Masters of the Night

2-Part

“Our students thoroughly enjoyed learning and premiering Masters of the Night. They loved the spooky nature of the piece for our fall concert in October!”

— Heather Goodger, Choir Director at Snyder Junior High

Lyrics

As you sleep wearily
We will roam about freely
Hear at night, we take flight
If we’re lucky, give a fright!

Sudden sounds, chills around
Drifting just above the ground
Here and there, we may scare
Those around without a care!

One can see clearly
Only wisps of you and me
Lying low in shadow
Only few will fully know

Ghosts and ghouls, yes we rule
Weary travelers we’ll fool
When the moon ignites its light
We are Masters of the Night!

About the Music

Masters of the Night follows a band of feisty ghosts who delight in spooking weary travelers as they roam the dark — all in good, mischievous fun. Written for a Halloween or spooky-themed concert, it’s an ideal fit for young middle school or elementary choirs. A minor key sets the eerie, playful mood, and generous unison sections make it approachable for developing singers while the bouncy, feisty energy keeps the whole piece fun to learn and perform.

Behind the Music

In 2023, the Snyder Junior High choir commissioned me to compose an original piece for them. The premiere would be happening during their Fall concert, so they wanted something that would fit a Fall/Halloween-type theme. I had originally begun writing a warmer piece about the fun of Fall, but for the amount of time I had left to complete, I didn’t feel like I could “get it right.” So I did something I’d never done before: I scrapped the whole thing and started fresh… the day before the piece was due. In one evening, I managed to compose this thing, now swinging to a very different feel. I think the adrenaline I felt having to compose this thing quickly contributed to the bouncy, feisty feel that the music has. I like to picture the story of Masters of the Night to be a group of ghosts that innocently enjoy scaring people. While all of us humans are getting frightened… they’re just having good fun!

The online premiere of the ’26–’27 CFM Choral Catalog, which features ten never-before-released choral compositions by Christian Fortner. During this online event, Christian speaks about the primary uses for each piece in your choir program. Whether you direct a middle school, high school, or college-level choir, there is something here for you!