Category: Art Music

Cannon

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”!

Art Music Psalms

A quick refresher: Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm, an acrostic poem with 22 sections, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This third movement is “Gimel.” As with the previous two movements, the music is all about transformation. Sometimes you turn a corner and suddenly a new vista opens before you; other times the transformation takes place slowly, like a sunrise.

All of this was recorded by me, “in the box.” That is, anything that isn’t my voice, guitar, bass, or the upright piano 8th notes is a sample from Logic Pro. I would have loved to record two classical violin soloists, a jazz/fusion pianist, a ton of percussion, and strings in the studio, but alas… “Done,” as they say, “is the new great.” Even with so many digitized parts, I hope you can hear a little spark of what I was hearing in my head.

ג Gimel

Reward your servant
that I may live to treasure your Word.
Open my eyes
that I may gaze upon the wonders of your law.

I am a stranger on this earth.
Oh, do not conceal your commands from me!
I am consumed—
consumed with longing for your law.

You scorn the scornful—
those who disregard your way.
Remove the disgrace of the arrogant
for I have followed your path.

Though a council of the mighty speaks against me,
your servant will dwell upon your Word.
Your words are my delight.
Your law is my counsel.

Art Music Psalms

Psalm 119: Beth

Continuing our series from Psalm 119, here is Beth. Beth is not only a woman’s name and the title of a ballad by Kiss; it is also the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this second section of Psalm 119 the Psalmist continues an acrostic meditation on God’s law.

Musically, this is my favorite of the three movements. There is just a lot of interesting stuff going on, with twists and turns throughout. You wouldn’t think that rock, slinky funk, choral, classical piano, the Chinese erhu, and minimalism could hang together coherently in the same 11-minute musical frame, but somehow they do.

All the tracks were recorded by me in my home studio using Logic Pro.

ב Beth

How can the young remain on the path of the pure?
By walking in the way of your Word.

With all my heart I seek you.
Let me not wander from your way.
Within my heart, I treasure your Word.
Let me not sin against you.

Blessed are you, my Lord.
Oh, that I would learn your law.

I recount with my lips
all the words of your mouth.
I rejoice in the way
of your Word more than wealth.

I meditate upon your precepts
and gaze upon your paths.
I will delight in your law.
I will not neglect your Word.

Art Music Psalms

Psalm 119: Aleph

For the last three years, I have been quietly chipping away at a composition of behemoth proportions. It is now time to release it. And I mean “release” in two senses of the word: Over the next few days, I will release the recordings of the first three movements; I will also release the project in the sense that I need to let it go so I can turn my attention to other music that is waiting to be written.

Here is how I described the project in its early stages:

Psalm 119—often called “The Great Psalm”—is the longest Psalm, an acrostic poem on God’s law, with one eight-line verse for each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

For setting Psalm 119 to music, I’ve decided on a different path than I’ve used with previous Psalm settings. This will not be congregational or choral; instead, it will be a recorded meditation weaving words and music together in a mesmerizing, ever-transforming musical mosaic. Each of the 22 sections will be a 5–10-minute musical movement that will be both independent and interlocking with the movements around it.

What will the music sound like? Imagine Mike Oldfield, J.S. Bach, and Steve Reich collaborating while on retreat at a monastery, composing music to be performed by the Penguin Café Orchestra, Pinback, and Polyphonic Spree and sung by Taizé, the Bulgarian Women’s Choir, and Keur Moussa. Like that.

I am writing my own translation of Psalm 119 that attempts to honor the original text while remaining accessible to modern ears. My version is unmetered and unrhymed, but with a latent inner rhythm.

Here is the first movement, Aleph. Most of the tracks were recorded by me in my home studio; additional tracks were recorded at Local Legend Recording with the help of these musicians:

Clara Becksvoort (9 years old)
Men’s Trio: Chris Snyder, Paul Ryan, Jordan Clegg
Theo Janga Ndawillie, drums
Josh Kaufman, guitar and mixing

א Aleph

Blessed are those whose way is pure,
who walk in the Word of the LORD.
Blessed are those who keep God’s will
and seek the LORD with all their heart—
who do no wrong,
for they follow God’s way.

You have established your Word
to be followed wholeheartedly.

Oh, that my path would be built on your Word;
then will the whole of your law bring no shame.

I will praise you with a pure heart,
for I learn from your righteousness.
I will walk in the Word of the LORD.
O God, do not leave me alone.

Art Music Demos

#5 (piano miniature)

In 2019, I started a series called Piano Miniatures. I had planned to write 14 short pieces, each with a corresponding meter (i.e. #7 would be in 7/8 time). I finished four of them, and ever since, a lonely sketch for #5 has been languishing in my draft folder until this week.

This new piano miniature is in 5/4 meter and has some harmonic bite to it, so you’d expect it to sound harsh or complicated. Instead, it is a dreamy musical vignette reminiscent of Debussy’s “Reverie.” And though it’s lacking Debussy’s musical genius, I’m still quite fond of it.

Pianists, I’d love you to give it a try: PDF.

By the way, this piece marks a musical milestone: It’s the first piece I’ve typeset in the Dorico notation program. After using Finale for almost 30 years, I think it may be time to jump ship. Dorico is a promising newcomer and I’m committing to learning it. If you notice a substantial improvement (or downgrade) in the look of my scores, let me know. (‘Cause I know you all care a lot about that…)

Art Music Church Commissions Congregational Songs Demos Live Psalms

Psalm 65: We Praise You, God, in Silence and Singing

Post author By Greg Scheer
Post date July 26, 2020
1 Comment on Psalm 65: We Praise You, God, in Silence and Singing

Update 12/11/21: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.

I was honored that Bethany Cok and Josh Parks asked me to compose music for their wedding. I’ve played with Josh many times before at Church of the Servant, Calvin University, and in the St. Sinner Orchestra, so it felt like a real vote of confidence to be included in his nuptials.

Bethany and Josh chose Psalm 65 as the song’s text. It was a great choice: Psalm 65 is a Psalm of thanksgiving that was likely written for one of the harvest festivals; its focus on entering God’s house, keeping vows, and God’s blessing make it a beautiful fit for a wedding.

The piece I wrote volleys back and forth between a congregational refrain that features a bold, ascending melody I’ve dubbed a “Mannheim Mountain,” and lush, rhapsodic verses.

You might wonder about the opening phrase “We Praise You, God, in Silence and Singing.” Why “in silence” when it’s a song? Well, the first phrase of Psalm 65 “Praise awaits you,” is unclear in the Hebrew, but seems to carry the connotation of hushed awe—a quiet before a storm of praise. I decided to interpret that as “in silence and singing,” including a ripe silence before the return of each chorus.

I post this song on the day of Bethany and Josh’s wedding as a musical blessing on their union!

We praise you, God, in silence and singing,
in making of vows and lifting of prayers.
To you all people, in joy and thanksgiving,
renewed and forgiven,
to you they are streaming for you are our God.
And you, God, are good.

1. Blessed are the ones you draw to you courts–
guests in the house of the Lord.
Riches o’erflow and spill out the doors–
blessings that fill the whole earth! REFRAIN

2. For you pushed the mountains into place
with the strength of your hand;
and you hushed the chaos of the waves,
for even the seas obey your commands;
and you change the chattering of all the nations into choirs of joy!
And the whole world hums with your praise! REFRAIN

3. You care for the land, you soak the ground,
and you shower it with riches.
You fill the streams and soften the soil
and you flood the furrows and ditches.
The year is crowned with blessing;
her path flows with abundance;
her hills are covered in gladness;
her meadows clothed in flocks;
her vales are robed in wheat and grain–
they shout for joy! They sing!
They shout for joy and they sing! REFRAIN

Art Music Demos

Proof of Concept

I’ve been a fan of M.C. Escher for a long time. One of the things that fascinates me about his art is how he meticulously worked out his tesselations on graph paper before incorporating them into a finished print. These “proof of concept” sketches were a necessary step in creating his mind-boggling works of art.

In the same way, I’ve had a number of Escheresque musical ideas that have been simmering on the back burner for some time. Yesterday, I was able to record a quick demo–a draft that would allow me to figure out some of the logistics for a later piece. In the end, it didn’t work. So be it. That’s how one learns.

Can anyone guess the musical concept I was trying to implement?

NB. The name of this experiment is “tempo canon.”

Art Music Choir Commissions Live

Binsey Poplars at Baylor University

Post author By Greg Scheer
Post date October 2, 2019
No Comments on Binsey Poplars at Baylor University

I was privileged to receive a commission from Baylor University to compose a piece on the Gerard Manley Hopkins poem, “Binsey Poplars.”

The poem is an ode to Hopkins’ once-favorite, now-felled trees, but it is also a meditation on the environment and the ways humans interact with it. Ultimately, it is a poem of loss and grief.

The premiere took place at Baylor’s Armstrong Browning Library on September 20, 2019, with Karen Hogue, soprano, the Ensemble from First United Methodist, Weatherford, and Carlos Colón on the piano.

You know you can email me to peruse the score, right?

felled 1879

My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled,
Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun,
All felled, felled, are all felled;
    Of a fresh and following folded rank
                Not spared, not one
                That dandled a sandalled
         Shadow that swam or sank
On meadow & river & wind-wandering weed-winding bank.

O if we but knew what we do
         When we delve or hew —
     Hack and rack the growing green!
          Since country is so tender
     To touch, her being só slender,
     That, like this sleek and seeing ball
     But a prick will make no eye at all,
     Where we, even where we mean
                 To mend her we end her,
            When we hew or delve:
After-comers cannot guess the beauty been.
Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve
     Strokes of havoc unselve
           The sweet especial scene,
     Rural scene, a rural scene,
     Sweet especial rural scene.

Art Music Commissions Live

25, for orchestra (World Premiere)

Post author By Greg Scheer
Post date July 21, 2019
No Comments on 25, for orchestra (World Premiere)

This spring, I had the great good fortune to compose a new piece for the Calvin Community Symphony’s 25th-anniversary concert. Below are the program notes:

It may seem obvious—even unimaginative—to name a piece commissioned for a 25th anniversary concert “25.” What is perhaps less obvious is that the composition is in a 25/8 meter*.

One 8th note per year is not only a fitting starting place for a 25th anniversary piece, but it continues my long term exploration of rhythm. My compositions often draw on the rhythmic vitality of African, Celtic, Pop, and Minimalist music. In “25” you can hear the uneven rhythms of Eastern Europe folk music, Medieval dances, or even the Genevan Psalter.

If you listen carefully, you will also hear echoes of Ravel’s “Boléro.” Instead of Ravel’s famous snare drum rhythm, “25” begins with brushed snare, immediately announcing its connection to dance rhythms of our day, especially jazz. On top of the brushed snare, a series of solo instruments enter one at a time—flute, clarinet, etc—the beginning of a wedge that grows in volume, intensity, and range throughout the whole composition. Speaking of intensity, the piannisimo brushed snare rhythm morphs and grows throughout the piece, making a brash recapitulation at the drum set near the end.

Heartfelt thanks are due Maestro Varineau and the musicians of the Calvin Community Symphony for the love they’ve shown this new composition. Thank you for making me part of your 25th anniversary!

—Greg Scheer

*Technically, the piece is in a consistent four-measure pattern: 6/8+7/8+6/8+3/4. I’m nerdy enough to take on the challenge of composing in an odd meter, but not stupid enough to make the musicians read a 25/8 time signature!

Maestro John Varineau and the Calvin Community Symphony

Art Music Demos FAWM 2019

#4 (piano miniature)

In the past few years, I’ve played through almost all of Scott Joplin’s piano music. His music is intelligent, full of life, and simply fun. I wish I was more of a pianist, because I really don’t do his compositions justice. Given my love of Joplin’s work, it made total sense to me that piano miniature #4 (in 4/4 time) should be an homage to him.

You can hear a bit of Joplin in the left hand stride pattern and the melody’s syncopated spring. Of course, mimicry is not my thing; I had to put my own stamp on it! The most striking feature of #4 is that the left hand lays down a march in 4/4 time while the right hand waltzes in 3/4 on top of it. Oil and water? You bet! Check out the PDF of the score.