Commissions

Your group may commission me for a new piece of music. A commission should be an enjoyable collaborative process as composer and commissioner decide together the length of the piece, style and difficulty level of piece appropriate to the group and/or premiere event, text choices if the piece is for voices, and all other pertinent details. A premiere date will need to be set, and, to truly make the commission mean something, the composer should not only be at the premiere, but also spend a few days leading up to the premiere to meet the musicians, board members and other officials of the group, the public and perhaps school groups as well. When a piece is commissioned the choir will own exclusive performance rights for the premiere and for further performances for a given period of time, honored with a dedication at the top of the manuscript which will also be included if the score is published commercially, and so on.

Much of the detail work for a commission can be negotiated informally at first, but once a general agreement has been reached on the basics, a contract should be written so that both parties know their obligations to each other. You may either present your own contract or use one which I have prepared.

Another important aspect is that the composer should never be late in submitting the finished piece. I pride myself on submitting commissions on time and even early in many cases.

Contact Paul Carey for pricing and details regarding commissions, music published, perusal scores and music purchases:

       paul@paulcarey.net 

Commissions for the 2010-2011 concert season:

Christmas Bells, commissioned by Northern Arizona University for their 36th Annual Holiday Dinner, Dr. Edie Copley, director

May I be Happy and Clap Your Hands, commissioned by the Hong Kong International School, David Baldwin, director

Rain and Paint the Stars, commissioned by the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory Children's choir, directed by Robyn Lana

Sail Away, commissioned by Dr. Lisa Fredenburgh, choral director of Aurora College

The following recent pieces have been successfully premiered and contract fulfilled. They are now available to other choirs to perform:

Commissions for the 2009-2010 concert season:

Missa Brevis Incheon,   commissioned by the Incheon City Chorale, Dr. Hak-wan Yoon, director
 

Voices of  Earth, commissioned by the Briar Cliff University Singers, directed by Dr. Sean Burton

Endless Worlds, commissioned by the Jacobs High School Music Boosters, Andrew Collins, choir director

Commissions completed for the 2008-2009 concert season:

Into this World (Four Choral Seasons), a large-scale four movement work for The Festival Choir (Madison, Wisconsin) was premiered February 28, 2009 with Paul Carey conducting. The texts are about the seasons of our lives and are by Elinor Wylie, Robert Louis Stevenson, an adaptation of a Rilke text, and Natalie Goldberg.

Ezekiel Saw de Wheel

Done Found my Lost Sheep

I Got a Robe

These three a cappella SATB African-American Spiritual arrangements were premiered May 2009 by the Upper St Clair (PA) HS Pantheon Choir, directed by Lorraine Milovac

Prairie Songs (SATB/piano, no divisi) with delightful texts by Carl Sandburg was premiered April 25, 2009by The Hinsdale (IL)  Chorale, directed by Gordon Krauspe