Big fan !
Harmony, Melody, orchestration : all is very very good.
Congratulations !

Great composition & arrangement .. my full support & admiration

Cheers

Excellent arrangement & orchestration..

A beautiful short piece, it deserves more development.
One of the main points to highlight is the woods orchestration and specially the clarinet and basoon lines. The counterpoint is nice, joyfull and,if not fully baroque but more contemporary at the tecnique, is an example of good balance in the voice leading. When the stings come into scene one expects a full reexposition a new variations but infortunalelly the piece ends too short.
Also to point that the sound quality has improved a lot over older pieces.
I should like that this inspirated and beautifull suite to be fully completed. Is worth to complete the little remaninig work in progrees to achieve a full finished GREAT piece.
Luis

A powefull main theme in the Opening and reexposed in the Conclusion, with rich rythmical, timbric and armonic textures (great sound on the Bones). The quick phrasing continues along the development as an expansive progresion until the transition at about the first minute. where one can perceive an incipient B theme that apperars more clear at about 1:38 with different orchestral flavours, such as a nice dialog of Strings ant Trumpets. The overall perception is tjhat of continuous movement, maybe it was your intention at the concepcion of the piece. Only I miss the formal conclusion that problably is under construction.
An original approach. since is not fully descriptive music. neither pure conceptual music, but that can fit in both.

This movement has captivated my attention, not only because of its beauty, but mainly for the fact that if is the part of the Requiem where you assume the more risk, by innovatiion, mainly in the harmony. While in other movements the consequent phrase is more or less predictable (if you are used to Vivaldi, Haendel or Vienna School) in this one you are surprised (gratelfully) on the variation and originality of the language not only the harmony but the structue is innovative for a Requiem Mass. This one should be more closely related to that of Karl Jenckins than to the one of Mozart.

It is difficult to grasp with Special Relativity, and also not so easy to escape from the gravitation of topics in film music. But your approximation is at least original. Again you do good job with the brass and with a nice "newtonian" Pipe Organ, that puts the counterpoint to the tension of atonal landscapes.

How deep is space ? who knows. But surely the "voyage" should have a descriptive sound like this yours. I find this piece a nice companion to a ScFi movie. But apart from that is also a great composition with clear references to the greats (see the ostinato tremolo of strings Bruckner like, or the Brass blocks as in 0:57 a la Copland). The exposition creates some kind of tension that finds a melodic resolution with the nice flute phrase at 2:37. The conclusion, since second minute is really very good.
Luis

Like a lot this piece. It is very well structured and very clever in the exposition of the themes with different orquestration techniques ( Excelent Orquestration BTW) giving both continuity and variety. Just to put in a few words; Inspiration and Sensibility for the themes, Inteligent Creativity for the Structural exposition and the Orchestration and a hard work behind to make it shine as a master piece.
(I am very fond on English Composers of mid XX Century as oposed to the more chromatic German school. And while hearing this piece I felt this spirit as a background over wich your piece takes form in an original form with clear roots in the tradition.

Hey Karen, I saw the video my mom linked of this performed, and I don't know if you were able to see my comment. This is one of my favorite songs in the world, and hearing your arrangement made my day. ^_^
I've been trying to create some original, haunting Christmas songs, because I feel like that's a strain we've lost in sacred music, but it makes me appreciate the classics more... -_-;

Despite of the classical form of the Scherzo ABA and the ternary rhythm in the A theme, the contrasting B is in four beats (don´t worry Mahler also did it). I say so becouse despite it is one of the more contemporary harmonically speaking somewhat reminds me the "grotesque" approach that same you and Mahler give to the Scherzos.
Brilliant composition.

Original composition, but the orchestration has some holes of spectral tone in several parts, maybe that was your intention but maybe you do not have Wagnerian tubes to complete the full spectrum in the brass.
As always it is clear that your harmonic and melodic skills are remarkable.

No doubt you have heard Mozart, Verdi, Fauré or Berlioz Requiems.
Yours is an emotion full piece, while you take the acquired orchestral technique from the masters, the developement is somewhat linear, no big challenges or dynamics found in such an emotive Requiem, except the changes in minute 10 and 18 and also the (looks like interrupted) conclusion.

I also lost my father over ten years ago, and composed a short piece "Daylight Moon" the funeral day. Just to express my feelings.

You did it as you felt and in several passages I also suffered and was comforted by your human feelings.

"Cantique de Noël" from the French "Adolph Adam" is one of my favorite Christmas pieces ever. You have started somewhat close to the original score and nothing new until second minute where the Brass put the right colors over the melody. It makes a different feel from the original, more in the Post Romantic style of orchestration. A nice piece to listen again with a different touch.

Really nice Fanfare, good harmony counterpoint and a classical orchestration for the Brass.
I agree with the influences you say to have, but I should put more influence in the technique that you achieve personally through the listen and study of the same and universal background that is the Classical Music.