ARS Masterclass in Recorder Composition Bears Fruit With New Musical Work

Over the course of the spring, the ARS and NAVRS worked together to present a pair of recorder composition masterclasses, given by ARS commissioned composer Harvey Stokes, to students at both Hampton and Alcorn State Universities. 80 students participated, and 7 submitted original works for review. One of the submitted works, “March Forth” by Hampton sophomore Melvin Miller, was such a strong work that it was accepted for inclusion in the ARS Digital Library. It can be found here.

Of the work, Miller says “I wanted to make something that felt powerful. I always love a good and punchy ostinato bass line, so I used the Great Bass, and Contrabass Recorders to build that underlying forward-moving energy, with the Alto and Tenor emphasizing them. My main focus with this song came especially from experimenting with rhythm and using it to maintain the song’s overall momentum. Within the seemingly aggressive melodies, I made sure to add a softer feeling of rest during the bridge and the ending.”

“March Forth” is an upbeat, infectious piece scored for SATBCbGb, and works great for a sextet or orchestra. The ARS DEI committee is proud to have played a role in bringing this work to life and highly encourages local chapters to give it a play!