Music

choral

A Nameless Grave (3:30, SSAATB & piano)
A Slumber, from Requiem (4:00, SATB a cappella)
Aloha ‘Oe, arr. (4:00, SATB & piano)
     *arranger's  portion of proceeds go to Ulu A‘e Learning Center
Cantate Domino (2:30, SATB & piano,  SSA & piano, TBB & piano)
COVID Positive (18:00, SATB & piano, SSAA & piano, TTBB & piano)
Deo Gratias (3:00, SATB & piano)
Flights of Hope (12:30, SATB & piano)
Funny Things Joy Said (15:00, SATB, piano, & string quartet)
Go Down Moses, arr. (3:00, SATB & piano)
     *arranger's portion of proceeds go to NAACP  Empowerment Programs
Human at My Core (6:30, SA & piano)
Kyrie (2:30, SSAA a cappella, SSA a cappella, SAB a cappella)
My Cathedral (6:00, SATB & orchestra)
Noël Nouvelet, arr. (3:00, SATB & piano, SSA & piano, TBB & piano)
One Small Step (6:00, SSATB, baritone solo, piano, & string quartet)
Promise (3:30, SATB & piano)
These Eighteen Years (6:00, SSAATTBB & piano)
Requiem (30:00, SATB divisi & orchestra)
Vidi: The Visions of Hildegard (6:00, SSAATTBB a cappella)
Wade in the Water, arr. (3:00, SATB & piano, TBB & piano)
     *arranger's portion of proceeds go to NAACP  Empowerment Programs

Instrumental

Had a Great Fall (3:30, orchestra)
Ode to Sisyphus (5:00, concert band)
Openings (5:30, string orchestra)
Lieder for the Piano, Op. 8, No. 2 Fanny Hensel, arr. (3:00, string quartet)
Piano Concerto: The Elements (23:00, orchestra & piano)
Two Birthday Overtures (11:30, orchestra)
Two Laments for String Quartet (6:30, string quartet)

Reviews

“There remained a piece called “Vidi – The Visions of Hildegard,” in which composer
Alec Schumacker set visionary outbursts by the medieval mystic Hildegard of
Bingen — an appealing piece that employs minimalist pulsations and builds interesting
textures by posing sustained vocal lines against each other…It has been quite some while
since I enjoyed a Desert Chorale concert as much as this
 one…”
- James Keller, Santa Fe New Mexican, July 27, 2013

“The same was true of the three traditional, but unhackneyed, carols set for chorus and
orchestra by Alexander R. Schumacker. It was refreshing to hear such skillful settings…”
- Alan Becker, South Florida Classical Review, November 19, 2011

“Conductor and composer Alec Schumacker’s Piano Concerto No. 1: The Elements is an
intriguing musical exploration on the theme of the classical elements…”
- Ravel Virtual Studios Composer Spotlight, April 11, 2011

"The second half of the concert provided a pleasant surprise with Alec Schumacker’s “Mass on American Poets,” also with orchestral accompaniment, conducted by the composer…On the whole, it was simply a masterfully composed and conducted work.  The first movement in particular, beginning with nature sounds embedded in a choir ‘whooshing’ sound, and gradually migrating to a more traditional melodic/harmonic idiom and then ending as it began, can only be described as perfectly enthralling in its composition and execution.”
- Barton McLean, Berkshire Eagle, March 12, 2008

“Schumacker executed his piece with a degree of grace and control that mirrored
the work’s thoughtful construction and beautiful blends.  He unquestionably
succeeded in the stunning Mass on American Poets and clearly showed his promise
as a composer.”
- Williams College Record, March 12, 2008

“Between the Brahms selections came the premiere of “Had a Great Fall,” composed by Alec Schumacker…In the witty four-minute piece, a drum booms like a doomsday cannon, church bells toll and the orchestra charges into battle.”
- Andrew Pincus, Berkshire Eagle, May 8, 2007