ORCHESTRA
Fanfare 401
2.2.2.2. 4.3.3.1. Timp. Perc. Str.
Fanfare 401 is a nod to the ever-bustling, loud, crowded, and yet necessary Highway 401 that runs straight through the Greater Toronto Area. Though the 401 might not always be the fastest highway in Canada, this fanfare is a loud and joyous celebration of the GTA and the incredible music that comes out of Toronto's community music-making organizations.
Sleeping Giant
2.2.2.2. 4.3.3.1. Timp. Perc. Str.
Sleeping Giant is based on the stunningly beautiful and iconic Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, as well as an homage to Great Lakes parks all across Ontario.
The piece opens with an ominous tone, as you imagine the waters of the enormous Lake Superior in the early morning. Then, the theme of the Sleeping Giant, a distinctly Dorian melody presented in solo trumpet, enters. From that point onwards, the theme goes through variations, each one in a different mode compared to the next. I chose this because, in my mind, each mode gives such a distinct tonal character, allowing me to imagine this "giant" in different circumstances as the weather conditions of Lake Superior shift and change.
Mirrors in Haida Gwaii
2.2.2.2. 4.3.3.1. Timp. Perc. Str.
The inspiration for “Mirrors in Haida Gwaii” comes from a trip I took with two of my siblings to the remote island of Haida Gwaii. The entire island is incredible, but the most specific memory I have comes from an early morning kayaking trip across Alliford Bay.
Most days, when you looked beyond the coasts of Haida Gwaii, you were met with a fierce and endless ocean. But, on this particular morning, I was lucky enough to experience the ocean as clear and calm as mirrored glass.
Athabasca
2.2.2.2. 4.3.3.1. Timp. Perc. Str.
“Athabasca” is inspired by my love for Jasper National Park. Growing up in Alberta, I made countless trips from Edmonton to Jasper, and each time there is something awe-inspiring and magical about driving into the park. The prairies melt into hills, which quickly burst into mountains. Your guide along this incredible journey is the Athabasca
River. It seems to stretch endless as it twists and turns with the forested mountains. In some areas, sprawling and seemingly slow moving, while other areas spring to life with rapids and waterfalls.
Ra'ah
2.2.2.2. 4.3.3.1. Timp. Perc. Hp. Str.
Ra'ah is a Hebrew word coming from the 23rd Psalm. It means, "to be seen, known, understood." The piece is meant to portray what it means to try and understand oneself and how that journey can start off clearly, but become muddied over time.
Sometimes it takes a journey through the valley of the shadow of death, and out the other side.
CHAMBER
Suite for Piano and Cello
This suite is inspired by an intersection of Canadian and Japanese culture. Duo Kogarashi, who commissioned these pieces, is made up of Japanese-Canadian pianist Mayu Funaba and Canadian French cellist Sahara von Hattenberger. The intersection of cultures in this duo influenced my decision to compose three movements that compare and contrast elements of Canadian and Japanese culture, life, and geography.
The first movement is inspired by nature and the trees most associated with each country. The Canadian maple and the Japanese cherry blossom are stunningly beautiful in different ways. The second movement contrasts the subway chimes of Toronto to Tokyo. The final movement blends together a Japanese folksong, Tankobushi, with a Newfoundland folk song, Feller by Fortune.
Influence
Movement II - Compassion Amidst Sorrow
Piano Trio
Influence is a three-movement work, with each movement dedicated to a group of people who have greatly influenced my life.
The second movement, Compassion Amidst Sorrow, is dedicated to my family. Family is such a unique bond because they are people dedicated to sticking with you through all life situations, the highs and the lows. This movement depicts the feeling of being shown compassion and love in the midst of heartache and sorrow.
Among the Break of Day
String Quartet
This piece is meant to capture the morning light breaking over a winters' day. At first, it is calm and still, until the wind picks up and the light begins to dance with the fallen snow.
CHORAL
ENDLESS
SATB Choir and Piano
A modern choir piece with an indie-folk sound. Words and music by Joel Toews.
Grace and Grandeur
SMABT Choir and Accompaniment
Dedicated to my grandparents, this piece is an exploration of minimalist techniques for SMATB choir, percussion, piano, and brass quartet.
Text from "The Everlasting Voices" by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939)
Instinct of Hope
// SATB Choir //
A reflective piece on the nature of hope. Words by John Clare; music by Joel Toews.
A Capella Ensemble Arrangements
Joel has arranged a number of pieces for both the MacEwan a Capella ensemble and the Edmonton group Nuf Sed.
Please use the contact form if you are interested in purchasing a full arrangement for performance or if you have a song that needs arranging for your group.
"Human"
by Rag'n'Bone Man
"Too Good at Goodbyes"
by Sam Smith
"Believer"
by Imagine Dragons
"Hallelujah"
by Leonard Cohen
"No Tears Left to Cry"
by Arianna Grande
JAZZ
Miriam
Jazz Big Band
Commissioned by MacEwan University, with generous support from TD Bank,
for the 2022 “Generations” Big Band recording project.
This Big Band piece is based on the story of young Miriam in the Hebrew Old Testament and her bravery as she runs down the Nile River to keep watch over her baby brother, Moses.
Easy to Love
Jazz Big Band
Big band arrangement of the
Cole Porter standard.
The Gospel of Also Sprach
Jazz Big Band
The idea for this composition was to create a piece inspired by the themes of deep space, the planets, and the stars. I had the idea to take a famous piece of classical music that deals with these themes and reimagine it for big band. I landed on Also Sprach Zarathustra (Op 30) by Richard Strauss because of its use in the classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
After hearing the original theme of Also Sprach, the genre of the piece shifts to a gospel-funk-inspired groove driven by the bass and guitar with the winds playing an adapted version of the classic theme overtop. The middle section of the piece introduces a disco-funk-inspired groove for an interactive solo section, before the original theme of Also Sprach returns one last time.
Dazeo Mambo
Jazz Big Band
An original big band piece based on the mambos of Dizzy Gillespie.
Namid nightfall
Jazz Quartet
This Latin tune is named after the oldest desert in the world, the Namid Desert in Southern Africa.
It was inspired by scenes from the BBC series Planet Earth where the desert looks barren and empty during the day, but when night falls the landscape comes alive.
WIND BAND
Amidst the Night
Wind Ensemble
A thrilling piece about a nighttime chase for high school wind band.
Fanfare and March
Brass & Percussion
Energetic and epic brass fanfare.