Henning's Headquarters

[TheGSMoeller]

No, but just a day or two ago I remembered this, and am accordingly plotting a new alto flute solo for PHB.

Nice, 

Also, listening to The Angel Who Bears a Flaming Sword right now, lovely work with an equally lovely sound. Was there a written source or image that inspired this piece?

[Karl Henning]

Nice, 

Also, listening to The Angel Who Bears a Flaming Sword right now, lovely work with an equally lovely sound. Was there a written source or image that inspired this piece?

More here, but the pertinent bit is:

The Angel Who Bears a Flaming Sword  ::  This piece I originally composed for trumpet solo, for Chris O'Hara.  I knew it would be a demanding trumpet piece (a schoolmate in high school, Steve Falker, was a trumpet virtuoso, and his playing has been a persistent benchmark for me—to the despair of many another trumpeter).  When I had finished composing the piece, and was fine-tuning the graphic layout, I realized that (with judicious transposition) it would work effectively for flute solo.  When I showed the piece in that form to Peter Bloom, he suggested a further transpositional adjustment, to suit the piece to alto flute.  The piece has some elements of Ego vox clamantis in deserto (as John the Baptist 'explained' himself in the Gospel).  The sword of flame is in the hands of an Angel posted by the Most High to bar the return of errant man to Paradise;  and, in part, this piece meditates on that Angel's sorrow.

[TheGSMoeller]

More here, but the pertinent bit is:

Wonderful, thanks for sharing, Karl.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks for listening, Greg! It means the world to a living composer.

Incidentally . . .

So you're not going to be composing a piccolo quartet any time soon? 

If a flute-playing colleague were to ask for a piccolo quartet, to be sure, I'd write one.

[TheGSMoeller]

Thanks for listening, Greg! It means the world to a living composer.

Incidentally . . .

If a flute-playing colleague were to ask for a piccolo quartet, to be sure, I'd write one.

Oh absolutely, as you probably would for any instrument or combination of instruments. It must be a fun and challenging exploration aspect of composition, searching for new sounds.
And if your piccolo piece was composed similar to The Angel Who Bears a Flaming Sword then it would erase the thoughts I created in my mind of if Sousa had composed a piccolo quartet.

[Karl Henning]

This conversation is reminding me, though, that a friend leads a flute choir . . . and I've thought more than once of assaying a piece for them.

[TheGSMoeller]

Have you composed any music for brass? I'm a former horn player and my brother is a trombonist so I've been an avid brass fan for most of my life.

[Karl Henning]

Quite a bit, indeed.  Does your brother play in a quintet?  My Sinfonietta for brass quintet is well suited to holiday performance : )

[Karl Henning]

Also, my Evening Service in D has trombone duets (one tenor, one bass) interleaved throughout.

[Karl Henning]

Quite a bit, indeed.  Does your brother play in a quintet?  My Sinfonietta for brass quintet is well suited to holiday performance : )

For obvious reasons (supporting my publisher, and in particular sales of pieces of mine contracted to Lux Nova, winds up supporting me) I should be delighted if a quintet buys the Sinfonietta.

If your brother does play in a quintet, and if the trumpeters in the quintet also play flugelhorn, I should be most happy to send them Moonrise, a score as yet not under contract to Lux Nova.  (Getting an actual performance, and — better still — a recording, of the piece is one of the easy ways of getting the score bumped up in priority in the publishing pipeline.)

[TheGSMoeller]

For obvious reasons (supporting my publisher, and in particular sales of pieces of mine contracted to Lux Nova, winds up supporting me) I should be delighted if a quintet buys the Sinfonietta.

If your brother does play in a quintet, and if the trumpeters in the quintet also play flugelhorn, I should be most happy to send them Moonrise, a score as yet not under contract to Lux Nova.  (Getting an actual performance, and — better still — a recording, of the piece is one of the easy ways of getting the score bumped up in priority in the publishing pipeline.)

He subs regularly for several BQs he used to play in throughout the country. And I will certainly pass along this info, I'm sure they're always looking for new music, and plus being from a living composer would be a bonus.

[Karl Henning]

Thank you! If he should be interested, and if he will allow, I can e-mail PDF files for Moonrise.

[Karl Henning]

Hmmm . . . what's the bottom end of a flute choir like? Wonder if a flute choir transcription of Moonrise may be practical.

The ideas which do arise . . . .

[ibanezmonster]

Speaking of unusual combinations of instruments, here are the ones I own:
-electric guitar
-keyboard
-tambourine
-zither in F
-soprano recorder
-harmonica in C
-violin
-mandolin

and I'm likely buying a decent starter clarinet in January of February, and the same with a trumpet sometime later next year.

I've thought of combinations of zither, harmonica, mandolin, and recorder especially interesting (especially if I picked up a shamisen, ocarina, and shakuhachi as well). Mix that in with guitar on clean flanger + reverb

maybe try a new type of orchestra...




2 ocarinas
2 recorders (soprano, tenor)
2 shakuhachis
2 chromatic harmonicas
----------------------
2 zithers
1 keyboard
----------------------
10 electric guitars (8 string) [ebow + pedals]
8 musical saws
6 mandolins
4 shamisens
2 contrabasses


I see Karl's next project! 

[Karl Henning]

Not sure if I genuinely finished № 2 this morning, or if I slammed into the final double-bar out of exhaustion (physical, not musical).  Not sure I can even try the question until I've had some more rest.

However, I expect I'll take a fresh look at it over lunch, and take it from there . . . .

[Cato]

Hmmm . . . what's the bottom end of a flute choir like? Wonder if a flute choir transcription of Moonrise may be practical.

The ideas which do arise . . . .

I believe a bass flute is found in Holst's Planets.

30 years ago or so, I know, there was a small firm in Germany which made recorders all the way down to contrabass, which I would assume sounds somewhat like the large Andean flutes used by those ubiquitous Peruvian/Bolivian street-corner and mall musicians.

[Karl Henning]

I had my bass flute baptism with stars & guitars . . . for some reason I am thinking that there are even larger complexes of plumbing flutes for yet lower notes.

Of course, it may not be every flute choir that has the jumbos . . . .

[Karl Henning]

On the train ride last night, I looked over # 2;  I think it may indeed be done.

Soon, I can post attachments, and put it to a show of hands . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Phew! On the droid, esp., it is much easier w/o those live-link ads! (Speaking as one who gladly uses the GMG link whenever buying at Amazon.)

[Karl Henning]

I've not yet properly stress-tested N° 2. I've looked the pages over a few times, and I think it done. But my mind entertains the possibility that this may just be page fatigue. Will probably be able to settle the matter tomorrow.