ROBIN ESCHNER SELECTED COMPOSITIONS

For information about a particular score please contact Robin

 
 
SELECTED CHORAL COMPOSITIONS

SKY BLUE BLANKET (2014) – For Dominic Ziegler. SATB, guitars, bass, keyboard.

NOISE (2013) – Robin Eschner and Chris Smith, a collaboration. Voices, electronics, video. Commissioned for Santa Rosa Junior College production of Distracted by Lisa Loomis, directed by John Shillington.

A PROBLEM LIKE YOU (2013) – SATBB, keyboard, bass, guitars. Commissioned for Santa Rosa Junior College production of Distracted  by Lisa Loomis, directed by John Shillington, Burbank Theater.

HOW TO BUILD AN OWL (2013) – Poem by Kathleen Lynch – for 9 voices, electric guitar, synth organ, bass, 8 toy pianos, 8 giant Frisbees. Premiere - Sacramento Poetry Center, Sacramento, CA. April 28, 2013.

ONE PART HELLO (2012) – SATB, gtr, bass. Commissioned for Santa Rosa Junior College theater production of Our Town – written by Thornton Wilder and Directed by John Shillington. Performed by Take Jack.

EASY TO ASSEMBLE (2012)  – SATB with solos, piano. A setting of the instruction manual on how to assemble a tricycle. Winter seasonal song wherein a couple attempts to put a tricycle together for their child, on Christmas Eve. Performances by San Francisco City College Chorus and Cinnabar Chamber Chorus, Cinnabar Theater, Petaluma, CA, directed by Michael Shahani, and by The Occidental Community Choir.

BECAUSE WE SANG (2011) – from "The Elegy of the Forest of Sainte-Croix, #32", by Eugene Guillevic, translation by Denise Levertov. For SATB, Soprano and Baritone soloists and orchestra (3,2,2,2 - 4,2,2,1, strings) commissioned and performed by the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra in May, 2011, as a tribute to Arlene Sagan upon the occasion of retirement from her position as Director of the BCCO for 23 years. Premiered at St. Joseph the Worker Church, Berkeley, CA. BCCO and soloists Marcelle Dronkers and Eric Howe, May, 2011.

SISTERS OF MERCY (2012) – SATB with piano. Setting of Leonard Cohen song, by request, for COHEN / DYLAN / WAITS, Poets, Lovers and Prophets. Fitzsimmons Black Box Theater,  The Sonoma Academy Chorus, directed by Doug Gallager, Santa Rosa, CA, December 7–8, 2012.

HEADING HOME (2011) – SATB, soloist and divisi, piano or guitar. A tribute to four-time winner of the Iditarod, Susan Butcher. Performances by Century College Chorus, White Bear Lake, Minnesota - Directed by Jocelyn Kalajian, December 2011, and by The Occidental Community Choir.

• Heading Homeperformed by the Century College Chorus, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, directed by Jocelyn Kalajian.
  
  

FIGGY PUDDING (2009) – SATB, piano, bundt pan, wooden spoons, mixing bowl. Premiered by The Occidental Community Choir. Additional performances by Cinnabar Chamber Chorus, Cinnabar Theater, Petaluma, CA, directed by Michael Shahani, and by the Century College Chorus, White Bear Lake, Minnesota - Directed by Jocelyn Kalajian, December 2011.

HEAR THE BELL (2008) – SATB, SAT solos and orchestra (0022 0230), str., timp,) Winner of the 11th Annual Julian White Memorial Choral Composition Competition sponsored by the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra. Premiered at St. Joseph the Worker Church, Berkeley, CA. BCCO, May, 2008.

TERMINAL  (2008) – a setting of the security loop from the Oakland International Airport, SATB, a cappella. Performed by The Occidental Community Chorus.

WITHIN US ALL (2007) – Words and melody by Marcy Telles. SATTBB, piano. Performance by The Occidental Community Chorus.

NIGHTINGALE (2005) – SSAA, a cappella. Words by H.D.

LEARNING HOW TO LOVE (2003) - SATB, piano Performances by The Occidental Community Choir at The International Choral Festival, Montecatini Terme, Italy in 2005.

NO ONE GAVE THIS NIGHT A NAME (2002) – SATBB. Guitar or piano. Seasonal - secular winter song about friends coming together to share a meal during the holiday season.

SKINNY BRANCHES (1999) - SATB, piano, sign language. Also SATB with Fl., Ob., BbCl., Bsn., piano

SONG FOR THE BOWL (1999) – 4 part round with drum, 9 pitched bowls and 12 percussive bowls.

 
 
ADDITIONAL SELECTED COMPOSITIONS PERFORMED BY
THE OCCIDENTAL COMMUNITY CHOIR, Ongoing 1995–2014

The Occidental Community Choir is a forty-member, secular, auditioned, mixed chorus that creates and performs choral music composed primarily by its members. This chorus began in 1978 in the town of Occidental, CA.
They have performed Robin’s compositions every year since 1995.

“Rock On” (2007) – Shari Kovner, Guion Kovner, Eschner – SATB, piano
“Dylan’s Dream” (2006)– words by Pat Haggopian – SATB, piano
“Sing Now the Dreamer” (2005) - SATB, divisi, a cappella
“Pandora” (2004) - SATB, drum
“Song Without Birds” (2004) - SSATB, a cappella
“Chewin' On Expensive Shoes” (2002) - SATB, piano
“No One Gave This Night a Name” (2002) - SATB octet, guitar 
“Waltzing the Moon”- (2001) SATB a cappella
“Song of Disappear” (2001) – solo voice, piano
“Southern Sea Song” (1999) - SATB, guitar
“Winter Has Never Been My Favorite Time of Year” (1999) – ST–duet, piano
“Until the Painting is Complete” (1998) – SATB, piano
“Ever-Living Fire” (1997) – SSA round, a cappella. Words by Heraclitus.
“Drivin’ a Ford” (1996) – Eschner/Bowes (lyrics only) SSATBB
“Desert Rose” (1996) – SSAA, piano
“Blue Dog” (1995) - SSATB

 
 
SELECTED INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITIONS

THE SEDUCTION OF SAVA SAVANOVIC (2009) – solo piano, written for Karl Heinz Grube. Premiere in Music Concert Hall, San Jose State University by Karl Heinz Grube.

WHEN PLUTO WAS A PLANET (2007) – four violas – performed at the Osher Salon, San Francisco Conservatory of Music for The Viola Project.

IF WE TAKE (2007) – lyrics by Charles Bukowski, for soprano and piano, performed by Gillian Watson, Osher Salon, San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

SEA QUINCE (2007) – woodwind quintet, performed by the New Music Ensemble in the Concert hall, SFCM.

OCEANS (2006) – poem by Juan Ramon Jimenez, for baritone and piano, performed by Aaron Cliff, Osher Salon, SFCM.

JACK’S ARM (2006) – Soundtrack. A black and white film noire horror film “short,” in collaboration with Bill Horvitz.

 
 
SELECTED COMPOSITIONS FOR THEATER

A SONG FOR VANYA • a musical adaptation of Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov
For 8 voices, cello, clarinet, and piano.
©2002 by Robin Eschner, Bret Martin, and John Shillington

To learn more about this musical please click here.

NOISE (2013) – Robin Eschner and Chris Smith, a collaboration. Voices, electronics, video, keyboard, el. gtr., bass. Commissioned for Santa Rosa Junior College production of Distracted  by Lisa Loomis, directed by John Shillington. Burbank Theater, October, 2013.

ONE PART HELLO (2012) – SATB, gtr, bass. Commissioned for Santa Rosa Junior College theater production of Our Town – written by Thornton Wilder and Directed by John Shillington. Performed by Take Jack.

SISTERS OF MERCY (2012) – SATB with piano. Setting of Leonard Cohen song, by request, for COHEN / DYLAN / WAITS, Poets, Lovers and Prophets. Fitzsimmons Black Box Theater,  The Sonoma Academy Chorus, directed by Doug Gallager, Santa Rosa, CA, December 7–8, 2012.

HANDS OF TIME (2011) – Soprano Baritone duet, gtr. Commissioned as the central song and thematic music for Voice of the Prairie" by John Olive. Performed at the Newman Auditorium, Santa Rosa J.C., CA., directed by John Shillington.

ALMOST MAINE (2011) – SA. Written for a production of “Almost, Maine,” by John Cariani, Directed by John Shillington, 6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa, CA. Words and music by John Shillington, arranged by Robin Eschner.

MOVE ON UP IN GLORY (2011) – traditional. Arranged for Take Jack pre-show to Jesus Christ Superstar at the Santa Rosa Junior College. Directed by John Shillington.

DEATH’S GOT A WARRANT (2011) – traditional. Arranged for Take Jack pre-show to Jesus Christ Superstar at the Santa Rosa Junior College. Directed by John Shillington.

 
 
SELECTED ARRANGEMENTS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR TAKE JACK

Robin has been composing and arranging for the nine-member Sonoma County-based ensemble TAKE JACK, since 2009. TAKE JACK performs a diverse repertoire of original compositions and arrangements informed by folk, classical, rock and jazz traditions and influenced by their shared history as choral singers. Their unique vocal and instrumental harmonies run the gamut from a cappella to various combinations of guitar, mandolin, keyboard, harmonica, banjo, percussion, toy piano and bass.

Take Jack Arrangements of Covers and Original Compositions, Selected

“All I Ever Wanted” (2014)
“Mr. Magpie” (2014)
“Tiger Face” (2014) – Poem by Stephen Dunn.
“Sky Blue Blanket” (2014) – For Dominic Ziegler.
“Rain” (2014) – Lennon–McCartney.
“Noise” (2013) –  Collaboration - Robin Eschner and Chris Smith.
“A Problem Like You” (2013)
“Timshel” (2013) – Words and music by Mumford and Sons.            
“The Cellist” (2013) – Words and music by Ed Sanders and Neil Rolnick.
“Death Don’t Have No Mercy” (2014) – Rev Gary Davis.                                   
“House That Jack Built” (2013) Words and music by Moira Smiley.
“How to Build an Owl” (2013) – Poem by Kathleen Lynch.
“Sisters of Mercy” (2012)
“One Part Hello” (2012)
“Why We Build the Wall” (2012) – Words and Music - Anais Mitchell.
“Up On the Roof” (2012)                       
“Move On Up in Glory” (2011) – traditional.
“Miles to Go” (2011)
“Kiss Me in the Dark” (2010) – Words and music by Awna Teixeira.
“Love Like This” (2010) – For Clare Broussard and JT Devine.
“Robin Town Medley” (2012) – Hometown Glory - Words and Music by Adele Adkins,
Our Little Town - Words and Music by Paul Simon,
My Hometown - Words and Music by Bruce Springsteen.
“Star Spangled Banner” (2010) – Music by John Stafford Smith, Text - Francis Scott Key – a cappella.                
“The Weight” (2009) – The Band
“Sleep You Sound” (2008)

 
 
SELECTED SINGER/SONGWRITER COMPOSITIONS 1973–2014

And So it Is, Angels in the Kitchen, Another Drink, Baby’s Bad Dream, Belly of the Whale, Better Like That, Beware the Woman, Blue Dog, Blue Feather, Boatman, Calling of the Crow, Catman (Eschner/Horvitz), Desert Rose, For the Mouse Gone Down, Heading Home,Here in the Garden, I Would Know You Anywhere, It Could’ve Been a Whole Lot Worse,  It’s Good to Be Alive, It’s Rainin’ Money (Eschner/Horvitz), Kiss the Ground, Learning to Fly,  Let’s Ride, Little White Lie, Martha, Pra Pra Babishka, Rubies On the Boulevard, The San Joaquin, Say What You Will, Sleep You Sound, Small Town Parade, Southern Sea Song, The Thing in the Corner, This Little Apple, Time on Fire, Tug-of-War, Until the Painting is Complete, Where Did the Baptists Go?, What Have You Done Professor Plum?, You Never Know