forrest is equally at home in both concert music and church music, and he composes for ensembles across the spectrum of choral music. his background in academia and experience with professional choirs and orchestras allows him to write complex music that requires sophisticated performers, yet he also writes music accessible for amateur choirs. he is known for his skill in writing melodic lines for all voices and instruments, which he attributes to his study with alice parker and james barnes. his choral works are known for their sensitivity to the nuances, speech rhythms, and deeper meanings of their texts. additionally, his skill as a pianist and his training and experience in instrumentation/orchestration result in accompaniments that are known for their idiomatic writing and effective, impactful, and efficient scoring.