How did I start writing choral music?

Since childhood, I’ve kept a notebook of musical ideas that would maybe turn into pieces. One evening I spent 15 minutes “trying to write” something, but the results were disappointing. Nothing was happening. So I went out for a walk. I locked the door of the apartment, then the building, and just as I was about to turn the corner, I heard this beautiful piece in 4 parts.

I thought to myself, “I’ll just write it down when I get home”, but suddenly I heard a voice that said,

“No, go back and write it down now. Don’t wait until you get back or you’ll forget it.”

So I go back up to my room and quickly jot down this piece in 4 parts. The page seemed to fill up all by itself. When the wave of inspiration had passed, I thought “This is a lovely piece of choral music, but I don’t direct any choruses, nor sing in any choral groups.” Five years later I was directing 4 choral groups per week. I thought, “This lovely choral piece needs words.” So I took a piece of paper and started to jot down ideas at my kitchen table. Before I knew it, there were 7 stanzas. I put the words into the choral octavo and brought it to my chorus the following week.

A Christmas Madrigal was my first choral work and was the beginning of my journey as a composer into this most glorious of musical worlds.