Shortly after I arrived at Brevard College, Alan Wallace (who was then the drama department and a recruiter for the Admissions department) presented to me a text he had written. He intended it to be a new Alma Mater for the college, and he asked me to consider setting it to music. The music was subsequently composed and presented (in 1965), and it turned out to be a good marriage between words and music. Although it has never been adopted as an official Alma Mater for the College, it is used as such at Commencement; it is referred to as "Guarded Well By Mountains -- A Hymn for Brevard College." In 1992 I arranged the hymn for band and chorus, and it is this version of the music which is heard today.

In 1993 I was asked to write a tune to be played on bagpipes for use as processional/recessional music at College ceremonies. A knowledge of the British band tradition (and a desire to make the piece as widely useable as possible) led me to arrange the original music for bagpipes and band, so that it could be performed independently by either or in combination of the two. The piece was named Seal and Covenant, and it was first performed at the inauguration of J. Thomas Bertrand as College president in February, 1994; it has been used in College ceremonies since that time.

One other music written for ceremonial purposes is a band transcription of Psalm XIX, by Benedetto Marcello. Although it has been used in Commencement ceremonies, it has not enjoyed the frequent usage attained by the other works written for this purpose.