Posts by Eric

November performance was a big success

The  November performance was a big success!

Pioneer Songs in preparation for performance at Trenton War Memorial on November 10, 2018

A ‘Grand Performance’ of Pioneer Songs is...

The Story of Pioneer Songs

It was early 1992. Robert Marquis, a 47-year-old father of...

Eric Houghton / Composer

Eric Houghton Composer / Pianist / Teacher   Composer...

Orchestral Premiere of Pioneer Songs met with Rave Reviews

The orchestral world premiere of Pioneer Songs on May 18,...

1. Gathering

The Opening number in Pioneer Songs. Begins a capella with...

2. Beckoning

Acoustic guitar and melodic motifs highlight this tenor...

3. Proposal

Proposal is the expanded, yet simple “folk...

4. Preparation

4. Preparation.  The first pioneers brought with them just...

5. Marriage Vows

Warm and sonorous Soprano and Tenor duet. A stand-alone...

6. Farewell

When I first played this for Bob Marquis in early 1993 on...

7. Departure

This pulsing and passionate conclusion to Act 1 of Pioneer...

8. Prelude to Act II

Entirely orchestral and at 5:20, Prelude to Act II of...

9. Doins’ Of The Day

A snap-shot of life on the trail, Doins’ of the Day,...

10. The Prairie

Pioneer Songs was the brain-child of Robert Marquis. This...

11. The Oxen

Bass/Baritone Solo originally titled “The Wagon...

12. The Desert

Originally titled “Keep Goin’, Soprano solo,...

13. The Mountains

The Sierra Nevada mountains presented the final, terrible...

14. Petition

After the mountains taxed every ounce of their strength,...

15. Celebration

“They made it! They all made it!” Indeed, all...