Orchestra String
Orchestra - Grade 1.5-2
SKU: CF.FAS43
Composed by Larry Clark.
Carl Fischer First Plus
String Orchestra Series.
Classical. Score and
Parts. With Standard
notation. 8 pages. Carl
Fischer Music #FAS43.
Published by Carl Fischer
Music (CF.FAS43).
ISBN
9780825863387. UPC:
798408063382. 8.5 X 11
inches. Key: E
minor.
Titled by
the students of J. T.
Lambert Middle School in
East Stroudsburg, PA,
which commissioned the
original version for
band, this brilliant,
heavily accented piece
emphasizes rhythmic
alertness and attention
to dynamic contrasts.
Bold fanfare writing
alternates with lyrical
writing of considerable
warmth and the spiccato
style of playing is
introduced.
The title
for Dance of the
Thunderbolts was
suggested by students at
J. T. Lambert Middle
School in East
Stroudsburg,
Pennsylvania. This piece
was originally
commissioned for the
sixth-grade band at the
school in 2003 and has
now been transcribed for
string orchestra. The
students specifically
asked for the piece to be
“a strong powerful
piece with lots of
accents and a strong
abrupt ending.” As you
can see and hear, the
piece contains many of
these aspects. After the
title was suggested I
came up with the
thunderbolt dance section
of the piece first stated
at m. 24. Later during
the compositional process
I decided to frame this
theme with a more lyrical
theme, but one that still
contains the sparkle of
the staccato ostinato
that is layered together
with the elongated theme.
Following the thunderbolt
dance at m.24 is a short
interlude to soften the
sound before a return of
the theme in fragments
traded between different
sections and in different
tessituras. The lyrical
theme returns and is
followed by “a strong
abrupt ending” as
suggested by the
students. As with all of
my pieces at this level,
the tempo is merely a
suggestion and should be
adjusted slower or faster
to fit the needs of your
students and the
performance situation.It
has been my pleasure to
have the opportunity to
write this piece. I hope
you and your students
enjoy it and find it
useful for your
program.—Larry
ClarkLakeland, FL
2007.
