Looking unto Jesus

Saints, this is a message I preached tonight at New Life Christian Center in San Marcos, Texas. I pray it blesses your spirit. May we learn what it truly means to "look unto Jesus", despite all the trouble and trials we face in life. He is faithful; He is strong to deliver and mighty to save.   

Toy Fugue in C Major

Here's a little fugue in C major I wrote for clavichord. The theme reminds me of ice cream, small toys and tiny trinkets. Nothing serious about the piece; I lost interest towards the end and concluded in the key of F-sharp major, not bothering to modulate it back to C. A prime example of my lack of discipline.

Brother Paul 

Dove Hunting!

Hello Saints, 

A few pictures my boss took of me on Saturday, when we were out dove hunting on his uncle's property. This is what we do when it gets slow at the funeral home. We had a great time; I missed every single bird I shot at. My boss shot down five! Must've been the shotgun I was using   All in all, it was a great time of fellowship and I pray the Lord save his soul one day. It is very good to develop honorable relationships with those who are unsaved, that the light of Christ might shine through you into the darkness.    

Missed again! No dinner tonight.

Keyboard Fugue in E Minor

This is a keyboard fugue I composed as a study in counterpoint. Fugues are great exercises for a composer to hone his/her skills in contrapuntal agility, kind of like a treadmill for a runner or a sketch pad for an artist. This particular fugue has three voices, each voice introduces the theme and modulates it interchangeably between episodes and expositions. See if you can hear each time the main theme comes into the music. The trick with fugues is to go through different keys without getting lost and arrive back at the tonic (in this case, E minor) for the conclusion. In between this, there's plenty of room for interludes and embellishments. I think it's fun to see where the music will take you. Have fun listening!

Here's another fugue, this one is in A minor. I'm having a lot of fun composing these! Fugues are like a puzzle and can pose a real challenge. In the middle of this one, I ventured into the key of D flat minor and had a pretty tough time getting out :) I hope you enjoy the music. I had this theme in my head for three days straight.

A Violin Concerto Dedicated to my Wife

This is a miniature violin concerto I dedicated to my wife. The painting is by Diego Velazquez (1599-1660), my favorite artist. My wife is of Spanish hertitage and I've flavored this piece with some special harmonic minor passages to give it a real Spanish/Mexican feel. I hope you enjoy it. The final movement is a little four-voice fugue - kind of a rarity for me since I don't normally employ fugal techniques in my writing. May God be praised and thanked for any edification derived from this music.

Brother Paul