New catalog acceptance, new available score, and looking ahead

A few updates to share:

1. Several of my works are cross-listed on Project Encore, a catalog of previously performed choral music deemed to be of high quality by a panel of choral conductors. I'm pleased to announce that the most recent set of additions to Project Encore includes my piece Rise up, my love, a Hebrew setting of verses from the Song of Solomon, which IOCSF originally performed in 2012 and has since reprised in its current revised form.

2. In keeping with the spring season, a new piece of mine is available on my scores page: a setting of Horace's ode "Diffugere nives" in a style heavily influenced by Renaissance motets, but given my own spin with a little more harmonic movement and a 7/8 time signature. There has been no public performance of this one, but the skilled readers and singers of the First Readings Project have produced a very fine demo recording. The text reminds us to enjoy the pleasures of spring while remembering that our lives are fleeting and our time of enjoyment limited-- this last message unfortunately has only become more poignant with the present world situation.

3. Speaking of the present world situation, I am sheltering in place with my family like many of you, missing choral singing intensely, and thinking ahead to the time when the present crisis will have passed and we can gather together in person to make music again. I'm working on a couple of pieces whose texts speak to the fears we face now and offer hope for deliverance from those fears. More details hopefully soon.