For SATB chorus and trombone choir. This piece was commissioned by Dr. Clell Wright, the DCA at Valdosta State University. The text of this work is from the Cantigas de Santa Maria (no. 10), compiled during the reign of Alfonso X, King of Castile and Leon (1221-1284). It is in Galician-Portuguese, the language of romance and song during the 13th-century of Portugal and north-west Spain. The selection of the text is in celebration of the cultural heritage of the region through which his ensembles will be travelling during VSU’s spring 2024 tour of Spain and Portugal. The piece will be available for purchase after their tour; but, please listen to the midi version below.

For SATB chorus and trombone choir. This piece was commissioned by Dr. Clell Wright, the DCA at Valdosta State University. The text of this work is from the Cantigas de Santa Maria (no. 40), compiled during the reign of Alfonso X, King of Castile and Leon (1221-1284). It is in Galician-Portuguese, the language of romance and song during the 13th-century of Portugal and north-west Spain. The selection of the text is in celebration of the cultural heritage of the region through which his ensembles will be travelling during VSU’s spring 2024 tour of Spain and Portugal. The piece will be available for purchase after their tour; but, please listen to the midi version below.

Text Jeremiah 29:11-4, adapted by Bernie Scherr

This piece was commissioned by Trina Fink in honor of her father, T.W. Dean, whose choral arrangement I preserved and expanded in this orchestration.  The instrumentation is that of FBC Abilene, Texas.

This piece was commissioned by Trina Fink in honor of her father, T.W. Dean, whose choral arrangement I preserved and expanded in this orchestration.  The instrumentation is that of FBC Abilene, Texas.

Commissioned by Dr. Clell Wright, Director, Abilene Chamber Singers.

This piece was commissioned by Trina Fink in honor of her father, T.W. Dean, whose choral arrangement I preserved and expanded in this orchestration.  The instrumentation is that of FBC Abilene, Texas.

Commissioned by Dr. Clell Wright, Director, Abilene Chamber Singers.

This piece was commissioned by Trina Fink in honor of her father, T.W. Dean, whose choral arrangement I preserved and expanded in this orchestration.  The instrumentation is that of FBC Abilene, Texas.

Commissioned by the Abilene Classical Chorus.

Commissioned by the Abilene Classical Chorus.

These Portuguese folksong settings were commissioned and performed by Dr. Clell Wright, Director of Choral Activities at Hardin-Simmons University. Recordings of these folksong texts by a native continental Portuguese speaker are available for download. Please use the “Contact” page to receive a link for downloading these recordings. The link will be made available to those that have purchased the piece. 

This piece was commissioned by the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene, Texas, in honor of the retirement of Conrad Bratton, their long-time music director.

This set began as a single-movement commission from Dr. Loyd Hawthorne, former director of the Hardin-Simmons University Concert Choir. A few years after The Gloria was premiered (the original title was “Today a Savior is Born”), Dr. Clell Wright, the new director of the same group commissioned a second, single-movement piece, The Annunciation. Following its premiere, I decided to complete the set on the biblical infancy narratives of Jesus. These pieces vividly evoke the Gospel scenes. There is a piano reduction of the orchestra part for conventional choral performances.

The Gloria was originally commissioned by Dr. Lloyd Hawthorne, but the remaining pieces were composed for the HSU concert Choir directed by Dr. Clell Wright.

“The Gloria” is now a movement of “Scenes from the Nativity.” This piece was commissioned by Dr. Loyd Hawthorne, former conductor of the Hardin-Simmons University Concert Choir.

This piece was recognized in the Waging Peace through Singing Project in Oregon. 

This piece was commissioned by St. Thomas More Newman Center in Eugene, Oregon. It is appropriate as a liturgical hymn.

This piece was commissioned by Dennis Davenport, former director of the Adult Choir, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Eugene, Oregon.

Several of these pieces were premiered by the University of Oregon Chamber Choir. Several others saw their premiere by the Hardin-Simmons University Concert Choir.

This piece was premiered by the University of Oregon Chamber Choir under the direction of Kathryn Olson. The text was written by the composer.

Below is the text of this piece. As you can read, it is a compilation of the writings of Saint Paul and the Nicene Creed. There are repetitions of certain works or phrases in this setting, and the stanza breaks align with the musical sections.

He is risen, He is Christ, our King.

He is risen, He is Lord and Savior.

Now one in union with the Father,

He is the Light of the world.

He suffered, died, and was buried.

The pain He endured to remove our sins for our salvation.

He is salvation for mankind, mankind is saved.

He suffered, died, and was buried, on the third day He arose, and saved.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We are justified by His grace as a gift through His redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

We have been crucified by Christ,

and it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives within us;

and the life that we live, we live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved us and delivered Himself up for us.

Christ was raised from the dead through the Glory of the Father,

so we too might walk in newness of life.

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that believing you may have life in His name.

He is risen, He is Christ our, King.

Jesus Christ is our Lord now and forever.