I was commissioned to compose a new piece for The Northwest Iowa Christian Schools String Orchestra Festival. The result is Cannon, which premiered on October 31, 2024.
It was a lovely performance featuring over 100 student string players. Here are the notes about the piece that appeared in the program:
I’ve always joked that I continue composing because I want to have my Pachelbel’s “Canon.” Though Pachelbel wrote hundreds of pieces, most of us only know his ubiquitous “Canon in D.” Not bad for a “one hit wonder”! As an homage to Pachelbel, I named my piece “Cannon in D Minor” and began composing. However, I soon ran into a problem: the orchestra would sound a lot better in a key like G or D. I transposed my draft to G and shortened the title to “Cannon” (this music is explosive in any key!) and got back to work.
What emerged is a composition that is full of rhythmic energy and surprises. The piece begins with a bang, a fanfare that sets the tone for what is to come. Suddenly, the bombast stops and a stately canon begins. (You’ll remember that a canon is another word for round, where a musical theme is repeated in each section. Think “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”) After a brief reappearance of the fanfare, we enter an extended rhythmic section that has hints of Irish Jigs, African rhythms, and Rock and Roll. Once again, we hit the brakes for a canon, but this time it is a quote of Pachelbel’s “Canon”—with a twist. The orchestra has barely finished the first eight measures of Pachelbel’s theme when a solo violin interjects a theme of its own—a double-canon mash up of Pachelbel and Scheer that takes us to the final fanfare.
Astute music connoisseurs will notice a unique feature of the “Cannon” orchestra: the addition of Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Percussion, and Drum Set. The idea of adding a rhythm section was suggested after the conductors heard some songs I had written for the St. Sinner Orchestra, a symphonic rock group I lead. I quickly agreed, being a composer who loves combining styles and timbres in fresh ways.
Who knows? Maybe “Cannon” will be my Pachelbel’s “Canon”!