Long time, no blog. Here’s where I am in the world of composing.

Writing music, and making music pretty enough for conductors/performers, turns out to be two separate tasks. Although I’m not going to diminish the time/hassle associated with the former (it’s what I WANT to do, so it’s a labor of love!), the latter, turns out, is pretty close to being as complicated. Although ordinary writing (as in words) has some of the same challenges (writing vs. formatting), music manuscript has a LOT of graphics content — dynamic markings, accidentals and key signatures, performance notes, lyrics, etc. — independent from, but specifically associated with, all those notes you put on a page. I’ve been stubbornly avoiding attention to such details, but as the thing will be in the hands of a conductor and his singers in a few months, it’s time to pay the piper.

I do have a cover page, subject to further editing, thanks to the photography of youngest son Brice Jones — see below.

I’ve also been busy with other stuff…

• I did an arrangement of a pop song for brother-in-law Rob’s combo.
• I’ve started very early work on a composition for treble choir and string quartet, a possible submission to an ensemble’s contest. I’m hoping to collaborate with a local poet to provide lyrics.
• I’m also toying with a sax quartet idea or two.
• I’ve joined the governing board of the Lexington Singers — an ensemble in which I haven’t ever been a member, though I have two granddaughters in their children’s choirs.

But now it’s time for some vacating — off to Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston!