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Sleep, little baby, sleep;
The holy Angels love thee,
And guard thy bed, and keep
A blessed watch above thee.
No spirit can come near
Nor evil beast to harm thee:
Sleep, Sweet, devoid of fear
Where nothing need alarm thee.
The Love which doth not sleep,
The eternal Arms surround thee:
The Shepherd of the sheep
In perfect love hath found thee.
Sleep through the holy night,
Christ-kept from snare and sorrow,
Until thou wake to light
And love and warmth tomorrow.
Christina Rossetti
1 July 1853
Recent Works & Performances
Sleep, Little Baby, Sleep (2010)
A setting of a Christina Rossetti Christmastide poem that has received more than 40 performances
by over 20 choirs in 2010 including: St. Martin's Chamber Choir, International Festival Choir of Singapore, The Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and Albany Pro Music.
[available in SATB (piano & a cappella), SSA, SAB & TTBB; also arranged for horn; string quartet; & chamber orchestra]; SATB & SSA published by Hal Leonard
Christmas Eve and Before (2010)
Additional settings of a Christina Rossetti Christmastide poems commissioned by the St. Martin's Chamber Choir and premiered in 2010.
[available in SATB (a cappella & piano), SSA & TTBB]
Into the Light (2010)
Work for SSAATB chorus & piano (also available for chamber orchestra) with a text
based on vocal sounds; commissioned and premiered by the Philadelphia Boy's
Choir & Chorale.
Five Nights in Sofia for violin & piano (2010)
Work for violin & piano based on Bulgarian Folk Songs to be premiered in New York June, 2011
Da Coyote Gets da Boid (2010)
Work for solo timpani published by HoneyRock Music
Alzheimer's Stories for soloists, chorus & large ensemble (2010)
A commission from the Susquehanna Valley Chorale with a libretto
by Herschel Garfein based on recollections of chorus members and
friends with relatives who've had the dreaded disease. Premiered
10/9/09 at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts with the
Susquehanna Valley Chorale conducted by Dr. William Payn. Recorded
for broadcast by PBS television station WVIA for broadcast in
November 2009. Published by C.F. Peters
An Ant's World (2009)
A work for marimba (4 hands) in four movements that imagines a day in the life of an ant; published by HoneyRock Music, numerous performances worldwide.
Ho Hosanna (2008)
Setting of Hosanna for Children's Choir commissioned by ChildrenSong
of New Jersey; (available SSA & SATB); premiere 12/8/08; additional performances by Church of the Redeemer chorus & Pro Arte Chorale December 2008.
Sing with Me (2008)
A five movement work for SATB & soloists & piano (also available for piano, percussion & synthesizer) commissioned
by the Pro Arte Chorale of NJ & the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation with an
original libretto by Maria V.S. Seigenthaler based on interviews with chorus
members as to why they sing; premiere 3/13/09
The Mysterious Transformation of Johann B. (2008)
Three movements for Clarinet & Percussion; published by HoneyRock Music 2009 and winner of 2008 Composers Circle Award. Premier by Messiah College Percussion Ensemble 12/1/08; University of Southern Florida Percussion Ensemble, 4/6/09
Homeland Security Suite (2007)
A six movement suite for a variety of percussion instruments inspired by the Homeland Security Alert System; premiered October 11, 2007 by the Ithaca College Percussion Ensemble; published by HoneyRock Music 2007
My New York (2007)
Original choral setting for children's choir commissioned by the New York Children's Aid Society Chorus premiered 5/17/07 Ethical Culture Society New York.
The Serenity Prayer (2006)
A cappella choral setting of well-known text; premiered 4/20/07
Gonzaga University Choir; Kansas City Women's Chorus.
Tiktaalik (2006)
A ballet for percussion ensemble; premiered 4/10/07 by the Kean University Percussion Ensemble as part of the Ars Vitalis concert series; published by HoneyRock Music 2007
Ode to a Toad (2006)
A cappella choral work set to a poem by Thomas Patrick Seigenthaler (available in SATB, SSA & SA)
premiered 6/2/07 by ChildrenSong of NJ; Southern Nazarene University
Of Eternity Considered as a Closed System (2006)
A song cycle for chorus and chamber orchestra set to the poems of Hyam Plutzik - commissioned by the Plutzik/Goldwasser Foundation; premiered
2/5/07 by Westfield Symphony and Pro Arte Chorale, Carnegie Hall; European premiere 12/1/08 Bulgarian National Opera chorus & orchestra, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Three Spirituals (2005)
Commissioned by the Foundation for Universal Sacred Music; premiered Ethical Culture Society, NY; October 2005; Musica Sacra, Chicago Chamber Chorus, Northwestern University chorus 2007.
Edison Invents for Baritone and Orchestra (2005)
Commissioned by the Westfield Symphony and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; premiered Union County Arts Center; April, 2005
Genesis Part I: Creation and Part 1V: Noah (2004)
Premiered Southern Nazarene University, May 2005; and at Carnegie Hall by the Philadelphia Boy's Choir & Chorale 2009
String Quartet # 2 "A Day in the Life" (2004)
Sponsored by the Geraldine R Dodge Foundation; premiered in conjunction with the Freespace Dance Company and N.J Music Society,
Montclair State University September, 2004
Sprig of Lilac for Chorus (2003)
A cappella setting of Hyam Plutzik poem; premiered St. Martin's Chamber Choir, Denver CO; CONCORA; available on the St. Martin's Chamber Choirs recent release "The Unknown Masterpiece (Cygnus 007), 2004; CONCORA 2006, 2007; Eastman School of Music 2007.
Peter Quince at the Clavier for Chorus (2002)
A cappella setting of Wallace Stevens's poem premiered New Jersey Oratorio Society, Cayuga Vocal Ensemble, 2003; CONCORA & Bel Canto 2005.
Suburb (book and score) (2000)
Off-Broadway Musical; winner 2000 American Academy of Arts and
Letters Richard Rodgers Award; York Theatre, New York, NY; Alleyway
Theatre, Buffalo, NY; Long Beach Playhouse, Long Beach, CA; Red
Herring Theatre, Columbus, OH; Elden Street Players, Herndon, VA;
Main Street Theatre, Houston, TX, Heidelberg, Germany: winner of the
Artie Award for Best Musical of 2000; nominated for the Lucille
Lortel Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama League Award for
Best Musical of 2001.