# The Snow Man



## Guest

Here is a recording of my first choral work, _The Snow Man_, set to the Wallace Stevens poem. Enjoy!


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https://soundcloud.com/jeffreynicholas%2Fthe-snow-man


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## Crudblud

For a guy who doesn't really like choral music, this is a pleasant surprise. I think the harmonies are exquisite.


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## PetrB

Hearty congratulations! 

This is within a tradition, including the current choral tradition of 'conservative modern' harmonic vocabulary, yet avoids sounding directly like anyone else working within that same arena. 

The word-painting is quite effective, the writing quite assured, and that you have completely avoided anything remotely sounding Whitachords-like is refreshing.

You should be quite pleased with the work, and what you've made here.

And nothing like a handy chorus of well-trained colleagues to aid and abet the crime  Your performers are also to be commended.


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## Guest

Thanks crudblud, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Your analysis is quite good, PetrB, and I completely agree with the conservative modern quip! It was a very difficult piece to write since I had never set music to words before, but thankfully I had a great teacher to help me out. I tend to think contrapuntally because yes, Whitachords are starting to oversaturate the market (even though I do enjoy them to a point). And yes, the choir did a wonderful job. I will definitely be writing them more music in the future.


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## PetrB

Jeff N said:


> Thanks crudblud, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
> 
> Your analysis is quite good, PetrB, and I completely agree with the conservative modern quip! It was a very difficult piece to write since I had never set music to words before, but thankfully I had a great teacher to help me out. I tend to think contrapuntally because yes, Whitachords are starting to oversaturate the market (even though I do enjoy them to a point). And yes, the choir did a wonderful job. I will definitely be writing them more music in the future.


Whether under tutelage / supervision or no, as a first choral piece this is that much more impressive. You are, then, in this genre just at the beginning, and your first outing with it holds that much greater promise for your next choral piece.

You can only say 'thank you' for whatever innate ability you had walking in the door, but have every right to congratulate yourself on the hard work and application which have brought you to this current state of results.

I hope you took a decent and well-deserved bow at the first performance


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## Guest

PetrB said:


> Whether under tutelage / supervision or no, as a first choral piece this is that much more impressive. You are, then, in this genre just at the beginning, and your first outing with it holds that much greater promise for your next choral piece.
> 
> You can only say 'thank you' for whatever innate ability you had walking in the door, but have every right to congratulate yourself on the hard work and application which have brought you to this current state of results.
> 
> I hope you took a decent and well-deserved bow at the first performance


Thanks PetrB  Writing this piece and hearing it performed has spurred me to write more choral works. It really is a great genre and there are so many sound possibilities. I already have ideas for new and more adventurous pieces and knowing they'll get played is exciting. Now I have the confidence to go out and write better music!


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## mmsbls

I thoroughly enjoyed the work. Thanks for posting.

The title seems rather appropriate for the weather at Eastern now.


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## Ravndal

Beautiful 

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## Guest

Thanks guys  I'm hard at work setting another Wallace Stevens poem, but my treatment of it is going to be much more avant-garde than The Snow Man. 

And if all goes right, mmsbls, I'll be staying in the area a lot longer since I just passed prescreening at the University of Michigan! So here's hoping to many more snowy years!


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## mmsbls

Jeff N said:


> And if all goes right, mmsbls, I'll be staying in the area a lot longer since I just passed prescreening at the University of Michigan! So here's hoping to many more snowy years!


Congratulations and Go Blue!


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## PetrB

Jeff N said:


> I just passed prescreening at the University of Michigan!


Congratulations, you're in one of the right places for what you do and what you want to further learn / investigate. Work hard and enjoy... there is nothing like school, so very real but not at all real life, it is wonderful -- that is, until you've "had enough" of it


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## Forte

Wow, that's just inspiring.

Keep writing music, will be eager to listen to more that you come up with


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## Anterix

Very good music! Very inspired.


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## Pennypacker

What an annoying piece, not once did it go where I expected it!


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## contra7

Fantastic piece, really beautiful!! I expect more choral works from you!


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## Fried fifer

Very nice work, simple but smart and elegant. Congrats on the school.


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