Breaking into a New Year

It has been quite some time since I have written an entry on this blog, so I thought it prudent to give an update on some past musical events of 2025 and those upcoming in 2026.

NEW WORKS

2025 was an eventful year at my parish of St. Peter’s, bringing about the composition of a couple of new works that I would like to mention here.  I premiered a new setting of Psalm 27: The Lord Is My Light on February 2^nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, or “Candlemas.”  This setting was composed in memory of an especially courageous parishioner and friend, Laura Greco.  A solo recording of this setting can be found at the piece’s feature page here.

In March of ’25, our former pastor, Fr. Tom Chevalier, retired, inspiring a new processional entitled In Thanksgiving.  This piece premiered on Fr. Tom’s final weekend at St. Peter’s.  You can view the video I made to teach this piece to our parish below, and you can learn more about the piece here.

NEW INSTRUMENT

New console at St. Peter's

The above video was made using our former organ at St. Peter’s, which, unfortunately, had been gradually failing since before I began my tenure at the parish.  Although I had become fairly adept at working around the instrument’s many problems, it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so.  I am happy to report that one of Fr. Tom’s parting gifts to us was to sign a contract with Kerner & Merchant Organ Builders to acquire and install for St. Peter's a historic, 3-manual, 4-division Tellers pipe organ from a closing synagogue in Syracuse, NY.  (It is providential that a large donation came in from a parishioner at the same time this organ became available!)  As I write this, our console has been delivered, and the choir division is being raised in the church loft.  I am sure to have more to announce regarding the premiere performance and dedication of this instrument as we continue into 2026.

NEW LIFE TO OLD WORKS

A couple of older compositions of mine were also given some new life in 2025.  You Are Peter, composed for St. Peter’s 175^th Anniversary Year in 2014, got its Midwest premiere in April of ’25 in the Chicago area, where it was used as the Communion hymn for a Mass in memory of Pope Francis at St. Theresa’s Church in Palatine, Illinois.  You can learn more about this piece here.

My 2019 piece for flute and cello, Cumulus Reverie, was recorded beautifully in 2025 by Duo Envol (Melanie Chirignan and Laura Melnicoff), who have been performing the piece around the Capital Region for years.  Tiny Planet Productions then created a truly fantastic animated video to accompany the recording, directed by Breanna Carpico. The video was premiered at a workshop at Saratoga Springs Public Library in November 2025.  This project was made possible thanks to a grant awarded by Saratoga Arts. You can view the animated video below, and you can learn more about Cumulus Reverie here.

NEW CHALLENGES

After all of this, 2025 ended for me with a bang… literally.  On December 23^rd, I slipped on ice in my driveway, dislocating and fracturing my right arm at the elbow.  In addition to being very physically painful, this accident caused me to miss my first Christmas at St. Peter’s in 24 years.  At home, my children stepped up and helped my wife to finish our holiday preparations, and we were able to have a lovely family Christmas, even though I was laid up.  I appear to be healing well, so far.  I am still relying on excellent substitute pianists to accompany our liturgies at St. Peter’s while the healing takes place, and I have resumed most of my other parish duties, including rehearsing our choir.  I am eternally grateful to my wife and kids for their support and love during this time, as well as the incredible support of our parish, our choir, and our new pastor, Fr. James Ebert.  I am hopeful that I will be playing again in the coming weeks, a reason for hope in this new year of 2026.

NEW COMMISSION

Despite my injury, I was able to complete composition on a newly commissioned choral work that will premiere in 2026.  This new piece, Abounding in Love, composed for SATB choir and piano with French horn obbligato, was commissioned by Festival Celebration Choir of Albany for their 40^th Anniversary Season.  The piece is a reflection on the abundant love of God, and will be premiered by Festival Celebration Choir, under the direction of Julie Panke, at their spring concert in May.  I look forward to attending this premiere in the spring. There will be more information to come as this event gets closer!

So, I have much to be thankful for from 2025, and plenty to look forward to in 2026.  I pray for you, dear reader, and I hope you didn’t “break” into the new year as I did!  Here’s to a year full of beautiful music making!