SKU: BT.AMP-340-140

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

Of Skies, Rivers, Lakes and Mountains was commissioned by the Northern California Band Directors' Association to honour their 50th Anniversary in 2012. The first performance was given by the Association’s 2012 Honor Band, conducted by Dr Royce Trevis, in the Harlen Adams Theater, California State University, Chico, California, on 4th February that year.The brief for the commission asked for a piece that celebrated the United States’ natural resources and composer Philip Sparke turned to Katharine Lee Bates’s lyrics for the song America the Beautiful, of which the first and last verses are:O beautiful for spacious skies,For amber waves of grain,For purplemountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain!America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining seaThe three movements each take their title from these verses:1. O Beautiful for Spacious Skies: Opening with filigree woodwind figuring, this movement aims to recreate the light and lightness of a spring sky, birds and blossoms floating on gentle breezes.2. From Sea to Shining Sea: A vivacious celebration of water bubbling in streams, rivers and lakes.3. For Purple Mountain Majesties: A slow final movement representing an awe-inspiring range of mountains

Of Skies, Rivers, Lakes and Mountains is geschreven in opdracht van de Northern California Band Directors' Association, ter gelegenheid van het vijftigjarig jubileum van deze organisatie, dat in 2012 werd gevierd. De première werd op 4 februari van dat jaar onder leiding van dirigent Royce Trevis uitgevoerd door de Association’s 2012 Honor Band, in het Harlen Adams Theater, California State University, Chico, Californië.De componist kreeg het verzoek een werk te schrijven dat een lofzang zou zijn op alles wat de natuur van Verenigde Staten te bieden heeft. Philip Sparke gebruikte de tekst van Katharine Lee Bates voor de song America the Beautiful, waarvan heteerste en laatste couplet als volgt luiden:O beautiful for spacious skies,For amber waves of grain,For purple mountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain!America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining seaDe titels van de drie delen van de compositie zijn ontleend aan deze coupletten:1. O Beautiful for Spacious Skies: Dit deel, dat opent met verfijnde figuren in het hout, is een poging om het licht en de lichtheid van een lentehemel te herscheppen, met vogeltjes en bloesems die wiegen in een milde bries.2. From Sea to Shining Sea: Een levendige ode aan water dat stroomt in beken, rivieren en meren3. For Purple Mountain Majesties: Een langzaam laatste deel waarin het beeld wordt opgeroepen van een indrukwekkende bergketen

Of Skies, Rivers, Lakes and Mountains wurde von der Northern California Band Director’s Association (Dirigentenverband Nord-Kaliforniens) zum 50-jährigen Jubiläum im Jahr 2012 in Auftrag gegeben. Die Uraufführung mit dem Ehrenorchester 2012 des Verbands fand am 4. Februar desselben Jahre unter der Leitung von Dr. Royce Trevis im Halen Adams Theater an der California State University, Chico Kalifornien) statt.Der Kompositionsauftrag verlangte ein Stück zu Ehren der Reichtümer der Natur Amerikas. Der Komponist Philip Sparke wählte daher die erste und letzte Strophe aus Katherine Lee Bates’ Text zum Lied America the Beautiful, die da lauten:O beautiful for spaciousskies,For amber waves of grain,For purple mountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain!America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining seaDie Titel der drei Sätze stammen alle aus diesen Strophen:1. O Beautiful for Spacious Skies (O wunderschön, der weite Himmel): Mit filigranen Figuren im Holz beginnend, will dieser Satz das Licht und die Leichtigkeit des Frühlingshimmels, die Vögel und von einer sanften Brise getragene Blüten zum Leben erwecken.2. From Sea to Shining Sea (Vom Meer zum strahlenden Meer): Mit lebhafter Musik wird hier in Flüssen, Bächen und Seen sprudelndes Wasser zelebriert.3. For Purple Mountain Majesties (Die Erhabenheit der purpurrot leuchtenden Berge): Der langsame Schlusssatz richtet den Blick auf ehrfurchtgebietende Gebirge.

Of Skies, Rivers, Lakes and Mountains est une commande de la Northern California Band Directors' Association pour marquer son 50e anniversaire, en 2012. Cette œuvre a été créée par le Honor Band 2012 de l’Association sous la direction du Dr Royce Trevis au thé tre Harlen Adams de l’université de Californie Chico, Californie, le 4 février de cette même année.La commande stipulait que la pièce devait célébrer les ressources naturelles des États-Unis. Le compositeur Philip Sparke s’est donc inspiré des paroles de Katharine Lee Bates pour la chanson America the Beautiful, dont voici les premier et dernier couplets :O beautiful for spacious skies,For amberwaves of grain,For purple mountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain!(Oh belle pour tes vastes cieux,Tes vagues de grains ambrés,La majesté de tes montagnes violettesDominant des plaines fruitées !)America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining sea(Amérique ! Amérique !Dieu t’a donné sa gr ceCouronnée de la fraternité des hommesDe la mer la mer étincelante)Les trois mouvements empruntent chacun leur titre ces couplets :1. O Beautiful for Spacious Skies: S’ouvrant avec des figures en filigrane jouées par les bois, ce mouvement cherche recréer la lumière et la légèreté d’un ciel printanier, d’oiseaux et de fleurs flottant au gré d’une douce brise.2. From Sea to Shining Sea: Plein de vivacité, ce mouvement évoque les frémissements de l’eau des ruisseaux, des rivières et des lacs.3. For Purple Mountain Majesties:Le dernier mouvement, lent et majestueux, dépeint une impressionnante chaîne de montagnes.

SKU: CF.CPS228F

ISBN 9781491153222. UPC: 680160910724.

Black light is defined as infrared or ultraviolet light which is invisible to the naked eye. The idea of an entire spectra existing out of the range of human perception was a large influencing factor for George Sweet in the composition of this piece. Richly scored for the modern concert band, Black Light is written in a post-minimalist style and is also heavily influenced by the work of American composers Steve Reich, John Adams, and Philip Glass.
Black light is defined as infrared or ultraviolet light which is invisible to the naked eye. The idea of an entire spectra existing out of the range of human perception was an influencing factor on the composition of the piece. Black Light is written in a post-minimalist style and is also heavily influenced by the work of American composers Steve Reich, John Adams, and Philip Glass.This begins with strict motor accompaniment. Take care to maintain equal balance among the different “moving parts” so that they blend to create a solid whole both here and throughout the piece. The primary thematic material is stated by the trumpets and horns at m. 12. This material is the basis for much of the harmonic and thematic material that follows. A slightly varied statement of the main theme is presented again at m. 26 with a different type of motor accompaniment. This leads to a B-section at m. 44, which is a bold fanfare-like presentation of the main material. Another series of variations on the main theme begins at m. 50 and incorporates many different textural and harmonic ideas in the accompaniment. Once again, be careful to not let any one “moving part” overwhelm another and keep the texture evenly balanced.  A second, broader presentation of the B-section occurs at m. 90 and leads to a subdued C-section at m. 100 with new melodic material presented in the trumpet. A whimsical march-like section pushes to the return of the introductory motor material at m. 131. A final heroic presentation of the main thematic material results in a somewhat ambiguous coda, which brings the piece to a dramatic conclusion.