For this Christmas here is a dramatic Fantasia for Instrumental Quartet based on the old English carol God Rest You Merry Gentlemen. It is an eclectic fusion of Classical music and 1950's Free Jazz and West Indian/Caribbean rhythms with exuberance and pulse. It is in verse-refrain form, but is very freely treated and each of the four verses is wholly unique. Every single note is written to express, and sometimes expand upon, the word of the text at that point in time. There is an irregular meter which changes every few bars using 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, and 7/4 but always maintaining a strong pulse. It contains abrupt changes in dynamics and a rubato tempo with many markings of articulation. This is a challenging work with dynamic results.
19 page score, 4 pages each part; 35 pages total
4:45 minutes

The Queen's Gambit is a miniseries that Netflix released in October 2020, and it quickly became one of their most-watched shows around the world.

Show aside, it has one of the most exciting musical scores, with the title number being my absolute favorite of the entire soundtrack, written by Carlos Rafael Rivera.

Scored for 3 Bb and bass clarinets or 4 Bb clarinets.

Geared for the more advanced groups, this piece is on fire from start to finish. At under 2 minutes, your quartet will have quite the workout. This would be a great opener or closer for your concerts.

Duration: 1.75 minutes

Clarinet Quartet: 2 B-flat Clarinets, Alto Clarinet or Basset Horn, Bass Clarinet.

This arrangement for advanced players aims to present Edvard Grieg's well-known piano miniature as faithfully as possible for a clarinet quartet. The only simplification I've made is to transpose it up half a step from the original D major. It's a musically satisfying teaching piece that will also delight audiences in a "solos and ensembles" concert, or as music for a wedding. The prominent Alto Clarinet part can alternatively be played on Basset Horn.

In 2019, during my stay at Chapada dos Veadeiros in Goi�s, Brazil, I went in search of the flavor of the local coffee. Xinguara was recommended to me, which inspired me to compose ten songs, this being the first composition in this series. In this version for Clarinet Quartet, the rhythmic and harmonic elements of these two genres, the bai�o and the maxixe, are mixed and result in an interesting conversation between the instruments, alternating their accompaniment and solo functions. A fun, uncomplicated piece that gives the listener the energy of a caf� in the Brazilian cerrado. Try it !!!