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This is the 4th movement of my oratorio, End of Days. All recorded with software instruments, and some overdubbing of software choir by yours truly.

Set to video with lyrics:

https://youtu.be/Tpa_TBUmYWc

Comments are appreciated

Faith is a fickle thing. You may have scared folks off by being so open with yours. However, I'll stick to compositional aspects in my comments.

You've called this an oratorio, yet your finale is less than 5 minutes. I don't mean to split hairs but that strikes me more as cantata length. In this piece, you seem to rush through the earlier text until just shy of the 3 minute mark. It seems to me much more could have been done to illustrate the various names of your savior (which is one name I don't remember being mentioned in that section) in order to better illustrate his many roles in your religion. This would make your "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" part more satisfying (to me), as well as giving him more humanity. Also, the music is very grand and glorious, in my composing that kind of music needs to earn the right to that level of expression. We haven't heard the previous movements so it may already be there, still my impression from this movement is you've rushed to the finish.

I've heard this piece a few times now and the orchestration strikes me as obvious. Lots of trumpets at forte, not a lot of woodwinds (after the beginning). I get that this is a finale, but at least half the movement seems forte or louder and those times when it's not forte, seem but brief breaks. If the woodwinds are in there they've been drowned out by the brass. Give them some chances to be heard after the opening of the movement. Your players will appreciate it (even the brass who'll need to rest their lips). But I'm digressing back to a point already made.

If you've composed the previous movements let me congratulate you. I know how much work it is to put together a large scale piece. Is there the possibility of a performance?

Actually, this is not the finale, it is the 4th movement.

I appreciate your comments and taking the time to listen.

I know nothing of the genre but my sincere perception is that this would sound AWESOME live with real voices!

I thought that the music itself is just barely ok. Nothing memorable perse, here i am only referring to the orchestral sections and not the lyrical or the singing part although that I could barely make out may be its the software instruments. May be a live version would have made a better impression. But again on the main sections there wasnt much at all in terms of melody or motifs that stands out. I tried cheking out your other videos for other movements of this piece but i couldnt find it.

@ Albunea, thank you! I'll let you know if it ever happens

@ Steve, after re-reading your comments, I just wanted to say that the winds are playing mostly throughout this movement, so perhaps it's not clear enough in the mix. Working with software instruments is really tricky, and my goal with this was not to make it performance level, but to give an idea of how it sounds to a potential conductor should it ever be heard by one.

@PrimeNumberMystic I find your comments really discouraging. I went back and looked at how I responded to your prelude piece to make sure I was not as condescending as this (and I wasn't).

Genuine opinions are good, but whenever I critique a work I really try to offer positive feedback on what went well out of respect for the work the person put into it. That way it's balanced with the comments on what can be improved.

Sorry, but there was something missing in the music itself for such a dramatic title, was basically my point. I couldnt connect to it. This could be a matter of this style(oratorio) i don't know, havent listened much in this kind of style oratorio and this comment wasn't your ability to compose or anything like that. I tried to find other works you have done, even other movements on this piece i couldnt.
BTW your inputs to my piece, i thought, was really helpful and great.

Ok, I went and listened to this again and this is what i thought first and i am going along the same line, the first few moments are not that bad, ok you got my attention and then it pans out after 1:15 in to the piece and never again regains any steam in terms of the dramatic nature of the title. Also the strings around the 2 (2:10, 2;11) minute mark very weak in terms of melody and feels rushed in or an afterthought. needs some work on that.

Thank you for your comments. I will consider them in future compositions.

I don't have any other movements from this piece on youtube, and I've only recorded the 3rd movement from this. It's very time-consumming and the main purpose of recording is to hear how it may sound and to demo to a potential conductor - so not to perfectly record it. Obviously, I want to do my best in recording that I can to present it in a positive light.

If you're interested (but don't feel obligated), here is the recording of the 3rd movement. I sing both soprano parts, but it's intended as a duet . And the choir sings in "Ein feste Burg" in German, an old hymn.

https://app.box.com/s/2s8qk35d9fmiilsntgxxm436c70bcvru

The other movements are all on Finale, which is horrendous for playback purposes, so I'm not going to make those available.

Hi Morodiene, well done for this, big pat on the back. I know the amount of hours u have to put in to create this. I'm loving the part harmonies, particulary ur use of the dropped major 7th. Makes it quite John Williamsy, or James Hornery. For some reason the opening put me immediately onboard the Titanic lol. I think u could use more interesting keys generally, the opening is very much tonic-subdominant based, if it was me I'd go into keys such as Ab, Eb and Bb and weave back to G (the key is G right?). Also maybe chuck some Eb notes into ur Gmajor to make it [/i]really[i]John Williamsy! The middle section is very interesting, and the ending is impressive. Well done. I agree with other comments that it would be amazing for this to be performed in a concert. I would approach your local orchestra and/or local choir.

All the best

Mike

p.s. what software did u use?

@ Mikebat321 - Thank you! Part of keeping things very tonal was by design, since at the very end it's quite a chromatic journey. It's also preceded by a 1-2 minute recitative by the choir in a minor key which I didn't record because there were so many words, I knew it would be a struggle with the choir software. So I wanted to contrast of something very stable tonically for the subject matter.

I know it's hard to tell without the context, but to record all of this would be a huge task - and my hopes is that real people would do it instead. I have a few contacts I can approach to get this performed, but it's always a risk for groups to perform works by unknown composers because they may not draw a crowd like a famous composer would.

I used Hollywood Orchestra for all the instruments and EW Symphonic Choirs for choir. I also overdubbed the choir parts with my own singing (3 times per part) to give it a bit more presence and to help with the words. That software is so finicky, but it's really the only full choir that you can have sing specific words.

I'm with Albunea - YES!

You're talented, that's obvious. I'm a bit concerned though. You are a scholared musician, but at your level you should take lessons in composition as well. You know too much to stay satisfied over the years. If you want to grow as a composer, lessons by an experienced maestro will help you more than just writing piece after piece.

I'm not sure I understand what you're referring to. I am currently studying with a master composer.

In that case keep on studying.

I assume English is not your first language because if it was you would know how insulting and condescending this last comment was. People post their work here for constructive comments, let's please keep it that way.

A large scale work like an oratorio is a huge undertaking just to compose. To get a software rendition at least triples the amount of labor required for results that can't come close to the clarity and expressiveness real musicians could provide. I have never tried using a virtual choir, the virtual orchestras are hard enough to work with. It takes a lot of practice and effort. As for Erin's recording, I would suggest reducing the levels or the velocity of all the instruments to see if that lends greater clarity. It seems the brass are playing unrealistically loud much of the time, real players would try to preserve their lips (and get a richer rounder sound).

Erin, how many movements are you anticipating to this piece and what would its overall length be?

Thank you, Steve.

I think that part of the problem is in the mix. I know next to nothing about mixing, and someone had mixed another piece I did (an arrangement of Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre for two sopranos, choir and orchestra) that made a huge difference in the sound. So I will see if this kind person would be willing to take a stab at this piece as well and if so, I will repost.

I say this because I am fairly certain the velocity layers and the Expression curves are quite varied in the brass - perhaps they need even more variation, but I'd like to explore the mix option after hearing how much it changed the other file.

The entire piece will have 5 movements, and will be about 30 minutes playing time total:

I. The Resurrection - for Tenor, Baritone and Bass solo, choir and orchestra

II. Day of Wrath
...A. Warning to the Seven Churches- Recitative for solo Baritone
...B. Dies Irae - for choir and orchestra

III. For God So Loved the World - for two sopranos, choir and orchestra

IV. The Second Coming - choir and orchestra
...A. Armageddon - Recitative (this was not a part of the recording)
...B. Rider on a White Horse
...C. White Throne Judgment

V. New Heaven and New Earth

The first 4 movements are complete (although I'm still doing edits on II). I'm still working on the 5th movement, which starts out with a soprano duet and ends in a double fugue with the choir and tutti orchestra.

This movement has obviously more depth in orchestration and i was able to see how this can come alive nicely with real live performances of the orchestra section blending in with the choir and soprano parts. Overall very nice!