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What a nice piece. Tonal, but quite adventurously so. An absolutely fascinating ending, by the way.

I really enjoyed this piece. You seem to have learnt your composition lessons well. I loved how dynamic the work was, and you seem to have used the instruments to the best potential. Just a couple of nits to pick - it really does feel like that, very minor: 1. Non vibrato is not the best way to ask for no vibrato to be used. Senza vibrato or senza vibr. is better - senza in Italian means "without." Non in Italian in this context would mean "not." Of course it's up to you, the instrumentalists will understand your intention either way, it's just one is better Italian than the other. 2. Slurs in a pizzicato passage are superfluous. I'd remove them if I were you. It's literally impossible to slur between two pizzicato notes. Keep going with your lessons! You're doing great.

Hey everybody! Thanks very much for all your comments! Happy New Year!

I still plan on submitting one more piece, although I don't want to submit it too late to give people time to review it. I think we can wait perhaps till after the weekend to finalize the Christmas Event to give everyone time to review! Thanks for the idea!

I double checked the submission thread and now I think I have accomplished my reviews on all submissions of the participants. Did I forgot anyone? And – Christmas seems to be a busy time – where are all the other reviewers? I posted 20 reviews but received only seven ones (for two submissions)? Perhaps the deadline for finishing the reviews should be extended? However, it was again a great fun for me (even combined with some effort) to participate in that event. Thanks for organizing!

Hello @Fugax Contrapunctus, I discovered your YouTube videos a few years ago when I was looking for new/original compositions concerning fugues and counterpoint. In your channel information I found the link to the Young Composers Forum and so I have to thank you, consequently, that I am here today! Since my own compositional style or approach is counterpuntual, too, I’m very interested in your work and have been following—albeit quietly—your transition from piano/harpsichord fugues to the increasingly vocal-oriented works in the last years. I’m still „stuck“ with my piano project composing 24 preludes and fugues in the form of the WTC, and so I usually write 3- or 4-part fugues (and for now, one with 6 parts). With this experience in mind, writing an 8-part counterpoint cannot be overstated, since you’re literally running out of notes if the voice leading is not organized cleverly. I don’t want to repeat the comments and what you stated yourself about a capella choirs, but there is no instrumentation comparable with the clarity and expressiveness of the human voice. There have been lots of inventions and improvements in instrument building during the centuries, but in my opinion, the achievement was more and more a better blending of that instruments and the introduction of different „noises“ and effects (as one can do with a full symphonic orchestra), but the focus on the „voice“ itself has been lost by that development. So I appreciate the revival of the skills of the Baroque and even the Renaissance era, to transfer them to the present day, possibly in combination with contemporary elements. For me, the most valuable submission to this 2025 Christmas event.

It's amazing how perfectly these two Christmas carols blend together, and not only might you be confused about which song you're working on, but the listener is surely confused too, but in a very pleasant way. Someone might therefore maliciously say that Christmas carols are all the same, but this example proofs that it is really the case, in their universality of the gospel. Yes, there are some slightly dissonances which I like very much, so that the piece doesn’t become „to sweet“.

Thanks! I do wonder if it maybe it would also work at a slower tempo. A brass ensemble playing this outside a church on a chilly, snowy Christmas Eve is exactly the sort of image I was trying to conjure here. Thanks for listening, and for your comments!

After listening your second Christmas carol mashup and following the score I must say you have „invented“ or „promoted“ a very interesting „new genre“ of counterpuntual composition (at least for me). The exciting thing about it is, that the listener usually doesn’t notice the elaboration needed to achieve the mashup. They hear melodies, harmonies, and phrases that are familiar to them, but at the same time something unexpected is happening. I called it „new genre“ since you do not combine single voices together, such as in a canon or a double fugue, but take phrases of two to four voices, which are already harmonized together, and put them against similar phrases from the other carol, thus creating a counterpoint not only of voices but of – to say choirs. That's amazing and very inspiring!

I very enjoyed to listen to this entertaining and festive piece. I cannot give an „explanation“ about the things behind the form, just have an imagination: The A section of the scherzo could be called „anticipation and impatience“, like children playing around before Christmas presents are handed out. In the B section of the scherzo, Santa Claus is standing at the door and suddenly knocks (in bar 29). The trio section for me is the „dance of the reindeer on the ice“ (haha).

@Kvothe Thanks for the info. hmm I’m new to this music tech stuff, i’m gonna have to look all that stuff up later. I think Suno would be very expedient and helpful to composers to lay out their vision and blueprints completed real fast and then have everyone on the team hear the creation then all work together with the same goal and sound that was already created to practice and perform it live. If i was a real composer I would use suno to supplement my skills and bring my vision to life so I already have something to show the team and it will make coordination faster. I could even just send them my creation before we even meet at all so they already know and we would all be on the same page whether they liked it or wanted some revisions done. A lot of work would have already happened before the live rehearsal, a lot of time would be saved too.

Ok sometimes it's 6 weeks, other times it's 3 months haha Ferrum being the true lieder he is and coming in clutch with the words... cool stuff! It'll be interesting to hear what you guys come up with

Another short, funny piece! You could imagine it being played endlessly on a loop at a children's carousel at a Christmas market. Thank you very much, have fun, and happy New Year.

Despite the dispute about the usage of AI in a YCF event, I must admit that this song comes well polished and can be clearly categorized as a „mainstream“ Christmas piece. Will say, there is nothing wrong with it and I really enjoyed listening several times. Since the purpose of this forum is discussing about the creation of music in the sense of harmonics, voice leading, rhythm, form, score engraving etc. it is difficult to give more response than explaining the personal taste on your submission. However, thank you for sharing and a Happy New Year.

Ha, a fugue, that’s something for me! It's fun to hear how you've transformed this a bit hackneyed song into a baroque, festive harpsichord performance. The use of running sixteenth notes in the counter-subject, and especially in the interludes, creates a nice complementary rhythm which drives the piece forward in a festive way and gives the listener a good distinction between the thematic and transitional sections. This flow is only slightly disturbed in bars 66-68 where I, in my opinion, also wished more semiquavers to maintain the momentum. I particularly like the coda with the pedal point and the final quotation from the theme in measure 120! In that sense: Happy New Year! P.S. If anyone is a bit bored about „Jingle Bells“ and Co., Shostakovich’s Prelude 15, op 87 is a more spicy version of „We Wish You A Merry Christmas“ while the possible reference to that melody might be completely unintentionally.

When I listen to your piece, I imagine a frosty afternoon when the ride in the “open sleigh” has not yet begun, as the family is still sitting around the coffee table and the horses are shivering in the cold. So the melodies of the song appear fragmented and delayed, similar to the sounds carried by the wind from a distant village. Thank you for that very impressive fantasia, and again, as the others already commented, congratulations for your marvelous live recording.

This is a very peaceful and festive piece that easily gets one Christmas feeling. I like the well-balanced and calm orchestration with the spices of the bells, trombones and pizzicato strings. Condolences to your waterlogged computer, so it’s a pity that we have no score. Thank you for sharing, welcome to the forum and a Happy New Year 2026.

#3, the date is unknown for this one, but i remember writing this during a final term in high school (2021 maybe). it was cold and rainy outside. i finished early and decided to write. i hadn't titled this one so i decided to do so for this post Unease Sunshine saw me walk He whispers nervousness through my ears I sit on my wooden chair Calmness to crowdness out of leash Maybe he's right, the first tends to brute I wait for the master to come Each seconds send waves of arrows to my soul Each noise amplifies the burden on my mind Burden of the final trial It laughs at me everyday The guidance who speaks wisdom I despise to escapism Lost in the snow of thoughts I try to find composure Anxiety then pulls me back She neatly imprisons me I love anxiety Her company when I'm alone Her hands multiplying those weights to keep attention Let me see unreal possibilities beyond comprehension aight, those are all the poems that i could find, hope you like them !!!

okay, for some context, i had to dig up an old friend's old discord dms to find these. also, i dunno your expectations on these but i hope they're good enough? they are very old so my writing skills were...meh i guess i dunno. you can pick/use/choose any of 'em. #1, this is from october 2018. i think this is about the time that i was discovering my feelings for somebody for the first time ever. i was clueless lmao Question. Once upon a time In a day with lots of rhyme In a school with students learning In a break with never ending I saw a lady Who walks silently Towards the cafeteria With none other than her friends I cant believe what i just witness As i stopped walking because her sweetness As the lady smiling beautifully But, I don't know what to expect A year passed My feelings lasts But there is a question That needs an attention "How do i get to her?" I asked "When is the time?" I shrieked "Where is the place? " I reflected But I'm afraid, I'll be rejected I saw the lady everyday Finally i knew her name With the feelings of lame But, when do i get her? The same question popped up As the curiosity blows up But when do i get the answer When she doesn't even give me a letter? I tried to give the lady a letter With thought that i will get to her But the reality have really shown me That the lady did not even read the letter The same question popped up As the curiosity blows up But when do i get the answer When the lady didn't even read the letter? #2, this is from november 2018 Time's One time, i look at the window With the sadness being so low I enjoyed the beautiful noon And i wished it won't be gone so soon A month passed I saw a tower being constructed I like that tower So my happiness still in me later 2 months passed There's no birds around I felt kinda sad But there's no sign of anything bad. 4 months really passed away The scenery changes really quickly As my word become more badly I felt like the old times are really done I felt like the happiness are really gone Usually i like new good things But this time, it really stinks It stinks like an old socks That are left in the ship's docks Why...does...that...happen....?

Welcome to our forum! There are a lot of members like you here haha. Make sure to check out our members' works, so you will know the style! Also, posting your music here to allow us have mutual communication and growth! Henry

Hello to the whole community.😃 I am a composer of classical vein. Sometimes I’m told that my style is a bit outdated, but no matter, it’s my musical vein. I would be grateful to exchange with composers like me, a little 'out of the present time'. Thank you very much. 😀

Yeah.

@TristanTheTristan I love the piano sketch of the piano concerto. I know it is a challenge to write such a massive piece. It is great idea to write out piano sketch before you write out the full score. Not many understand this. I can the influences you mentioned throughout the piece. It definitely reminds of their writing. Using musescore is great a tool, but as @Wieland Handke mentioned it would nice to have audio version, too. and full orchestral score...when that is done. 🙂 I would love to see that. We can help you out with that. Start slow with that.

A side note to my above comment: @SeekJohn14v6 As i have discussed this before when suno was brough up, composers on here either use Note performer with NPPE or a DAW with the same libraries that NPPE uses. However, NPPE was discontinued. VST are incredibly expensive. Companies offer entry level ones (BBSCO discover, VSL SPE, OT free, Musio) East west have amazing stuff too.

This loops really well, I totally missed the repeat lol I agree with the others, I liked the microtonal version more! I think strategic use of microtones, like being able to make adjustments to particular chords is a cool way of going about their use, rather than making certain pitches within a scale slightly altered. Is that something a lumatone could be used for more versus period instruments that used microtones because of their tuning? Either way, grand ole' fine piece Mr. Peter