Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Claves, Congas, ...(+)
Band Bass Clarinet, Bass
Drum, Bassoon, Clarinet
1, Clarinet 2, Claves,
Congas, Cowbell,
Euphonium, Euphonium
T.C., Flute, Horn 1, Horn
2, Mallet Percussion 1,
Mallet Percussion 2,
Marimba, Oboe, Percussion
1, Percussion 2,
Percussion 3, Piano and
more. - Grade 4
SKU:
CF.SPS98
Composed by
Megan Vinther. Set of
Score and Parts. Duration
4 minutes, 31 seconds.
Carl Fischer Music
#SPS98. Published by Carl
Fischer Music (CF.SPS98).
ISBN 9781491166673.
UPC: 680160925728. Key: C
minor.
Farallones
is inspired by the
Greater Farallones
National Marine Sanctuary
(GFNMS) off the Northern
California coast,
spanning 3,295 square
miles north and west of
San Francisco. The
Farallones (Spanish for
cliffs) are a set of
islands that are
sometimes referred to as
The Devil’s Teeth by
mariners, citing the many
dangerous underwater
shoals and shipwrecks.
The first recorded
observation of these
islands was in 1579 by
Sir Frances Drake, with
the first reference to
the outcroppings as
“farallones” written
by Spanish Friar Antonio
de la Ascension in 1603.
The location of the
islands and their rugged
and ominous appearance
likely were responsible
for the relatively late
discovery by explorers of
San Francisco Bay, which
didn’t happen until
1769, nearly 200 years
after Sir Frances
Drake’s
expedition. The islands
and their natural
resources and habitat
have been used and
exploited in many
different ways over the
centuries, from the seal
fur trade in the early
1800s to a nuclear waste
dumping ground in the
1940s–1960s. The
islands have been hosts
to hunting camps, weather
stations, rum runners
during prohibition,
lighthouse keepers, and
even a U.S. Naval station
during World War II. The
first protections for the
area were established in
1981 and expanded over
the following decades.
Over time, species and
habitats have been
restored. The Farallones
is now home to a
beautiful and diverse
marine ecosystem that
supports many endangered
and threatened species.
This piece began as a
chamber work for a septet
that included piano and
string bass. When I
reworked it for wind
ensemble, I left the
piano and string bass in
the orchestration as a
nod to my original
(unfinished) chamber
piece. The opening
section in 7/4 depicts
the rugged environment
and unpredictability of
the swirling currents
around the islands.
Descending scalar motifs
and trills emphasize the
fluidity of the seascape.
The exploitation of the
islands and conflict
surrounding the use of
natural resources drive
the accented passages
throughout the piece. The
12/8 section is a
development into the
resilience and dangerous
beauty of the area.
Recalled themes and
motifs from the first
section in an even rather
than uneven meter depict
the solid future of the
ecosystem.