High Flight (2024)

Voicing: TTBB Accompanied

Text: John Gillespie Magee Jr.

Vocal Ranges:

  • Tenor 1: C3-G4

  • Tenor 2: C3-E4

  • Bass/Baritone: C3-D4

Premiere: UNL Varsity Chorus; Dr. Peter Eklund conductor; Mar 7, 2024; St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Lincoln, NE

Program Notes: "High Flight" is recognized as one of the first published poems of WWII, written by fighter pilot John G. Magee Jr. about his early experiences above the clouds. Months after the poem was published, 19-year-old Magee Jr. died tragically in a training exercise, and the poem assumed an added layer of meaning. The text was no longer simply about literal flight, but about the vibrancy and freedom of youth. "High Flight" has since been used several times to commemorate individuals who died before their time. It was quoted most famously by President Ronald Reagan following the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

My Heart Leaps Up (2022)

Voicing: TTBB A Cappella

Text: William Wordsworth

Vocal Ranges:

  • Tenor: D3-G4

  • Baritone: A2-D4

  • Bass: G2-C4

Premiere: Omne Vox; Todd Krier, conductor; Jul 17, 2022; St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Lincoln, NE

Program Notes: This text reflects on the timeless beauty of nature. The narrator reminds us that we should aspire to remain inspired until the end of our time on earth. He grants us permission to rest our minds and submit to something greater than ourselves. Only in our surrender can we discover infinite wonder.

The Four Horsemen (2019)

Voicing: SATB Accompanied

Texts: Laurence Binyon, Wilfred Owen, Jane Taylor, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and The Book of Revelation

Vocal Ranges:

  • Soprano: C4-F5

  • Alto: Bb3-C5

  • Tenor: C3-F4

  • Bass: Bb2-C4

Premiere: Frostburg State University Choral Artists & Wind Ensemble; Ash Glenn, conductor; Nov 21, 2021; Pealer Performing Arts Center, Frostburg, MD

When You Are Old (2019)

Voicing: SATB Accompanied

Text: W.B. Yeats

Vocal Ranges:

  • Soprano: B3-G5

  • Alto: A3-Bb4

  • Tenor: C3-G4

  • Bass: G2-D4