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I started this piece this morning and managed to finish it this evening! My inspiration was to write a fast Christmas piece as my pieces lately have all veered towards the same slow tempo. The form of the Scherzo is ternary and the overall form is Scherzo - Trio - Scherzo. Thanks for listening and I'd appreciate any of your comments, suggestions, critiques or observations!

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

Well I would say quite a number of people do this as they only post on forum but never review other members' works... So if this breaks rule a lot of members will be considered as breaking rules... Henry

Hi @Luis Hernández! I love how peaceful this piece is. That bare A I don't know why, reminds me of the Veris leta facies in Carmina Burana: Thx for sharing! Henry

For this piece I made two versions. While inputting the piece with all its microtones into Musescore, it ended up sounding quite bad with all the microtones that I had included (probably owing to the fact that the piece is already quite dissonant without the microtones). So I removed all the microtones and made a version of it that's free of any microtones. That's the 1st version. Then, once I was done with that version of the piece, I went back and made a 2nd version with very light microtonal embellishments, mostly only in the melodic voices and only on minor chords (making them sub-minor in 24TET, meaning I brought the minor 3rd of minor chords down a quarter-step). My intent with using those particular microtones is to make the piece even darker than it would be if it was just a regular minor key piece. But let me know what you think about both versions and which one you like better! I welcome your comments, suggestions, critiques or just observations. Thanks for listening!

From 2023. computer with the original music score died from water damage unfortunately so there is no score. This was the most Christmas like song on my channel that I could find.

I really like listening to this style without the score, since I think part of the magic is not knowing exactly how long the phrases will be, or when a solo bass note will ring, etc. This is great Luis, it's always a pleasure to hear your music! It reminded me of quiet falling snow at night 🙂

Calm yourself. Note also that defending religion on the internet is a pointless endeavour and I'd advise against it.

@Wieland Handke : bull eyes. It was just about to say the tone and style reflects Avo Part compositions. @Luis Hernández I love how you emulate that style and character in this composition. And as @chopin your emotional depth is something that the romantics were write. @SeekJohn14v6 Suno is AI. No serious composer would use it.

Dear all, Happy Christmas for all of you! I used common Xmas tunes to create a cute mesh up! I can't remember how many times I wrote a piece for Christmas - but I gonna try sth new this year. A very short and casual piece by blending different genre - Chime playing Flamenco in triplets (3rd and 10th beats are strong beats) Marimba playing Salsa (Doted rhythm) Ukelele - in standard rhythms

It’s just a fun fact that I grew up in a little German town called Pulsnitz being famous (at least in parts of Germany) of its centuries-old tradition of gingerbread making. But honestly, I just know how they taste like, I never cared about what they might „sound“ like. Now listening to it, it reminds me of a musical box which is a typical handcrafted Christmas accessory. So it really puts me in the Christmas spirit by combining its cheerful sound, despite its repetitions, with the smell of mulled wine, grilled sausages, and even gingerbread at a Christmas market.

Here is my submission for this year's Christmas event, a through composed setting of the coventry carol. Enjoy, and let me know your thoughts! Coventry Carol.mp3

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.

Thanks guys. I just wanted the Shortest Christmas Piece award 😉! It probably took me longer to create the video than it did the actual composition haha. But hey, you guys get to see what Music Jotter is like in action. I'll be composing more once Music Jotter is ready for beta testing (soon).

Looking at the score, I was initially somewhat surprised that a lot of notes had lost their stems. Being sure that this was intentionally and reading a bit about „Tintinnabuli“, I now understand that device of minimalization, even in the notation. The piece itself exudes a kind of calmness and melancholy which emphasizes the silence and toughtfulness one would feel around Christmas time. Concerning the „Tintinnabuli“-technique, it is surprising for me how one can create such colorful melodies from mostly stepwise thirds and blend them together with only arpeggiated triads of the main tonic chord, without loss of harmonic functionality and without introducing dissonances (but, haha, I think I’ve discovered a G in bar 18). Thank you for sharing and a happy New Year 2026!

I'm still unsure of where to go now, where it's currently left off at. I believe I would like to take it to another mood / scene, and have been toying with ideas based on my memories of the past with him. Thinking maybe to just follow the timeline chronologically, but at the same time, other emotions would like to be expressed as well. This has placed me at a stalemate within myself. 😅 And regarding the story; I am taking it day by day. I know it seems simple, just a little cat, making this grown man with a brawny stature and thick fuzzy beard all down in the dumps and grieving, but despite my tough outward appearance, I still cherish those little things in my life. I cherished his place as my companion for the last 5 years, most definitely. I am, despite this, doing better than I was when I wrote the post above. I've had him cremated, and he is in a personalized container, for now. I feel that he is at peace. And I will make my peace with it as well, soon enough 🙂

Hi @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu! Thank you for taking the time to listen to and respond to my piece, it always means a lot. Yes, the violinist here is the wonderful @Irene Huang, a classmate of mine at school. There is a second movement to this piece but not a fourth, the whole thing has a runtime of only about ten minutes. It’s funny to me that you mentioned Shostakovich, I wrote the third movement right after attending our school’s Shostakovich festival back in October. I began sketching it after a performance of the 1st, 7th and 8th string quartets and 2nd piano trio. The 7th quartet is one of my favorite pieces of chamber music and I think you can hear bits of it in the third movement here. If I can get a recording of the whole thing I would gladly share it, as the second movement forms an important structural (rhythmic and tonal) hinge between the outer movements.

Hi @mercurypickles! For the 1st movement the 1st theme’s marching mood is well stood out, while the 2nd subject is more reflective and I like the accompaniment all the time. I love the brief passage to pathos in b.70 (the 2nd subject for recap right?). I do think the octave sign doesn’t need to be written there. I like the 3rd movement, the pathos reminds me of Shostakovich, and the modulation to tritone to F sharp minor is well prepared. The pizzicato passage which follows is very interesting, particularly when Bartok pizz. and normal pizz mix together. B.91 is especially expressive with all those exotic notes. Thx very much for sharing this, in particular with the wonderful performance by the violinist and cellist! Btw, will you also share the 2nd and potentially 4th movements to us? P.S. Is the violinist in your excerpt @Irene Huang? I remember she submitted a piece to one of our competition and played very beautifully! Henry

Hey Kyle @UncleRed99, That’s a very sad background story and I am sorry to hear this, hope you are better now. Speaking of the music, I like the sparseness of it with those chords which sounds reflective and therapeutic to me. I like the sul ponticello at the beginning, maybe at some point you can add some tremolos to it too. The whole first movement displays your sadness. For the 2nd movement to me it begins with a calmer but still sad mood, and then yo start recollecting the happy past. I like the pizzicato passages depicting those happy memories and how lively your pet was (and is in your memory of him). For the end of the movement, will you get back to the sad mood, maintain the lively mood or reach a new mood? Thx for sharing! Henry

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.

Your replies make me believe more that you may be lobbyist or salesperson of Suno lol... Maybe you never write absolute music yourself... Tintinnabuli is a technique and compostional style, but I guess if I explain to you I will once again be stigmatized as "elitism" ,so, 😴. Henry

Hi @mercurypickles! I like the more antique mood in the carol and how you end each phrase in a Picardy 3rd! And I always love how calm and transcendental F# major is (even though you mark the key signature as F# minor). Thx for sharing! Henry

Mike this one is funny! The mashup doesn't sound too off together and well fitted to the Xmas mood haha. Henry

Hi @Wieland Handke! I love how the three instruments blend together and honestly this is the first time I heard of the instrument Theorbo and it said it's somewhat like a lower register lute. Like Mike said this piece is really calm, especially with the lower volume organ and the Theorbo. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Vavrinec! This is a really enjoyable festive little miniature! It's so joyful to listen to, and even if the mood sounds easy you still use technique to make it sound easy. The opening is already captivating with the 6/8 lively rhythm. The combination of the flute melody, high shivering tremolo strings, running notes for Clarinet and the triangle aleady set the festive tone really well, and then the oboe joins in which is a nice addition. I may repeat the whole section but this with the strings doing the melody and winds doing the accompaniment. For the trio section I like how you give lower register instrument like bassoon and cello to sing the melody, contrasting with the main section, plus in a warmer subdominant key. B.25-32 gives great depth to the melody and I really love how you add the sleigh bell ! Honestly I just want the passage to extend to infinity! And the end, what a nice random pause! It really creates a humorous effect that is well suited to the mood of the piece. Really nice piece, thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Crescent Roulade! This Christmas piece gives me a Chinese feeling because of its use of pentatonic notes. I do enjoy this little piece! Like @PeterthePapercomPoser said I perceive the melody to begin rather on beat than in syncopation, and in 4/4 time than 8/4 time. Thx for joining the event! Henry

Thank you, I'm glad you like it. To be honest, I have no idea how Suno works. But in that case, the basis of this piece, which is the tintinnabuli, would be broken.

Ohhh, so short but so expressive... I'm a huge fan of these mashups!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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'".