Founded in 2001 by composer-director Cameron Rose, Providence Music Publishing presents a repertoire of New American Classics in instrumental, choral and vocal music, as well as meets a special need for high-quality sacred music appropriate for the spirit and tone of worship services.

Our foremost desire is for music to reach both listeners and performers on a spiritual and emotional level, and strongly believe that art, and artistic music— by definition— must speak to the heart as well as inspire the imagination in order for it to be of any communicative power or lasting value.

During the last half of the 20th century, newly composed concert music followed in great measure the path of intellectualism. Music which emphasized the means, methodology, and mathematical approaches to composing became vogue. Formulaic artifices rose from obscurity to become not only the popularly acceptable composing norm, but the new educational standard, thereby significantly shifting the emphasis away from more traditional compositional tastes and approaches in the rising generation of young composers.

Concurrent with the rise of rigorous formulaicism and structuralism in concert music, was another artistic movement of the extreme opposite nature. So-called "aleatoric" (from the Latin alea = dice) and "indeterminate" music of composers such as John Cage, left all but a few elements of musical composition in the hands of chance. Rolling of the dice, drawing cards from a hat, or tossing coins, for instance, became recognized means to select what notes should be played and when, or what instruments to use and in what order. Even giving musicians completely blank pages of music to "perform" was not out of the question. Among such, formula and structure were "out," complete spontaneity and experiential composition were "in."

The meaning of 'a composition' thus becomes quite unlike the traditional meaning. In effect, a composition does not exist as such, but only as a performance, or as the inconceivable totality of possible performances… When the indeterminacy is practically total on both sides [composition and performance], the result evidently is no longer a work of art in the normal sense of the word, that is, something made. (Grout, Donald J., and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music, 4th ed. W.W. Norton & Company, p. 875)

Ironically, both the "total control" as well as the "total freedom" approaches to musical composition most often led (and lead) to the same result— the experience of listening to complete aural chaos. In the "total control" camp, the true principle of studying one's musical craft in all its detailed but beautiful dimensions, had been transformed into the study of number theory— and among such, the words "heart" and "spirit" were (and are) not politically correct to whisper. Indeed, complete avoidance of any recognizable musical predictability (and as naturally follows, remembrance and enjoyment), was often the unabashedly stated modus operandi.

Among those espousing complete "freedom" in compositional method, the true principle of experiencing spontaneous joy as a performer and listener when in the performance of a great musical work, had been replaced by the disingenuous spontaneity of chance-music, and which could only attempt in its wildest dreams to liberate the ears and heart from what was already mundane and tiresome.

While concert music experienced such difficulties through the close of the last century, sacred music has not been immune from its own challenges. Far older than concert music, sacred music has served over many centuries as an integral part of worship and worship services, giving special expression to the prayers and testimonies of faith found in scripture and other inspired works. Through participation in liturgical music, choir, cantor, and congregation can give heart, and voice, and ear to the articles and tenants of one's faith in an especially devoted manner not possible through reading and recitation alone.

How greatly did I weep in thy hymns and canticles, deeply moved by the voices of thy sweet-speaking church! (St. Augustine, Confessions)

The struggle between control and freedom in church music composition is as old as church music itself. Sometimes such music, while nobly written, serves more as a concert performance than an act of humble worship. Other times, and in many instances as of late, sacred church music has turned the direction of popular culture, fashion and style, and while perhaps accessible to the lay music person, has become altogether musically and spiritually unsuited to communicating fully the "weightier matters of the law."

Finding the harmonious balance between these seemingly divergent roads of nobility and accessibility is what we seek both in sacred music, and in concert music.

Providence Music Publishing represents both consistency of artistic value and consistency of spirit. Whether music for recital performance or for prayerful worship, whether for amateur church choir or professional concert soloist, we seek to make available to you the highest in quality music which will be both artistically pleasing as well as spiritually gratifying. We invite you to join us as we continue to grow and provide you with new and inspiring works.