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March of the Snowflakes is an orchestral miniature written in a quasi march tempo, inspired by the playful motion of falling snow. This piece was composed as a small seasonal contribution to the Christmas Challenge 2025. I would be very grateful for any feedback, comments, or suggestions. Thank you for listening and sharing your thoughts.

Hello, all. Coming at you with something a little different for the event, but I hope you find it at least interesting, even if you don't particularly like it. I've basically decided to get really good at writing for strings nowadays, and since I'm mostly an atonalist, cello is the easiest since computers can't play that kind of stuff; the implied timbres are super important. So enjoy hearing me poorly play this miniature fantasia on Jingle Bells. I promise there's a method to the madness 😄

I totally forgot I created this on Christmas Eve of 2024 for my YouTube channel. I demonstrate 2 melodies in 1. It's only 9 seconds, but might as well demonstrate Music Jotter with a little Christmas fun.

In anticipation for this year's Christmas Eve, I decided to try my hand at writing another religious motet. Considering the fact that the bulk of this piece has been composed merely in the span of yet another insomnia-driven bout of inspiration, perhaps its modest length may as well be a reflection of missed potential, as I reckon it could have been developed into a more complex structure should its latter half not have got stuck on a protracted pre-cadential spiral. Once again, just as with my previous vocal fugue, the main goal of this composition was to make the text as intelligible as possible (specially taking into account the musical history of such a well-known textual setting), that is, within the confines and constraints of an 8-voice motet. This has ultimately led to some interesting contrapuntal oddities which, despite the preservation of independent voice-leading and thorough avoidance of melodic and harmonic blunders, have produced a number of somewhat unorthodox unresolved dissonances throughout. Nevertheless, I believe such contrapuntal licenses are more than sufficiently justified given the scope of this piece, as well as the sheer volume and density of its texture all the way through. This piece was specifically conceived as a submission for this year's edition of the forum's Christmas Music Event, and shall be presented accordingly in its dedicated thread. YouTube video link:

Among all the other previously published canons of its type, this one might as well have turned out to be the most demanding to perform, in no small part due to the choir's conventional maximum ranges being reached in at least three voices, including both soprano (C6) and bass (E2), making it no small feat to sing. The main lyrics would roughly translate from Latin to English as follows: "In the direst of circumstances the true heart of men shall sing with great hope of leaving behind a memorable life. Even death can conquer those whose memory lies in the glory of their good deeds." The coda, as per usual, reinforces the core message in a variety of ways. YouTube video link:

I come to you once again with my 12th Muzoracle casting! This time, Jen asked the Muzoracle "who, when, and where will I meet my soulmate, romantic partner?" (Muzoracle is a storytelling/fortune telling/divination tool similar to the Tarot card deck, but with cards with musical concepts and 12-sided Musician's dice and Solfege dice. Perhaps it may be thought of as a special musical Oracle card deck.) My interpretation of the cards and dice are displayed below. Since the casting featured two cards in the suit of Voices, I used a Soprano and an Alto. Also, there were three cards in the suit of Strings, so I used Violin, Cello and Guitar. Finally, there was a card in the suit of Percussion, so I used the Piano. I chose the Piano and Guitar because Jen has played these instruments in the past and she also happens to be an Alto. If you'd like to find out more about Muzoracle and how castings are interpreted go here: https://muzoracle.net/ This short musical interpretation of Jen's casting is about ~2 minutes long. Since the black 12-sided Musician's die landed on G, the piece is in the key of G which pertains to the throat chakra. I created the following melodic/harmonic underdrawing guided by the cards and the dice. Since the first card drawn was a Conductor of Voices card, I started with a lone soprano singing a chromatic neighbor tone to B, A#. The Violin and Guitar come in next since the Minor 2nd of Strings was drawn in the 3rd position. Following is the Alto which joins the Soprano since the Minor 2nd of Voices was drawn in the 4th position. Finally, the Piano comes in when the Tritone of Percussion card was drawn in the 5th position. The whole piece is repeated since the De Segno al Fine card was drawn in the 7th and final position. If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading! And I hope you enjoy listening to this short vocal chamber work I wrote to represent Jen's Casting. Comments, critiques, suggestions, or observations are of course, always welcome. Thanks for listening!

So far it is very lovely in its Mozartian/early Beethoven ways. Perhaps the first movement I would not have made as long but tell that to the Eroica Symphony!. I'm also a sucker for lightweight farewell finales, it lifts the spirit.

Indeed. The similarity in timbre of instruments within their respective families often tends to muddle the trajectory of individual lines amidst the density of the texture, as has frequently happened in my keyboard compositions even for just 4 voices. But the human voice still retains that distinct timbral quality to it, somehow capable of preventing its integration into a larger choral whole from forsaking the uniqueness of its sound and the meandering of its melody. A testament, perhaps, to how vocal music was upheld as the most sacred during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; not just because of the references to the purported sanctity of the natural human voice in the Old Bible and the Gospels, but because its endless versatility and potential in conjoining doesn't undermine the independence of each line nearly as much as it otherwise does for mere instruments. Thomas Tallis himself certainly took this to the absolute non plus ultra with his renowned Spem in alium, and yet, the fact that 40 voices singing simultaneously may still be perceived as individually separate with each listening instance still leaves room for even more ambitious polyphonic endeavours to be produced (although it would certainly be beyond overkill to even try). Thank you kindly as well! Though unfortunately I have bad news concerning the languages supported by the current version of Cantāmus: In any case, I'm sure a real choir would be far more adept at singing in Polish than the vaguely synth-sounding lyric renderings Cantāmus usually provides, though of course such an eventuality would come at a far greater cost. Perhaps an online choir with individual part recordings being carefully timed and assembled together might do the trick. Otherwise, a live premiere with a professional choir would be my best bet. Either that or browsing the Internet for competitors, of which I know none whose lyric rendering quality comes even close to that of Cantāmus.

Hi @PeterthePapercomPoser, thanks for the kind words. Yes, a lot connects to the original them in some way, but obviously in a way that's idiosyncratic to me, right? There are some very obvious things like this... ...and there are other pretty obvious quotes: mm. 17–18 are just the latter half of the main theme's antecedent phrase, mm. 19–20 are a condensed version of the antecedent as a whole (<E, G, C, D, E, F, (E,) D, G>), and the notes for the tremolo parts are the first three notes of the theme (<E, G, C>). But then there are just decisions that I made artistically. For instance, I think the idea that the main melody of the non-introductory carol can be condensed into a pentachordal diatonic subset with only one semitone is very fascinating, so I emphasized the semitone throughout my setting as like an opposite to diatonicity. So lots of semitonal dyads (both harmonic and melodic) all about. Sounds rough, which I like, and also meets the design philosophy. For example, passages like m. 16 where there are both ic1s and ic2s, which, to me, emphases that friction between the diatonic and chromatic. But, to be honest, I didn't think that hard about it, haha. Most of the time, I just kinda liked the dissonance 🙂 I think the fact that you can hear echoes of the original is way more interesting than having every single thing be attached to it. Thanks again for your eyes and ears!

Hi @Monarcheon! It's so smart and creativer for you to divide the original Jingle Bells melody to different segments and place between interlude passages like the tremolos. Those techniques like sul ponticello, tasto, vibrato and harmonics are really used with great effect, and as you say, the implied timbres are super important for this to really give a refreshingly new look to an otherwise clichéd melody! You are just too humble! Your playing is so good here and I promise I enjoy it wholeheartedly! Thx very much for playing this yourself, the computer rendition would be umch worse than your playing! Also, thank you for joining the event and becoming more active again in the forum! P.S. Honestly if Peter didn't sneak in giving you a badge first, I would give you one too! You totally deserve the "String Aficionado" badge! Henry

Beautiful, haunting theme. VERY dark sounding. I actually think the microtonal version sounds better because it gives off that "ruined castle vibe" a little more realistically in my opinion, and I feel like it accentuates your melody. The dynamics of your stringed instruments are well done.

My favorite musical key happens to be C# Minor. Soundcloud has evidently caught onto this as seen by the fact that half of the music it recommends to me happens to be in said key. C# Minor for me evokes spiritual depth and drama, and I experience it as generally having a softly glowing sunset orange coloration.

Another little one-minute instrumental carol to add to the ones I've written previously.

Here is my submission:

Hello friends. Merry Christmas! I've spent this December 25th afternoon listening to the entries in this fantastic thread (if I missed any, it was unintentional). I’ve enjoyed it so much. I love hearing different approaches to a specific theme. I'm not much for celebrating Christmas in a traditional way, but I must confess that every year this period stirs up feelings that I sometimes try to capture. So, I wrote this little piece last year, (totally) inspired by Arvo Pärt. Best regards.

Merry Christmas, dear fellow composers! This is my second (and „official“) submission to the YCF 2025 Christmas Event. It is a Christmas Pastorale played by a small Baroque orchestra with the typical instruments of shepherds, such as flutes, violines, a lute and a „surprise instrument“. Although the instrumentation is somewhat more colorful or mixed, I think the inspiration from the famous “Sinfonia” from Bach's Christmas Oratorio is easily recognizable. The piece is based on my Prelude in E major I composed four years ago, already having that Christmas Pastorale style in mind. I’m glad that I now could realize the orchestration and be able to share it in this way.

I have no words, haha. I absolutely adore the style and the period you inspired yourself with. Plus, seeing all the details in the sheet music is a joy. And the music certainly lives up to it. Thanks!

This is my first submission (of two) to the YCF 2025 Christmas Event. We are all awaiting (or at least the children do wait for) Christmas Eve. Since there are still a few days to go, the time should be peaceful and quiet – despite the stress and noise as it is in reality. Thus, the idea behind this piece is to imagine the night before Christmas, the church where crowds of people will gather tomorrow to celebrate Christmas Eve. The church is empty, or seems to be empty, but there are three musicians playing a piece that is reminiscent of either night music or a final rehearsal before the upcoming concert.

Ohhh, one of my favorite pieces from this Christmas Event! The combination of the three keyboard instruments is very original yet effective at the same time. The presentation and the score are beautiful.

Ohhh, what a wonderful piece! It has such a Christmas feel when the crotales—or whatever sounds like them—burst in. The orchestration is precise and well-balanced. Thank you.

Oh wow, this mashup is very different, but when the two melodies (which I didn’t know beforehand) came together, it was very moving.

This sounds very good. You can sense the individuality of the pieces, while at the same time special, emotionally charged atmospheres are created. I’m a big fan of these mixes. I think it’s a special art form where composition and imagination intertwine.

I forgot about this, but may as well link the Christmas miniature I posted this morning.

Here's my submission!

This was fantastic to listen to! Your first submission was fun, but I feel like this one offers a lot more color and character. Excellent usage of all the instruments. The piece moved along, was extremely focused and had good momentum. I also feel like every note served a purpose. Well done.

What a great piece, and very soothing. A perfect way to calm one's nerves during the stress of this holiday!

Thanks for letting us know this is AI generated / assisted. This is very catchy, and a fun, non typical style for a religious tune. Also, some nice lyrics you have.

Definitely reminds me of Tchaikovsky, and ballet style music. I can picture this piece being played in a Broadway musical.

This is incredibly coherent for 8 voices. Normally I would say something about the strict key, but in this case, it doesn't matter. This makes the few times you do change much more noticeable. Plus the musicality is in the voices! When I listened to this again without the score, the music became even clearer to me, because my mind was not overwhelmed by all those voices visually. This was absolutely beautiful.

This is my second (and „official“) submission to the YCF 2025 Christmas Event. Disclaimer: I must admit that my first submission „The empty church“ is based on the same material like this one, to be more precisely, it is literally the Basso Continuo part of this pastorale. Taking into account how many discussions arose concerning the usage of AI, I would be willing to withdraw „The empty church“ from the event on demand if anyone claims that he/she does not want to review the same material twice. However, I spent a lot of time in realizing the Basso Continuo part and now enjoy it so much that I have decided to give it its own score and video, making it a piece in its own right.

A piece with its own appeal. It reminds me of Satie in those broken open chords. I think the central part strays from his style. In any case, everyone can write as they please.

Nice piece and good sound of the instrument.

This piece is an exploration of how two vastly different spaces can inform each other and interact in a more indirect way. When a piece explores two textures, they’re usually interwoven with each other and provide contrasts throughout, but I was curious what would happen if I completely separated them from each other, and made one of them the result of the other. Thus, this piece resembles a becoming of a new sound-world from another, and is namely a kind of transfiguration.

I thought about the rain, it just so happens to have rained last night and your piece fits today's mood spectacularly? If you want to develop that streak further, look no other way than Takemitsu's Rain named pieces: Rain Tree for three percussionists, Rain spell for mixed ensemble, Rain coming for chamber orchestra, Garden rain for brass

Beast of a piece, let me know what you all think!

Reminds me of Disney, and of Delius' A Mass of Life:

A speed composition i made. Any feedback is welcome. Thanks.(made in a few hours)

This is only an event and not contest. Lord Jesus will be happy of your service by clicking a button.

Greetings Henry! Under normal circumstances, such egregiously positive feedback would have me including several rephrases of "thank you" in my response. In your particular case though, I feel it is only proper that I answer with a wholeheartedly humble 不敢當, and for good reason. Of those among your 6-part compositions I've had the awe-inducing pleasure of listening to, your mastery of complex textures across vast swathes of music is on a completely different level, perhaps even unrivaled, if I may dare. To mention the most prominent example, your String Sextet in G-flat major, does not merely fit the conventional definition of "masterpiece", but rather expands upon it beyond what was conceptually possible in my mind up until that point. Its technical perfection and measured balance of musical aspects excelled over everything I knew when it comes to structural integrity, modulatory prowess, stylistic variety, motivic resourcefulness, contrapuntal-device handling, internal narrative coherence, ...the list just goes on! Given I already wrote back then what was perhaps my lengthiest review ever on this forum, I won't repeat myself too much on the myriad wonders your work ellicited on me and continues to evoke every time I've listened to it since, but one thing I shall mention again: with 8 voices or not, my tiny little compositions are not even worthy of being mentioned remotely on par with such jaw-droppingly all-encompassing artistry in music you have developed and refined to such a great diversity of effects. What I am trying to say is: it means a lot to me to hear that you, whom I consider to be one of the greatest masters in our generation, are pleased with such a comparatively minor piece of mine, if there's even to be any comparison at all between this and your utmost proficiency in counterpoint both innovative and sublime. It may have two more voices than your 6-part compositions, but does it even matter when the brilliance of any of those far exceeds my whole production like a supernova outshining an entire galaxy? In the end, I can't help but appreciate the sheer generosity of your remarks, even if I ultimately feel undeserving of them in the face of the insurmountable magnitude and unparalleled quality of your output, but it is precisely because of such achievements that your words mean so much more to me, almost like the very enbodiment of the kind of composer I aspire to be guiding me along the right path forward. Thank you kindly, Henry. It truly is both an honour and a priceless gift to have thus met your approval.

LoL!

No, think German. National Anthem material! Aw, s*it, I gave it away!🤣

La Marseillaise?

Hi @L.S Barros, I do like the piece! It's simple and easy but also enjoyable and light hearted, and the dance rhythm is well noted. Thx for sharing! Henry

Here's my submission! Perhaps I should have waited till Christmas Eve for its publication, though in the end I reckoned the sooner might as well be the better. P.S.: I wholeheartedly agree with the distressing concerns brought forth by @AngelCityOutlaw regarding the AI-generated music submitted for this event. It should go without saying that allowing AI-generated material to be presented on par with compositions requering hours upon hours of effort and dedication could run the risk of severly undermining the legitimacy and ultimate purpose of these community events, not just on account of the frictions and controversies caused by the presence and promotion of AI-generated content, but also on a more fundamental level which has been thoroughly implied over the course of this discussion. Despite this, I firmly believe those who want to participate and submit their art should not hesitate to do so. Why let so much time, effort and dedication go to waste after creating a work of art that is in any capacity worth far more than mere AI imitations? My take is that we should not be deterred, but rather emboldened in the face of these dire circumstances we are living through, that we may adapt to this unsettling trend and make our art known regardless. In fact, that's precisely why I think it's more important than ever not to refrain from posting our own music, lest we inadvertently pave the way for more of this AI-generated music to claim our place. It is rumoured that the Dead Internet Theory may as well soon become an increasingly encroaching and inexorable reality. By refusing to yield to the tide and sharing more of our own creations, hopefully we might briefly forestall such a harrowing prospect for this tiny little corner of the Internet where so many creative wonders are being posted and discussed every single day. The point is not to force these AI-generated compositions out by decree, but to make it so that the abundant music produced by humans in this forum may flourish beyond the scope of neural networks being used as amoral tools or shortcuts to achieve similar results in appearance, yet severely lacking in personal significance, emotional depth or even a core message capable of steering the course of the compositional process. Banning AI-generated music will not ameliorate the problem at large, but composing music through righteous hardship might as well be the only substantial antidote against the proliferation and normalization of this kind of content. That being said, I'm certain this must be quite a difficult point of contention for the forum's staff to deal with and try to find a meaningful solution for, so I won't comment further on the subject matter. In any case, I hope whichever resolution or agreement is reached on this issue will allow the course of these community events to carry on peacefully and with respect towards the time, effort and dedication proportionally invested into each submission. It is good to know that this matter is being seriously discussed by staff and high-ranking members alike, and as such I would like to thank @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu and @PeterthePapercomPoser among others for their dutiful labour in calmly trying to sort out things amidst the heat of the debate.

In the light of Suno usage on this forum, I found this video: Suno warning

I think that the person behind the AI should receive a conduct. This. Anyways, here is my music. It is not quite done yet. I am going back to China, so I can't do it, because my laptop is also getting repaired. Refer to my status update.

Reporting them meant nothing. Their Suno prompt is still in the event and the staff didn't even really offer an explanation for why they did a 180 in a matter of minutes. You have to have principles and actually stand by them or else your principles don't mean ѕhіt. I am against AI-generated music and I will not spend precious, authentic composing hours to participate in anything alongside charlatans.

Also something else I need to say about this: So I, and others, can put in hours of work writing the music, orchestration, making detailed mockups, etc. but a guy who writes a Suno prompt and has a "piece" in 5 minutes is treated as equally-valid in this event? It isn't actually even his music. Where is the "fun" in that, exactly? Why even bother? You guys say you want more people to do reviews. What your reviews are going to become if this kind of thing is permitted is a bunch of people being like "Nice prompt bro, but I would've said 'romantic soaring strings' instead of 'cinematic'".

Quite the mighty show this is it was definitely a journey to listen to…~ that I usually do all of my critique in a transcript sort of like a judge tape this piece is definitely too long for me to do that. so to avoid this becoming a giant paragraph where it would take days to read I would just say my thoughts and observations here from memory definitely what a monumental piece. This was it sounded like the creation of life too, and definitely amazing with the pacing those little Interlude and instrument features kind of made the thing feel fresh and also variations within the common theme of just diatonic dissonance throughout. I don’t know Spanish or anything so you could correct me, but on the orchestration in the instrumentation, you wanted hand bells to be used. The thing about that is usually you’ll have multiple people play them in this case you’re treating it like it’s own mallet instrument which in this case they could be mounted on something. though that this is told to be for a virtual ensemble, it would be quite the piece for a existing orchestra to play in real life Monumental work for you keep going

Thank you. Yes, John Adams is my biggest contemporary inspiration.