Easter Waltz (for mandolin orchestra) in Italy

Easter Waltz (mp3 at SoundCloud) (pdf score)

Today marks the 3rd time my Easter Waltz has appeared in this blog, the second time in its arrangement for mandolin orchestra. In March 2009 I posted a violin and guitar recording of the basic tune that Erik Sessions and I apparently made at Patrice Pakiz's house in Minneapolis. This blog post also features one of my all-time favorite photos from So Many Tunes, taken in New Harmony, Indiana.

Then in November of 2010 I shared a fine recording made by my friends in the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra. They, by the way, have a big concert coming up next weekend featuring special guests Carlo Aonzo and Rene Izquierdo.

Last week I received an email from the Orchestra a Plettro Sanvitese (pictured above) letting me know about a recent concert recording of the piece. I believe they are playing it again today, along with my Highlandville, May 14, 2004 and Cathedral Hill. If you follow the mp3 link above you will find yourself at the Orchestra's SoundCloud page which includes links to other concert recordings of these pieces as well.

I am so honored that musicians around the world continue to choose to play my pieces, whether in groups or as individuals. If you are a member of a mandolin ensemble and haven't yet checked out the mandolin orchestra music page at my Mandotopia site, please take a look. I have several more recent pieces that I need to add to the list but there may be something there that you and your friends would enjoy playing. Help yourself!

Suit Yourself

Suit Yourself (mp3) (pdf)

I pulled this tune from 2011 out of the stack this morning and spent a little time adding a few notes and subtracting others. Maybe I improved it, maybe not. See what you think.

The Ice Wagon Cometh

The Ice Wagon Cometh (mp3) (pdf) (pdf-harmony)

Written on a cold day near the end of 2013, this schottische-like tune led me to a memory of my father. Once in a while my Dad would mention that his father (who died not long after I was born) had driven an ice wagon back in the 1920s. He had fond memories of sometimes riding along with him.

The photo above is from the Harry Lemen Historic Photo Collection, housed at the Madison-Jefferson County Public Library (Madison, Indiana). Madison is only an hour or so upriver from Clarksville and the wagon in the photo might have been very similar to the one that my father would have known.

Recorded today, a cold, rainy day in April with a Martin guitar and a Lafferty mandolin. I'm also including a harmony part suitable for a second mandolin, violin or any other treble clef instrument.

Deer Track, June 5, 2013

Deer Track, June 5, 2013 (mp3) (pdf)

Another previously unrecorded Deer Track from last summer's Kickstarter project. I had real fun writing this one and it was nice to revisit it again last night.