A native of Northumberland, Pennsylvania, Trevor was born into a musical family and began performing at a young age. He went on to become a graduate of the University of North Texas’s College of Music. While still a student there, Trevor became fully immersed into church music. As Director of Music for the Denton Wesley Foundation on the UNT campus, he led choirs on singing tours throughout the U.S., the UK, and Ireland. It was also during that time his professional focus saw a shift towards composition. In 2013, Trevor relocated to Austin, Texas, where he has since been active as a composer, conductor, church music director, private music instructor, and performer. He is well known for his love of new choral music, and as such is a founding member of Inversion Ensemble, as well as its Artistic Director. Under Trevor’s leadership, Inversion Ensemble has grown to include a professional choral ensemble, a 50+ aged volunteer choir, a treble-only choir, and a youth choir. He is also the co-founder and principal arranger for Tinsel, Austin’s premiere a cappella Christmas caroling company. Trevor has directed high school festival choirs, teaches Texas All-State preparation camps, and leads composition and music theory clinics for both youth and adults. His compositions and arrangements have been performed on four continents and are published through See-a-dot Music, Musicspoke, and Kagarice Brass Editions.
About “Love’s Philosophy”
Percy Shelley’s 1819 poem has been a long-time favorite of mine. Its simple imagery shows that nature beautifully creates inherent togetherness. I sought to honor the poet’s simplicity of metaphor by keeping the length of my composition relatively brief, harmonically thick, but tonal, and its form uncomplicated (A-A-B-A). While Shelley’s poem clearly leads us to embrace the logic of romantic love, it simultaneously serves as a reminder of the value of basic human connection, highlighted more than ever as I write this note during a global pandemic.
-Trevor F. Shaw, AprilThe fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one spirit meet and mingle. Why not I with thine?
See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
What is all this sweet work worth
If thou kiss not me?
-Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)