;  but earnest discussion of what it would musically entail did not begin until May.  I proposed a 12-minute duration for the piece;  and Kammerwerke asked of me that the piece should be written for ten musical peers (i.e., not for a solo quintet plus an 'accompanying' quintet), and that the piece should contain "melody." I cast that word in cautionary quotes because two different people (even two different musicians) can mean quite different things by melody. We mutually decided that we would begin by my writing a beginning to the proposed work, so that the group should have a concrete musical example; and we would discuss the matter further.

At about that time, I was walking in downtown Boston at my lunch hour, and I saw an energetic businesswoman walking up the sidewalk, talking on her cell phone. Suddenly, she seemed to have need of both hands, in order to fish something out of her bag. What to do with the phone? She popped it in her mouth, and I thought, there:  That's the name of the piece for Kammerwerke. The Young Lady Holding a Phone in Her Teeth.

Both the impression of restlessness, even impatience, and the peculiar (although, from a certain angle, practical) solution to the problem of freeing up her hands, set my musical mind working.  A vigorous rhythmic profile, to suggest the bustling activity;  wilfully independent voices, to suggest the apparent chaos of the street scene of a lunch hour in Boston's financial district, or perhaps to suggest the contrast of the swirl of activity around the Young Lady, and the swirl of her internal demands.  Our Young Lady is a soul, and like any of us (however agreeably stimulating we find the bustle of such a scene) must have a center of calm and focus.

The piece is no linear narrative of these things;  it is rather a composition shaped by musical logic, with elements mysteriously suggested to the composer by reflection upon the experience of watching, and contemplating the sight.  And, of course, music intended to comply with Kammerwerke's musical guidelines, which were quite reasonable, and which any capable composer might fulfill.

I began, then, with composing the first five minutes of my projected piece, and I sent that beginning to Kammerwerke in June of 2015.  While I waited for the group's response (which would probably not come in until they had had a chance to sit down and read the piece all together), I sent the piece to Dr Jack Gallagher.  I had studied composition with Dr Gallagher at the College of Wooster (Ohio), and I keep in touch with him, periodically sending him my latest work, that he may know that his efforts to teach me something have not been fruitless.  Dr Gallagher's response to the beginning of the piece was sufficiently positive, that I felt I should go on with writing the piece, regardless of how it might be received by Kammerwerke.

Thus by October of 2015, I had advanced the piece to the nine-and-a-half-minute mark;  so (as the final piece would be 12 minutes) substantially done.  (All this while, I might point out, I had also been at work on a number of other compositions.)  I sent the expanded score and parts to Kammerwerke, so that they should have the freshest version of the piece to review, while they were still considering the question of whether to commission the piece from me.  Again, they have had other programs to work on and to perform, and while I knew they would return to me, I understood that patience was of the essence.  There was a request to simplify the rhythmic notation of a couple of measures;  and as I considered it, I agreed that the musical result which I desired could be notated less "densely";  and I modified those measures.

In November, word came that the group had read the Young Lady and that the reception of the piece was generally good;  there was as yet no pressing need to complete the score.

In April of the present year, word came that Kammerwerke would sit down to read the piece sometime between June and September;  with that in mind, I dedicated a week's compositional efforts in June to completing the piece (as planned, 12 minutes and perhaps just a bit).  And soon word came from the group that they wished to go ahead and program the piece for their November concert, and that I was invited to rehearse and conduct it.

On 21 July we all together rehearsed the piece, and even managed to play through the entire score (under tempo, for the most part), and the piece made a good impression on the group.

Karl Henning
24 September 2016

[Spineur]

Thanks for the writup Karl.  Quite interesting  to see how a composer work.  I was wondering if in your piece, the lady's cell phone is represented by a particular instrument or group of instrument ?

[Karl Henning]

No, but that is an interesting idea!

[Karl Henning]

In making progress on the About the Music page, I found I wanted to edit some of the text.

[Karl Henning]

Have I, or have I not written to Heinrich to give him the 18 October program?

If I have, it has since changed, and I need to send him a message anyway . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Well! Just one of those things (and I ought to have guessed that something might be amiss, when Heinrich did not write to ask after the program) . . . it seems we have somehow dropped off the Oct 2016 calendar.

Awaiting Heinrich's word as to when we might reschedule.

[Karl Henning]

There is the odd chance that a cancellation may open up a date for us (though then, it is a question of whether Carol and Peter may be open then, too).  Barring that contingency, our next King's Chapel date is 10 Oct 2017.

[Karl Henning]

Just spoke with Peter, and (busy as he is) he is actually relieved; recall that when the violist bowed out from preparing The Mousetrap, Peter graciously agreed to help craft (nay, to be a cornerstone of) a Plan B program.  It was an additional layer of busy which he was ready to endure for my sake, but he is relieved (and he did ask my leave to be relieved) to have a bit more breathing space in October.


And, hey, you know:  part of his busy-ness in October is preparing the November performance of Oxygen Footprint.

[Karl Henning]

There is the odd chance that a cancellation may open up a date for us (though then, it is a question of whether Carol and Peter may be open then, too).  Barring that contingency, our next King's Chapel date is 10 Oct 2017.

Update:  10 Oct 2017 & 17 Apr 2018

[Karl Henning]

Good Triad rehearsal last night.  My Op.123 was not on the slate (we rehearsed it each of the first two rehearsals, and honestly, it is no technical challenge for singers of this calibre—they need to learn it, but technically it's an easy sing).  We made good progress with the piece which I am conducting;  I 'unpacked' the passage which is the most challenging (an interlocking ostinato accompaniment in the mezzo, alto and bass I parts . . . an example of 'instrumental' writing which works fine with voices, but which is quite different from traditional choral writing, and thus requiring an extra level of alertness).  I still rather feel that the piece is short, for music which requires such intensive rehearsal;  but even in that regard, it pales in comparison to my Blue Shamrock for unaccompanied clarinet    Anyway, we're going to sing it, and it will make a strong impression.  My feeling in the first two rehearsals was, that I was near to a failure as a rehearsal conductor;  but based on last night's experience, there is at least a chance that the problem was, all the noses in the music, so that I had hardly any eyes on what I was doing.

[Karl Henning]

Truly done, and to my unconflicted satisfaction.

So, Oxygen Footprint will be premièred on 20 November on the Friends of Music of Stamford, NY chamber music series.

[Cato]

So, Oxygen Footprint will be premièred on 20 November on the Friends of Music of Stamford, NY chamber music series.

Yay Team Henning!

[Karl Henning]

Yesterday morning at church wiped me out.  It was not so much the rehearsal before the service, nor the service itself;  nor my semi-scramble to put the marked handbell parts in the 11 3-ring binders for the bells.  But after the service came time to set up the bell tables, and the small classroom where we have always had handbell practice was cluttered.  So that before I could carry in four fold-out tables to set them up, I had to drag aside a table (too short for our use) and stack 8 (heavy-ish, non-folding chairs).  And of course I was in a hurry to do this so that we should be ready to ring at 11.

And then, even allowing for absenteeism, half of the folks who were there, or ought to have been in position at 11, dawdled and it was not until a quarter past that we started rehearsal.

So, this has got to be better next week . . . or else  0:)

[kishnevi]

Yesterday morning at church wiped me out.  It was not so much the rehearsal before the service, nor the service itself;  nor my semi-scramble to put the marked handbell parts in the 11 3-ring binders for the bells.  But after the service came time to set up the bell tables, and the small classroom where we have always had handbell practice was cluttered.  So that before I could carry in four fold-out tables to set them up, I had to drag aside a table (too short for our use) and stack 8 (heavy-ish, non-folding chairs).  And of course I was in a hurry to do this so that we should be ready to ring at 11.

And then, even allowing for absenteeism, half of the folks who were there, or ought to have been in position at 11, dawdled and it was not until a quarter past that we started rehearsal.

So, this has got to be better next week . . . or else  0:)

Think positive: you got all your exercise for the week done in one Sunday session.

[Karl Henning]

Think positive: you got all your exercise for the week done in one Sunday session.

Just had a nice chat with Peter H. Bloom, and the trio had an initial read-through of Oxygen Footprint, and they consider the piece a great success . . . though Mary Jane wants a word with me, it seems . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Only a start, of course, and already I know that more will happen in the last measure of the present score . . . .

[Karl Henning]

And the mere MIDI at present.