PARTITIONS GRATUITES : CHœUR TTBB
- Se nsem

Orchestra solo oboe, solo pipa, timpani 4 Pauken, 1 Spieler, percussion, (Crotali, Glockenspiel, gr, Trommel, vibraphonerafon - 1 Spieler), strings (7, 1)

SKU: PE.EP14445

Composed by Bernd Franke. Full Scores. Edition Peters. Score. 52 pages. Duration 00:20:00. Edition Peters #98-EP14445. Published by Edition Peters (PE.EP14445).

ISBN 9790014135041. 297 x 420 mm inches. German.

ARKA stammt aus dem Sanskrit und bedeutet so viel wie Strahl, Blitz, Sonne, Licht, aber auch Lied, Feuer und Hymnus, und entwickelt in meiner Vorstellung sehr viele unterschiedliche Assoziationsfelder. In ARKA stecken auch die Worter arc (beten) und ka (Wasser), und es kann auch ubersetzt werden mit: ,,Das Wasser stromt aus dem heraus, der mehr weiss.

Mein neues Werk fur Pipa, Oboe, Pauke, Schlagzeug und Orchester entstand im Auftrag der Kammerakademie Neuss und auf Anregung des Oboisten Christian Wetzel. Es entstanden drei Rituale mit zum Teil szenischen Elementen fur die Solisten und das Orchester.

Inspirationsquelle in der Vorbeschaftigung waren zwei Quellen und Bucher. Das Daodejing von Laozi in der hervorragenden Neuubersetzung von Viktor Kalinke, eine der wichtigsten Quellen chinesischen Denkens und der Philosophie dieser grossen Kulturtradition und die chinesische Tradition der 5-Elementelehre und der Wandlungsphasen. Als zweites Buch hat mich ,,Die Glut von Roberto Calasso inspiriert, ein Buch uber die indischen Veden in Verbindung mit den Ursprungen des Buddhismus und den damit verbunden Ritualen.

In den letzten 20 Jahren habe ich mich intensiv mit ostasiatischer Musik, Kunst und Philosophie beschaftigt und habe das auch durch langere Studienreisen und kompositorische Projekte vertiefen konnen. U.a. wurde 2012 mein Chorwerk PRAN in Kolkata in Indien uraufgefuhrt (Goethe-Institut), ebenfalls 2012 ,,in between VI fur Sho und Sheng in Tokyo und 2013 ,,Mirror and Circle fur Pipa, Cello und chinesisches Orchester in Taipeh/Taiwan (Auftragswerk der taiwanesischen Regierung). Mit der chinesischen Pipa-Virtuosin Ya Dong arbeite ich seit 2000 zusammen und habe fur sie mehrfach komponiert (Urauffuhrungen u.a. in Hannover/EXPO 2000, Rottweil 2001, Taipeh 2013, Magdeburg 2016). Auch mit Christian Wetzel arbeite ich seit uber 20 Jahren zusammen und habe ebenfalls haufig fur ihn komponiert (UA u.a. in Bonn 1999, Hannover/EXPO 2000, Rottweil 2001, Darmstadt 2004 und etliche weitere Projekte).

Jedes dieser drei Rituale hat eine Lange von ca. 6-7 Minuten und stellt unterschiedliche Qualitaten und Besonderheiten der beiden Soloinstrumente heraus, immer in Verbindung mit der Interaktion zwischen Soli und Orchester. Die Besetzung war fur mich ausserst reizvoll, da beide Instrumente in dieser Kombination noch nie so erklungen sind. Die Pipa ist ein ungemein modernes und ungewohnliches Instrument, reich an Farben und vor allem an perkussiven Effekten. Das Tonmaterial wurde zum grossten Teil aus den Namen der beiden Solisten gewonnen und ergibt interessanter zwei gespiegelte Viertonmotive. In der asiatischen Kultur spielen der Spiegel und der Kreis eine wichtige Rolle, und so werden die Tone, Rhythmen und Formen eingewoben in diese drei Rituale, welche am Ende des dritten Satzes wieder kreisformig an den Anfang des ersten Rituals anknupfen. Ein von den Streichern und der Pauke erzeugtes Gerausch, verbunden mit dem Rhythmus der grossen Trommel, welcher einen Herzschlag symbolisieren soll. Die drei Untertitel der Rituale Himmel, Erde und (atmospharischer) Raum spielen im vedischen und chinesischen Denken eine grosse Rolle und war fur mich beim Komponieren ebenfalls eine sehr starke Inspirationsquelle. In vielen meiner Kompositionen gibt es Raumeffekte, Annaherungen an das Publikum, das Verschieben von Perspektiven, die Dekonstruktion und das Hinterfragen der ublichen Konzertsituation, so u.a in meinem Beuys-Zyklus oder in den Zyklen ,,CUT und ,,in between.

In ARKA geht es mir besonders um die Interaktion zwischen westlichem und ostlichem Denken, um das gegenseitige Durchdringen dieser auf den ersten Blick so unterschiedlichen Denk- und Lebensweisen, um eine Verschmelzung scheinbarer Gegensatze - um Annaherung!

Bernd Franke. Leipzig, 11.10.2019

W01476|C|Y 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ 9780193556799 Y 23.50 X556799 357665 9780193556799 MISC C 1 432 8030 0.00 Oxford Solo Songs: Christmas 14 songs with piano PAPER 14 9780193556799 A-B CAROLS CHRISTMAS MISC MISCELLANEOUS OXFORD PIANO SOLO SONGS SONGS: VOICE WITH AB 00:00:0 Low voice & piano Low voice book + downloadable backing tracks 311x232 72 NEW NONE 29/07/2021 P 355580 9780193556799

• Young: A babe is born
• Rutter: Angels' Carol
• McDowall: Before the paling of the stars
• Rutter: Candlelight Carol
• Rutter: I sing of a maiden
• Chilcott: Mid-winter
• Todd: My Lord has Come
• Bullard: Scots Nativity
• Quartel: Snow Angel
• Todd: Softly
• Chilcott: Sweet was the song
• Chilcott: The Shepherd's Carol
• Quartel: This endris night
• McGlade: What child is this?

for low voice and piano
This beautiful collection of 14 songs for low voice offers Christmas settings by some of Oxford's best-loved composers. Suitable for solo singers and unison choirs alike, each song is presented with piano accompaniment, and high-quality, downloadable backing tracks are included on a companion website. With a wonderful selection of pieces, including favourites such as Bob Chilcott's 'The Shepherd's Carol' and John Rutter's 'Candlelight Carol', this is the perfect collection for use in carol services and Christmas concerts or for enjoying at home.
Also available in a volume for high voice and piano.

• 14 songs for solo voice
• Well-loved composers, including John Rutter and Bob Chilcott
• Wide selection of Christmas texts
• Accessible accompaniments
• Includes backing tracks downloadable from a Companion Website
• Available in volumes for high and low voice

MISC|AU|Y 0.0000 Paperback _x000D_ EP73308R Y 0.00 73308R P73308R 1 ORCHA 8000 0.00 Hover A (LARGE) BEAMISH EP73308R GP:ORCHESTRAL HOVER ONLY RENTAL SALLY WORKS NONE ORCHA P 303000 EP73308R 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP14437A Y 22.95 14437A P14437A FRANKE, BERND C 9790014137199 52A1 8000 0.00 AGNI A 9790014137199 AGNI BASS BERND CLARINET EP14437A FRANKE PHOTOPRINTS W01476 English / German 00:12:0 Instrumental Score 232 x 303 mm Bass clarinet 20 DETNT NEW PR43 23/04/2021 P 303006

AGNI is the Hindu god of fire; the elemental and transformative force inherent in everything:

Every flame, every fire, every light, every warmth is AGNI.

AGNI is omnipresent, establishing everything and ending everything.

AGNI is often depicted with seven tongues which represent different aspects of his being.

These include: creating, sustaining, cleansing, purifying, priestly, martial, devastating, destructive, and consuming.

Derived from Franke's concerto of the same name, this solo work for bass clarinet compositionally traces the transformative processes initiated by the divine fire. The solo takes seven pieces from the concerto, presenting vivid character pieces exploring the creative possibilities and wide tonal range offered by the bass clarinet.

This version of AGNI for bass clarinet solo was premiered on 4 December 2020 in Leipzig by Volker Hemken, the principal bass clarinetist of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. EP14437a convinces with its excellent and clear notation, making the piece a new standard for bass clarinet.

W01476|C|Y 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP68686 Y 165.00 68686 P68686 LEWIS C 9790300761299 97 8000 0.00 Ikons A 9790300761299 CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE EP68686 GEORGE IKONS LEWIS PHOTOPRINTS SMALL W06652 English 00:14:0 Conductor Score & Parts 303 x 232 mm Fl (A-fl in F).Cl.Bsn (Cbsn).Tbn.Perc.Vln.Vlc.C b 132 NEW PR43 USTNT 21/04/2021 P 303006

Ikons, commissioned by the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad 2010, exists in two forms. This 14-minute acoustic version, premiered by the Turning Point Ensemble, calls for an octet of live musicians to execute complex rhythms and quarter-tone harmonies.

The interactive, electronic version, created with visual artist Eric Metcalfe and designed to be presented separately, incorporates samples from this acoustic version into a sculptural environment of seven pyramidal structures that respond sonically to the viewer.

W06652|C|Y 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP73531 Y 31.95 73531 P73531 PANUFNIK, ROXANNA C 9790577020976 61 8000 0.00 Sonnets without Words A 9790577020976 EP73531 HORN PANUFNIK PHOTOPRINTS PIANO ROXANNA SHAKESPEARE SONNETS W03578 WILLIAM WITHOUT WORDS English Score & Instrumental Parts 232 x 303 mm Horn and piano 28 NEW PR43 UKTNT 21/04/2021 P 303006

Roxanna Panufnik's Sonnets without Words is a contemporary piece for Horn in F and piano. Written for horn player Ben Goldscheider, Panufnik has reimagined the lyrical vocal lines from three of her previous settings of Shakespeare's sonnets (Mine eye, Music to hear and Sweet Love Remember'd for voice and piano) into a purely instrumental work.

Score and horn part.

• Contempo rary work for Horn in F and piano
• Settings of Sheakespeare's Sonnets 8, 24 & 29 in instrumental form

W03578|C|Y W06737|LY|N 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP73571 Y 15.95 73571 P73571 MCNEFF, STEPHEN C 9790577021317 20 8000 0.00 Trig for Solo Cello A 9790577021317 (SOLO) CELLO EP73571 MCNEFF PHOTOPRINTS SOLO STEPHEN TRIG W03150 English 00:07:0 Instrumental Score 232 x 303 mm Solo Violoncello 8 NEW PR43 UKTNT 21/04/2021 P 303006

Stephen McNeff's Trig is a short 7-minute contemporary work for solo cello, written to celebrate the bicentennial of the Royal Academy of Music in 2022 and in memorium cellist Mike Edwards 1948-2010.

Trig was premiered by Henry Hargreaves on 19 March 2021, livestreamed from the Royal Academy of Music.

• Contemp orary piece for solo cello
• Written for the Royal Academy of Music's bicentennial

W03150|C|Y 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP14528 Y 34.95 14528 P14528 SAUNDERS, REBECCA C 9790014136796 3 8000 0.00 to an utterance - study A 9790014136796 (SOLO) AN EP14528 PHOTOPRINTS PIANO REBECCA SAUNDERS STUDY TO UTTERANCE W04191 English Instrumental Score 420 x 297 mm Piano Solo 16 DETNT NEW PR43 21/04/2021 P 303006

to an utterance - study was commissioned by Klangforum Wien for the premiere commercial audio recording on a portrait CD in 2020 and first performed by Joonas Ahonen at the Berlin Philharmonie on 4th September 2020 at the Musikfest Berlin.

W04191|C|Y 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP71880 Y 75.00 71880 P71880 PANUFNIK, ROXANNA C 9790577008332 82 8000 0.00 Spirit Moves for Brass Quintet A 9790577008332 BRASS ENSEMBLE EP71880 MOVES PANUFNIK PHOTOPRINTS QUINTET ROXANNA SPIRIT W03578 English 00:15:0 Score & Instrumental Parts 232 x 303 mm Trumpet 1 in B flat (doubling Piccolo Trumpet), Trumpet 2 in B flat (doubling Flugel Horn), Horn in F, Trombone, Tuba 84 NEW PR43 UKTNT 21/04/2021 P 303006

Roxanna Panufnik's Spirit Moves, for brass quintet, was commissioned by the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble. This 15-minute piece is scored for two trumpets in Bb (one doubling piccolo trumpet and the other doubling flugel horn), horn in F, trombone and tuba. This brass quintet is so called because the outer movements are highly spirited and the central one is spiritual.

This product consists of score and parts.

W03578|C|Y 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP73585 Y 4.00 73585 P73585 369282 WILLIAMS, RODERICK C 9790577021591 1 151 8000 0.00 Eriskay Love Lilt A 9790577021591 (SECULAR) CHORAL EP73585 ERISKAY HALSTAN-USA LILT LOVE RODERICK TRADITIONAL W05152 WILLIAMS WORKS English 00:03:0 190 x 272 mm SATB (divisi) and piano 16 NEW PR30 UKTNT 20/05/2021 P 377788

A gently flowing 3-minute arrangement by Roderick Williams for SATB (with divisi) with piano accompaniment that captures the beauty of this famous traditional Hebridean love song. The song text uses both old dialect and English, each verse ending with the words, 'Sad am I without thee'.

• Commiss ioned by The Sixteen choir and recorded on their 2021 album 'Goodnight Beloved'
• Roderick Williams is a composer/arranger and also a world-renowned baritone
• The arrangement is described by Williams as 'having a little nod to Ravel and Grieg'

W05152|C|Y W04819|LY|N 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ 9780193556782 Y 23.50 X556782 357665 9780193556782 MISC C 1 432 8030 0.00 Oxford Solo Songs: Christmas 14 songs with piano PAPER 14 9780193556782 A-B CAROLS CHRISTMAS MISC MISCELLANEOUS OXFORD PIANO SOLO SONGS SONGS: VOICE WITH AB 00:00:0 High voice & piano High voice book + downloadable backing tracks 311x232 72 NEW NONE 29/07/2021 P 355580 9780193556782

• Young: A babe is born
• Rutter: Angels' Carol
• McDowall: Before the paling of the stars
• Rutter: Candlelight Carol
• Rutter: I sing of a maiden
• Chilcott: Mid-winter
• Todd: My Lord has Come
• Bullard: Scots Nativity
• Quartel: Snow Angel
• Todd: Softly
• Chilcott: Sweet was the song
• Chilcott: The Shepherd's Carol
• Quartel: This endris night
• McGlade: What child is this?

for high voice and piano
This beautiful collection of 14 songs for high voice offers Christmas settings by some of Oxford's best-loved composers. Suitable for solo singers and unison choirs alike, each song is presented with piano accompaniment, and high-quality, downloadable backing tracks are included on a companion website. With a wonderful selection of pieces, including favourites such as Bob Chilcott's 'The Shepherd's Carol' and John Rutter's 'Candlelight Carol', this is the perfect collection for use in carol services and Christmas concerts or for enjoying at home.
Also available in a volume for low voice and piano.

• 14 songs for solo high voice
• Well-loved composers, including John Rutter and Bob Chilcott
• Wide selection of sacred and secular Christmas texts
• Accessible accompaniments
• Includes backing tracks downloadable from a Companion Website
• Available in volumes for high and low solo voice

MISC|AU|Y 0.0000 Paperback _x000D_ 9780193559066 Y 4.25 X559066 357665 9780193559066 YOUNG C 1 444 8030 0.00 O splendour of God's glory bright PAPER 9780193559066 BRIGHT CHORAL GLORY GOD'S MIXED OF OXFORD SACRED SPLENDOUR TOBY VOICES W06576 YOUNG C 00:03:30 SATB & organ Vocal score 254x178 SATB 20 NONE P 355580 9780193559066

for SATB and organ
This energetic setting of words by St Ambrose of Milan is a real showstopper. With pop-influences and a sparkling organ part, Young effortlessly fuses modern and traditional sound worlds, while changes in key and metre build up to an invigorating finish. Perfect for accomplished choirs looking for something different.

W06576|C|Y 0.0000 Paperback _x000D_ 9780193554399 Y 2.60 X554399 357665 9780193554399 LASSUS, ORLANDO DE C 1 445 8030 0.00 Oculus non vidit PAPER 9780193554399 CHORAL DE KEANE LASSUS MARK NON OCULUS ORLANDO OXFORD SACRED UPPER VIDIT VOICES W02750 B 00:01:30 SA unaccompanied Vocal score 254x178 Upper Voices - 3 parts or more 4 NONE 10/06/2021 P 355580 9780193554399

for SA unaccompanied
This simple, charming two-part motet features long melismatic phrases that reflect the text (1 Corinthians 2: 9), such as the rising melodic line over three bars on the word 'ascended' (ascendit).

W02750|C|Y W06960|E|N 0.0000 Paperback _x000D_ 9780193954298 Y 3.35 X954298 357665 9780193954298 TALLIS, THOMAS C 1 448 8030 0.00 Honor, virtus et potestas PAPER 9780193954298 CANTICLES DUNKLEY ET HONOR OXFORD POTESTAS SALLY SERVICES TALLIS THOMAS VIRTUS W04705 C 00:06:0 SAATB unaccompanied Vocal score MSER00020 SATB 12 NONE 28/05/2021 P 355580 9780193954298

for SAATB unaccompanied.
This glorious musical depiction of the honour, strength, power and authority of the Holy Trinity by Thomas Tallis is the third issue in the CMS's series of great English Responds from the 16th century, edited by Sally Dunkley. Scored for SAATB, it can be performed either as a motet or as a full Responsory with plainsong alternating with polyphony.

W04705|C|Y W01184|E|N 0.0000 Paperback _x000D_ EP73527 Y 6.95 73527 P73527 BEAMISH, SALLY C 9790577020891 50 8000 0.00 The Parting Glass A 9790577020891 (SOLO) BEAMISH CLARINET EP73527 GLASS PARTING PHOTOPRINTS SALLY W00306 English Score 232 x 303 mm Clarinet 4 NEW PR43 UKTNT 12/12/2020 P 303006

Based on a traditional Scottish/Irish 'farewell' song, this short piece is one of six works written to express my love of Scotland. After living there for nearly half my life, and raising a family, I moved back to England in 2018, and remarried in 2019.

Of course, there were many different emotions attached to the move south: especially the joy and excitement of new beginnings, and reconnection with friends from my youth.

But this piece expresses the wrench I experienced after a last family meal in Glasgow, and the realisation of all I was about to leave behind.

I have taken the melody of the original song, and expanded it, exploring the detail of its patterns, so that it becomes a timeless meditation.

The six pieces in the 'farewell' series are for 6 violas, string quintet, string quartet, trio, violin and clarinet duo, and solo clarinet.

The Parting Glass was composed in 2020 during the coronavirus lockdown, which intensified the feeling of separation from my Scottish family, as well as from other musicians.

It was commissioned by Vittorio Ceccanti for the ContempoArtEnsemble.

W00306|C|Y 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP73516 Y 6.95 73516 P73516 BEAMISH, SALLY C 9790577020747 20 8000 0.00 Maple A 9790577020747 (SOLO) BEAMISH CELLO EP73516 MAPLE PHOTOPRINTS SALLY W00306 English 00:06:0 Score 232 x 303 mm Contemporary cello solo 8 NEW PR43 UKTNT 12/12/2020 P 303006 Seed; Spinning Seed; Roots, shoots; Leaves ; Flowers; Tree ; Autumn ; Cello

Maple arose from a commission to write a work for solo cello, to be performed alongside readings from artist John Newling's collection of letters entitled 'Dear Nature'; a poetic manifestation of our relationship with the natural world.

The piece is in eight short sections, to be interspersed with readings of groups of the poems. It may also be performed as a single movement. It begins with a seed - the seed of a maple tree, as it hangs on the mature tree, ready to drop. The seeds are like propellers, sometimes travelling more than a mile before landing on the ground. Maple follows the growth of the tree to maturity - which in reality would take at least a hundred years. 'Roots, shoots' grows downwards and upwards from a pedal note, and the dance-like 'Flowers' is followed by the stately 'Tree', and then the warm, cascading 'Autumn'. Maple is very often the wood of choice for the back of a stringed instrument, and the last section uses open strings to explore the full resonance of the cello.

The piece starts with a 'seed' of only five notes, which grows into different configurations. It is intended to be played in an improvisatory style.

Maple was co-commissioned by Brighton Festival, Ars et Terra Festival with SACEM and Ditchling Arts and Crafts Museum, to be performed by Margarita Balanas as part of the Brighton Festival's 'Dear Nature' project.

W00306|C|Y 0.0000 Sheet Music _x000D_ EP73508 Y 39.95 73508 P73508 DILLON, JAMES C 9790577020648 3 8000 0.00 echo the angelus A 9790577020648 (SOLO) ANGELUS DILLON ECHO EP73508 JAMES PHOTOPRINTS PIANO W01097 English 00:25:0 Score 232 x 303 mm Piano Solo 44 NEW PR43 UKTNT 12/01/2021 P 303006

First performed by Noriko Kawai for Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, in a broadcast from the Radio Theatre, BBC Broadcasting House, November 2020.

Full of beautifully crafted, delicate tintinnabulations - Richard Morrison, The Times

This product is Printed on Demand and may take several weeks to fulfill. Please order from your favorite retailer.

Brass Band - Grade 4

SKU: BT.AMP-338-030

Five States of Change. Composed by Philip Sparke. Anglo Music Midway Series. Concert Piece. Set (Score & Parts). Composed 2011. Anglo Music Press #AMP 338-030. Published by Anglo Music Press (BT.AMP-338-030).

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dut ch.

Evolution was commissioned by Kunstfactor for the 4th section of the Dutch National Brass Band Championships (NBK) 2011. It is dedicated to Jappie Dijkstra and the Music Information Centre (MUI), Arnhem, Holland, in acknowledgement of their outstanding work in developing brass band repertoire. The composer writes:-The idea for the piece came when I was reading an article about a branch of Chinese philosophy which is abbreviated as Wu Xing, which has no exact translation but can mean, for example, five elements, five phases or five states of change. It is central to all elements of Chinese thought, including science, philosophy, medicine and astrology, and in simpleterms tries to create various cyclic relationships between five elements in all walks of life. An example is: Earth - Metal - Water - Wood - Fire - (Earth) etc. where (in one cycle) earth bears metal, metal changes to liquid (water) when heated, water helps trees grow, wood burns to create fire, fire produces ash (earth) and the cycle continues.I was particularly interested in the cycle of emotions: Meditation - Sorrow - Fear - Anger - Joy - (Meditation) etc. and thought this cyclic principle would provide an effective emotional journey for a piece of music. So Evolution has five equal sections which loosely characterise this emotional cycle. I have tried to make the music grow organically, with minimal repetition, and each movement evolves from the musical elements at the end of the previous one, with the opening material appearing, transformed, at the end of the piece to complete the cycle.

Evolution is geschreven in opdracht van Kunstfactor voor de 4e divisie van de NBK (Nederlandse Brassband Kampioenschappen) 2011. Het werk is opgedragen aan Jappie Dijkstra en het MUI (Muziekuitleen- en Informatiecentrum) te Arnhem, als waardering voor hun inspanningen met betrekking tot de ontwikkeling van het brassbandrepertoire.De componist schrijft:Het idee voor Evolution kwam in mij op toen ik een artikel las over een tak binnen de Chinese filosofie waarvan de naam wordt afgekort tot Wu Xing - waar geen exacte vertaling voor is, maar wat zoveel betekent als vijf elementen, vijf fasen of vijf stadia van verandering. Het gaat om een wezenlijk onderdeel van allecomponenten binnen het Chinese gedachtegoed, inclusief de wetenschap, filosofie, geneeskunst en astrologie. Simpel gezegd draait het om het creëren van diverse cyclische verbanden tussen vijf elementen die in ieders leven een rol spelen. Een voorbeeld: Aarde - Metaal - Water - Hout - Vuur - (Aarde) enz. In deze cyclus bevat aarde metaal; metaal verandert in vloeistof (water) door verhitting; water helpt bomen te groeien; hout dat brandt creëert vuur; en vuur produceert as (aarde). Zo blijft de cyclus voortgaan. Zelf was ik vooral ge nteresseerd in de cyclus van emoties: Meditatie - Verdriet - Angst - Boosheid - Vreugde - (Meditatie) enz. De gedachte aan dit cyclische principe leverde een reis door een muzikale wereld van emoties op. Evolution bestaat uit vijf delen die betrekking hebben op de emotionele cyclus. Ik heb geprobeerd de muziek op natuurlijke wijze te laten ontstaan, met zo weinig mogelijk herhalingen. Elk deel vloeit voort uit de muzikale elementen uit het slot van het voorgaande deel. Het openingsmateriaal komt, in getransformeerde gedaante, terug aan het einde van het werk, waarmee de cyclus wordt afgerond.

Evolution wurde von Kunstfactor für die vierte Abteilung der Holländischen Nationalen Brass-Band-Meisterschaft (NBK) 2011 in Auftrag gegeben. Die Widmung gilt Jappie Dijkstra und dem Musik-Informationszentrum (MUI) in Arnhem (Holland), in Anerkennung ihrer außerordentlichen Bemühungen um die Entwicklung des Brass-Band-Repertoires.De r Komponist über sein Werk:Die Idee zu diesem Stück kam mir beim Lesen eines Artikels über eine Richtung der chinesischen Philosophie, die abgekürzt Wu Xing heißt, was nicht wörtlich übersetzt werden kann, aber so viel wie fünf Elemente, fünf Phasen oder fünf Stadien der Verwandlung bedeutet. Dieses Prinzip nimmt eine zentrale Positionim gesamten chinesischen Gedankengut ein, sei es in der Wissenschaft, Medizin oder Astrologie. Einfach ausgedrückt, werden damit in allen Lebensbereichen verschiedene zyklische Beziehungen zwischen fünf Elementen hergestellt.Zum Beispiel: Erde - Metall - Wasser - Holz - Feuer - (Erde) - usw. In diesem Zyklus enthält die Erde Metall, das sich bei Erhitzung verflüssigt (Wasser); Wasser lässt Bäume wachsen, deren Holz verbrennt (Feuer) und zu Asche wird (Erde), womit der Kreislauf von neuem beginnt.Mich interessierte besonders der Kreislauf von Gefühlen: Meditation - Trauer - Angst - Ärger - Freude - (Meditation) usw. Ich dachte mir, dass dieser Kreislauf eine wirkungsvolle emotionale Reise“ durch ein Musikstück darstellen könnte. Folglich besteht Evolution aus fünf gleichen Abschnitten, die diesen Kreislauf der Gefühle grob nachzeichnen. Ich habe versucht, die Musik organisch wachsen zu lassen mit möglichst wenig Wiederholungen. Jeder Satz entwickelt sich aus den Elementen vom Ende des vorhergehenden Satzes und das Material der Eröffnung vollendet am Schluss des Werkes den Kreis.

Evolution est une commande de l’institut Kunstfactor pour la 4e division des Championnats néerlandais de Brass Band en 2011. Cette oeuvre est dédiée Jappie Dijkstra et au Music Information Centre (MUI) d’Arnhem, aux Pays-Bas, en hommage leur rôle exceptionnel dans le développement du répertoire pour Brass Band. Le compositeur écrit :L’idée de cette composition m’est venue alors que je lisais un article sur un aspect de la philosophie chinoise, connu sous l’abréviation de Wu Xing, qu’il est impossible de traduire littéralement mais qui peut signifier, par exemple, cinq éléments, cinq phases ou cinq états de changement. Toute chose dans l’univers est le fruitd’un cycle de création (ou d’engendrement) et de domination (ou contrôle). Ce concept est essentiel tous les éléments de la pensée chinoise, y compris les sciences, la philosophie, la médecine et l’astrologie et, en termes simples, il représente les multiples rapports cycliques qui existent entre cinq éléments liés l’univers et toute chose dans l’univers, donc l’homme.Évoquo ns le cycle de la création : Terre - Métal - Eau - Bois - Feu - (Terre) etc. la terre contient des minéraux, source de métal, le métal peut être fondu et se liquéfie, l’eau arrose et fait pousser les arbres, le bois br le et produit du feu, le feu produit des cendres, une sorte de terre, dans une dynamique cyclique perpétuelle.Parmi tous les cycles existants, celui des émotions éveilla particulièrement mon intérêt : Méditation - Chagrin - Peur - Colère - Joie - (Méditation) etc. et je me suis dit que ce principe cyclique pourrait être la source d’un puissant et émotionnel voyage musical. Evolution se compose donc de cinq parties égales qui reflètent assez librement ce cycle des émotions. J’ai essayé de faire en sorte que la musique se développe de manière fluide et naturelle, avec un minimum de répétitions. Chaque mouvement s’ouvre partir des éléments musicaux qui parachèvent le mouvement précédent, tandis que le motif premier réapparaît.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Clarinet, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Contrabass Clarinet, Contrabassoon, English Horn, Flute 1, Flute 2, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, Piccolo, alto Saxophone, soprano Saxophone, tenor Saxophone

SKU: PR.165001000

Hymns for Wind Ensemble. Composed by Dan Welcher. Folio. Set of Score and Parts. 4+24+24+16+8+4+4+24+12+12 +8+4+4+4+4+8+8+8+8+4+4+4+ 4+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+4+16+4+ 8+4+8+8+4+4+4+48 pages. Duration 10 minutes, 41 seconds. Theodore Presser Company #165-00100. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.165001000).

ISBN 9781491129241. UPC: 680160669776. 9 x 12 inches.

Commissione d for a consortium of high school and college bands in the north Dallas region, FOR THEMYSTIC HARMONY is a 10-minute inspirational work in homage to Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon,patrons of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Van Cliburn Competition. Welcher draws melodic flavorfrom five American hymns, spirituals, and folk tunes of the 19th century. The last of these sources toappear is the hymn tune For the Beauty of the Earth, whose third stanza is the quatrain: “For the joy of earand eye, For the heart and mind’s delight, For the mystic harmony, Linking sense to sound and sight,”giving rise to the work’s title.
This work, commissioned for a consortium of high school bands in the north Dallas area, is my fifteenth maturework for wind ensemble (not counting transcriptions). When I asked Todd Dixon, the band director whospearheaded this project, what kind of a work he most wanted, he first said “something that’s basically slow,” butwanted to leave the details to me. During a long subsequent conversation, he mentioned that his grandparents,Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon, were prime supporters of the Fort Worth Symphony, going so far as to purchase anumber of high quality instruments for that orchestra. This intrigued me, so I asked more about his grandparentsand was provided an 80-page biographical sketch. Reading that article, including a long section about theirdevotion to supporting a young man through the rigors of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition fora number of years, moved me very much. Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon weren’t just supporters of the arts; theywere passionate lovers of music and musicians. I determined to make this work a testament to that love, and tothe religious faith that sustained them both. The idea of using extant hymns was also suggested by Todd Dixon,and this 10-minute work is the result.I have employed existing melodies in several works, delving into certain kinds of religious music more than a fewtimes. In seeking new sounds, new ways of harmonizing old tunes, and the contrapuntal overlaying of one tunewith another, I was able to make works like ZION (using 19th-century Revivalist hymns) and LABORING SONGS(using Shaker melodies) reflect the spirit of the composers who created these melodies, without sounding likepastiches or medleys. I determined to do the same with this new work, with the added problem of employingmelodies that were more familiar. I chose five tunes from the 19th century: hymns, spirituals, and folk-tunes.Some of these are known by differing titles, but they all appear in hymnals of various Christian denominations(with various titles and texts). My idea was to employ the tunes without altering their notes, instead using aconstantly modulating sense of harmony — sometimes leading to polytonal harmonizations of what are normallysimple four-chord hymns.The work begins and ends with a repeated chime on the note C: a reminder of steeples, white clapboard churchesin the country, and small church organs. Beginning with a Mixolydian folk tune of Caribbean origin presentedtwice with layered entrances, the work starts with a feeling of mystery and gentle sorrow. It proceeds, after along transition, into a second hymn that is sometimes connected to the sea (hence the sensation of water andwaves throughout it). This tune, by John B. Dykes (1823-1876), is a bit more chromatic and “shifty” than mosthymn-tunes, so I chose to play with the constant sensation of modulation even more than the original does. Atthe climax, the familiar spiritual “Were you there?” takes over, with a double-time polytonal feeling propelling itforward at “Sometimes it causes me to tremble.”Trumpets in counterpoint raise the temperature, and the tempo as well, leading the music into a third tune (ofunknown provenance, though it appears with different texts in various hymnals) that is presented in a sprightlymanner. Bassoons introduce the melody, but it is quickly taken up by other instruments over three “verses,”cons tantly growing in orchestration and volume. A mysterious second tune, unrelated to this one, interrupts it inall three verses, sending the melody into unknown regions.The final melody is “For the Beauty of the Earth.” This tune by Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) is commonly sung atThanksgiving — the perfect choice to end this work celebrating two people known for their generosity.Keeping the sense of constant modulation that has been present throughout, I chose to present this hymn in threegrowing verses, but with a twist: every four bars, the “key” of the hymn seems to shift — until the “Lord of all, toThee we praise” melody bursts out in a surprising compound meter. This, as it turns out, was the “mystery tune”heard earlier in the piece. After an Ivesian, almost polytonal climax, the Coda begins over a long B( pedal. At first,it seems to be a restatement of the first two phrases of “For the Beauty” with long spaces between them, but it soonchanges to a series of “Amen” cadences, widely separated by range and color. These, too, do not conform to anykey, but instead overlay each other in ways that are unpredictable but strangely comforting.The third verse of “For the Beauty of the Earth” contains this quatrain:“For the joy of ear and eye, –For the heart and mind’s delightFor the mystic harmonyLinking sense to sound and sight”and it was from this poetry that I drew the title for the present work. It is my hope that audiences and performerswill find within it a sense of grace: more than a little familiar, but also quite new and unexpected.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Bongos, Castanets, Celesta, Clarinet, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Contrabass Clarinet, Contrabassoon, English Horn, Euphonium, Euphonium T.C., Flute 1, Flute 2, Horn 1, Horn 2, Horn 3 and more.

SKU: PR.16500100F

Hymns for Wind Ensemble. Composed by Dan Welcher. Sws. Full score. 48 pages. Duration 10 minutes, 41 seconds. Theodore Presser Company #165-00100F. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.16500100F).

ISBN 9781491114421. UPC: 680160669783. 9 x 12 inches.

Commissione d for a consortium of high school and college bands in the north Dallas region, FOR THEMYSTIC HARMONY is a 10-minute inspirational work in homage to Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon,patrons of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Van Cliburn Competition. Welcher draws melodic flavorfrom five American hymns, spirituals, and folk tunes of the 19th century. The last of these sources toappear is the hymn tune For the Beauty of the Earth, whose third stanza is the quatrain: “For the joy of earand eye, For the heart and mind’s delight, For the mystic harmony, Linking sense to sound and sight,”giving rise to the work’s title.
This work, commissioned for a consortium of high school bands in the north Dallas area, is my fifteenth maturework for wind ensemble (not counting transcriptions). When I asked Todd Dixon, the band director whospearheaded this project, what kind of a work he most wanted, he first said “something that’s basically slow,” butwanted to leave the details to me. During a long subsequent conversation, he mentioned that his grandparents,Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon, were prime supporters of the Fort Worth Symphony, going so far as to purchase anumber of high quality instruments for that orchestra. This intrigued me, so I asked more about his grandparentsand was provided an 80-page biographical sketch. Reading that article, including a long section about theirdevotion to supporting a young man through the rigors of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition fora number of years, moved me very much. Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon weren’t just supporters of the arts; theywere passionate lovers of music and musicians. I determined to make this work a testament to that love, and tothe religious faith that sustained them both. The idea of using extant hymns was also suggested by Todd Dixon,and this 10-minute work is the result.I have employed existing melodies in several works, delving into certain kinds of religious music more than a fewtimes. In seeking new sounds, new ways of harmonizing old tunes, and the contrapuntal overlaying of one tunewith another, I was able to make works like ZION (using 19th-century Revivalist hymns) and LABORING SONGS(using Shaker melodies) reflect the spirit of the composers who created these melodies, without sounding likepastiches or medleys. I determined to do the same with this new work, with the added problem of employingmelodies that were more familiar. I chose five tunes from the 19th century: hymns, spirituals, and folk-tunes.Some of these are known by differing titles, but they all appear in hymnals of various Christian denominations(with various titles and texts). My idea was to employ the tunes without altering their notes, instead using aconstantly modulating sense of harmony — sometimes leading to polytonal harmonizations of what are normallysimple four-chord hymns.The work begins and ends with a repeated chime on the note C: a reminder of steeples, white clapboard churchesin the country, and small church organs. Beginning with a Mixolydian folk tune of Caribbean origin presentedtwice with layered entrances, the work starts with a feeling of mystery and gentle sorrow. It proceeds, after along transition, into a second hymn that is sometimes connected to the sea (hence the sensation of water andwaves throughout it). This tune, by John B. Dykes (1823-1876), is a bit more chromatic and “shifty” than mosthymn-tunes, so I chose to play with the constant sensation of modulation even more than the original does. Atthe climax, the familiar spiritual “Were you there?” takes over, with a double-time polytonal feeling propelling itforward at “Sometimes it causes me to tremble.”Trumpets in counterpoint raise the temperature, and the tempo as well, leading the music into a third tune (ofunknown provenance, though it appears with different texts in various hymnals) that is presented in a sprightlymanner. Bassoons introduce the melody, but it is quickly taken up by other instruments over three “verses,”cons tantly growing in orchestration and volume. A mysterious second tune, unrelated to this one, interrupts it inall three verses, sending the melody into unknown regions.The final melody is “For the Beauty of the Earth.” This tune by Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) is commonly sung atThanksgiving — the perfect choice to end this work celebrating two people known for their generosity.Keeping the sense of constant modulation that has been present throughout, I chose to present this hymn in threegrowing verses, but with a twist: every four bars, the “key” of the hymn seems to shift — until the “Lord of all, toThee we praise” melody bursts out in a surprising compound meter. This, as it turns out, was the “mystery tune”heard earlier in the piece. After an Ivesian, almost polytonal climax, the Coda begins over a long B( pedal. At first,it seems to be a restatement of the first two phrases of “For the Beauty” with long spaces between them, but it soonchanges to a series of “Amen” cadences, widely separated by range and color. These, too, do not conform to anykey, but instead overlay each other in ways that are unpredictable but strangely comforting.The third verse of “For the Beauty of the Earth” contains this quatrain:“For the joy of ear and eye, –For the heart and mind’s delightFor the mystic harmonyLinking sense to sound and sight”and it was from this poetry that I drew the title for the present work. It is my hope that audiences and performerswill find within it a sense of grace: more than a little familiar, but also quite new and unexpected.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Clarinet, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Contrabass Clarinet, Contrabassoon, Double Bass, English Horn, Euphonium, Flute 1, Flute 2, Horn 1, Horn 2, Horn 3, Horn 4, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, Percussion 1 and more.

SKU: PR.16500103F

Mvt. 3 from Symphony No. 6 (Three Places in the East). Composed by Dan Welcher. Full score. 60 pages. Theodore Presser Company #165-00103F. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.16500103F).

ISBN 9781491131763. UPC: 680160680290.

Ever since the success of my series of wind ensemble works Places in the West, I've been wanting to write a companion piece for national parks on the other side of the north American continent. The earlier work, consisting of GLACIER, THE YELLOWSTONE FIRES, ARCHES, and ZION, spanned some twenty years of my composing life, and since the pieces called for differing groups of instruments, and were in slightly different styles from each other, I never considered them to be connected except in their subject matter. In their depiction of both the scenery and the human history within these wondrous places, they had a common goal: awaking the listener to the fragile beauty that is in them; and calling attention to the ever more crucial need for preservation and protection of these wild places, unique in all the world. With this new work, commissioned by a consortium of college and conservatory wind ensembles led by the University of Georgia, I decided to build upon that same model---but to solidify the process. The result, consisting of three movements (each named for a different national park in the eastern US), is a bona-fide symphony. While the three pieces could be performed separately, they share a musical theme---and also a common style and instrumentation. It is a true symphony, in that the first movement is long and expository, the second is a rather tightly structured scherzo-with-trio, and the finale is a true culmination of the whole. The first movement, Everglades, was the original inspiration for the entire symphony. Conceived over the course of two trips to that astonishing place (which the native Americans called River of Grass, the subtitle of this movement), this movement not only conveys a sense of the humid, lush, and even frightening scenery there---but also an overview of the entire settling-of- Florida experience. It contains not one, but two native American chants, and also presents a view of the staggering influence of modern man on this fragile part of the world. Beginning with a slow unfolding marked Heavy, humid, the music soon presents a gentle, lyrical theme in the solo alto saxophone. This theme, which goes through three expansive phrases with breaks in between, will appear in all three movements of the symphony. After the mood has been established, the music opens up to a rich, warm setting of a Cherokee morning song, with the simple happiness that this part of Florida must have had prior to the nineteenth century. This music, enveloping and comforting, gradually gives way to a more frenetic, driven section representative of the intrusion of the white man. Since Florida was populated and developed largely due to the introduction of a train system, there's a suggestion of the mechanized iron horse driving straight into the heartland. At that point, the native Americans become considerably less gentle, and a second chant seems to stand in the way of the intruder; a kind of warning song. The second part of this movement shows us the great swampy center of the peninsula, with its wildlife both in and out of the water. A new theme appears, sad but noble, suggesting that this land is precious and must be protected by all the people who inhabit it. At length, the morning song reappears in all its splendor, until the sunset---with one last iteration of the warning song in the solo piccolo. Functioning as a scherzo, the second movement, Great Smoky Mountains, describes not just that huge park itself, but one brave soul's attempt to climb a mountain there. It begins with three iterations of the UR-theme (which began the first movement as well), but this time as up-tempo brass fanfares in octaves. Each time it begins again, the theme is a little slower and less confident than the previous time---almost as though the hiker were becoming aware of the daunting mountain before him. But then, a steady, quick-pulsed ostinato appears, in a constantly shifting meter system of 2/4- 3/4 in alteration, and the hike has begun. Over this, a slower new melody appears, as the trek up the mountain progresses. It's a big mountain, and the ascent seems to take quite awhile, with little breaks in the hiker's stride, until at length he simply must stop and rest. An oboe solo, over several free cadenza-like measures, allows us (and our friend the hiker) to catch our breath, and also to view in the distance the rocky peak before us. The goal is somehow even more daunting than at first, being closer and thus more frighteningly steep. When we do push off again, it's at a slower pace, and with more careful attention to our footholds as we trek over broken rocks. Tantalizing little views of the valley at every switchback make our determination even stronger. Finally, we burst through a stand of pines and----we're at the summit! The immensity of the view is overwhelming, and ultimately humbling. A brief coda, while we sit dazed on the rocks, ends the movement in a feeling of triumph. The final movement, Acadia, is also about a trip. In the summer of 2014, I took a sailing trip with a dear friend from North Haven, Maine, to the southern coast of Mt. Desert Island in Acadia National Park. The experience left me both exuberant and exhausted, with an appreciation for the ocean that I hadn't had previously. The approach to Acadia National Park by water, too, was thrilling: like the difference between climbing a mountain on foot with riding up on a ski-lift, I felt I'd earned the right to be there. The music for this movement is entirely based on the opening UR-theme. There's a sense of the water and the mysterious, quiet deep from the very beginning, with seagulls and bell buoys setting the scene. As we leave the harbor, the theme (in a canon between solo euphonium and tuba) almost seems as if large subaquatic animals are observing our departure. There are three themes (call them A, B and C) in this seafaring journey---but they are all based on the UR theme, in its original form with octaves displaced, in an upside-down form, and in a backwards version as well. (The ocean, while appearing to be unchanging, is always changing.) We move out into the main channel (A), passing several islands (B), until we reach the long draw that parallels the coastline called Eggemoggin Reach, and a sudden burst of new speed (C). Things suddenly stop, as if the wind had died, and we have a vision: is that really Mt. Desert Island we can see off the port bow, vaguely in the distance? A chorale of saxophones seems to suggest that. We push off anew as the chorale ends, and go through all three themes again---but in different instrumentations, and different keys. At the final tack-turn, there it is, for real: Mt. Desert Island, big as life. We've made it. As we pull into the harbor, where we'll secure the boat for the night, there's a feeling of achievement. Our whale and dolphin friends return, and we end our journey with gratitude and celebration. I am profoundly grateful to Jaclyn Hartenberger, Professor of Conducting at the University of Georgia, for leading the consortium which provided the commissioning of this work.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Clarinet, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Contrabass Clarinet, Contrabassoon, Double Bass, English Horn, Euphonium, Flute 1, Flute 2, Horn 1, Horn 2, Horn 3, Horn 4, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, Percussion 1 and more.

SKU: PR.16500102F

Mvt. 2 from Symphony No. 6 (Three Places in the East). Composed by Dan Welcher. Full score. 52 pages. Theodore Presser Company #165-00102F. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.16500102F).

ISBN 9781491131749. UPC: 680160680276.

Ever since the success of my series of wind ensemble works Places in the West, I've been wanting to write a companion piece for national parks on the other side of the north American continent. The earlier work, consisting of GLACIER, THE YELLOWSTONE FIRES, ARCHES, and ZION, spanned some twenty years of my composing life, and since the pieces called for differing groups of instruments, and were in slightly different styles from each other, I never considered them to be connected except in their subject matter. In their depiction of both the scenery and the human history within these wondrous places, they had a common goal: awaking the listener to the fragile beauty that is in them; and calling attention to the ever more crucial need for preservation and protection of these wild places, unique in all the world. With this new work, commissioned by a consortium of college and conservatory wind ensembles led by the University of Georgia, I decided to build upon that same model---but to solidify the process. The result, consisting of three movements (each named for a different national park in the eastern US), is a bona-fide symphony. While the three pieces could be performed separately, they share a musical theme---and also a common style and instrumentation. It is a true symphony, in that the first movement is long and expository, the second is a rather tightly structured scherzo-with-trio, and the finale is a true culmination of the whole. The first movement, Everglades, was the original inspiration for the entire symphony. Conceived over the course of two trips to that astonishing place (which the native Americans called River of Grass, the subtitle of this movement), this movement not only conveys a sense of the humid, lush, and even frightening scenery there---but also an overview of the entire settling-of- Florida experience. It contains not one, but two native American chants, and also presents a view of the staggering influence of modern man on this fragile part of the world. Beginning with a slow unfolding marked Heavy, humid, the music soon presents a gentle, lyrical theme in the solo alto saxophone. This theme, which goes through three expansive phrases with breaks in between, will appear in all three movements of the symphony. After the mood has been established, the music opens up to a rich, warm setting of a Cherokee morning song, with the simple happiness that this part of Florida must have had prior to the nineteenth century. This music, enveloping and comforting, gradually gives way to a more frenetic, driven section representative of the intrusion of the white man. Since Florida was populated and developed largely due to the introduction of a train system, there's a suggestion of the mechanized iron horse driving straight into the heartland. At that point, the native Americans become considerably less gentle, and a second chant seems to stand in the way of the intruder; a kind of warning song. The second part of this movement shows us the great swampy center of the peninsula, with its wildlife both in and out of the water. A new theme appears, sad but noble, suggesting that this land is precious and must be protected by all the people who inhabit it. At length, the morning song reappears in all its splendor, until the sunset---with one last iteration of the warning song in the solo piccolo. Functioning as a scherzo, the second movement, Great Smoky Mountains, describes not just that huge park itself, but one brave soul's attempt to climb a mountain there. It begins with three iterations of the UR-theme (which began the first movement as well), but this time as up-tempo brass fanfares in octaves. Each time it begins again, the theme is a little slower and less confident than the previous time---almost as though the hiker were becoming aware of the daunting mountain before him. But then, a steady, quick-pulsed ostinato appears, in a constantly shifting meter system of 2/4- 3/4 in alteration, and the hike has begun. Over this, a slower new melody appears, as the trek up the mountain progresses. It's a big mountain, and the ascent seems to take quite awhile, with little breaks in the hiker's stride, until at length he simply must stop and rest. An oboe solo, over several free cadenza-like measures, allows us (and our friend the hiker) to catch our breath, and also to view in the distance the rocky peak before us. The goal is somehow even more daunting than at first, being closer and thus more frighteningly steep. When we do push off again, it's at a slower pace, and with more careful attention to our footholds as we trek over broken rocks. Tantalizing little views of the valley at every switchback make our determination even stronger. Finally, we burst through a stand of pines and----we're at the summit! The immensity of the view is overwhelming, and ultimately humbling. A brief coda, while we sit dazed on the rocks, ends the movement in a feeling of triumph. The final movement, Acadia, is also about a trip. In the summer of 2014, I took a sailing trip with a dear friend from North Haven, Maine, to the southern coast of Mt. Desert Island in Acadia National Park. The experience left me both exuberant and exhausted, with an appreciation for the ocean that I hadn't had previously. The approach to Acadia National Park by water, too, was thrilling: like the difference between climbing a mountain on foot with riding up on a ski-lift, I felt I'd earned the right to be there. The music for this movement is entirely based on the opening UR-theme. There's a sense of the water and the mysterious, quiet deep from the very beginning, with seagulls and bell buoys setting the scene. As we leave the harbor, the theme (in a canon between solo euphonium and tuba) almost seems as if large subaquatic animals are observing our departure. There are three themes (call them A, B and C) in this seafaring journey---but they are all based on the UR theme, in its original form with octaves displaced, in an upside-down form, and in a backwards version as well. (The ocean, while appearing to be unchanging, is always changing.) We move out into the main channel (A), passing several islands (B), until we reach the long draw that parallels the coastline called Eggemoggin Reach, and a sudden burst of new speed (C). Things suddenly stop, as if the wind had died, and we have a vision: is that really Mt. Desert Island we can see off the port bow, vaguely in the distance? A chorale of saxophones seems to suggest that. We push off anew as the chorale ends, and go through all three themes again---but in different instrumentations, and different keys. At the final tack-turn, there it is, for real: Mt. Desert Island, big as life. We've made it. As we pull into the harbor, where we'll secure the boat for the night, there's a feeling of achievement. Our whale and dolphin friends return, and we end our journey with gratitude and celebration. I am profoundly grateful to Jaclyn Hartenberger, Professor of Conducting at the University of Georgia, for leading the consortium which provided the commissioning of this work.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Clarinet, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Contrabass Clarinet, Contrabassoon, Double Bass, English Horn, Euphonium, Flute 1, Flute 2, Horn 1, Horn 2, Horn 3, Horn 4, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, Percussion 1 and more.

SKU: PR.16500101F

Mvt. 1 from Symphony No. 6 (Three Places in the East). Composed by Dan Welcher. Full score. 52 pages. Theodore Presser Company #165-00101F. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.16500101F).

ISBN 9781491131725. UPC: 680160680252.

Ever since the success of my series of wind ensemble works Places in the West, I've been wanting to write a companion piece for national parks on the other side of the north American continent. The earlier work, consisting of GLACIER, THE YELLOWSTONE FIRES, ARCHES, and ZION, spanned some twenty years of my composing life, and since the pieces called for differing groups of instruments, and were in slightly different styles from each other, I never considered them to be connected except in their subject matter. In their depiction of both the scenery and the human history within these wondrous places, they had a common goal: awaking the listener to the fragile beauty that is in them; and calling attention to the ever more crucial need for preservation and protection of these wild places, unique in all the world. With this new work, commissioned by a consortium of college and conservatory wind ensembles led by the University of Georgia, I decided to build upon that same model---but to solidify the process. The result, consisting of three movements (each named for a different national park in the eastern US), is a bona-fide symphony. While the three pieces could be performed separately, they share a musical theme---and also a common style and instrumentation. It is a true symphony, in that the first movement is long and expository, the second is a rather tightly structured scherzo-with-trio, and the finale is a true culmination of the whole. The first movement, Everglades, was the original inspiration for the entire symphony. Conceived over the course of two trips to that astonishing place (which the native Americans called River of Grass, the subtitle of this movement), this movement not only conveys a sense of the humid, lush, and even frightening scenery there---but also an overview of the entire settling-of- Florida experience. It contains not one, but two native American chants, and also presents a view of the staggering influence of modern man on this fragile part of the world. Beginning with a slow unfolding marked Heavy, humid, the music soon presents a gentle, lyrical theme in the solo alto saxophone. This theme, which goes through three expansive phrases with breaks in between, will appear in all three movements of the symphony. After the mood has been established, the music opens up to a rich, warm setting of a Cherokee morning song, with the simple happiness that this part of Florida must have had prior to the nineteenth century. This music, enveloping and comforting, gradually gives way to a more frenetic, driven section representative of the intrusion of the white man. Since Florida was populated and developed largely due to the introduction of a train system, there's a suggestion of the mechanized iron horse driving straight into the heartland. At that point, the native Americans become considerably less gentle, and a second chant seems to stand in the way of the intruder; a kind of warning song. The second part of this movement shows us the great swampy center of the peninsula, with its wildlife both in and out of the water. A new theme appears, sad but noble, suggesting that this land is precious and must be protected by all the people who inhabit it. At length, the morning song reappears in all its splendor, until the sunset---with one last iteration of the warning song in the solo piccolo. Functioning as a scherzo, the second movement, Great Smoky Mountains, describes not just that huge park itself, but one brave soul's attempt to climb a mountain there. It begins with three iterations of the UR-theme (which began the first movement as well), but this time as up-tempo brass fanfares in octaves. Each time it begins again, the theme is a little slower and less confident than the previous time---almost as though the hiker were becoming aware of the daunting mountain before him. But then, a steady, quick-pulsed ostinato appears, in a constantly shifting meter system of 2/4- 3/4 in alteration, and the hike has begun. Over this, a slower new melody appears, as the trek up the mountain progresses. It's a big mountain, and the ascent seems to take quite awhile, with little breaks in the hiker's stride, until at length he simply must stop and rest. An oboe solo, over several free cadenza-like measures, allows us (and our friend the hiker) to catch our breath, and also to view in the distance the rocky peak before us. The goal is somehow even more daunting than at first, being closer and thus more frighteningly steep. When we do push off again, it's at a slower pace, and with more careful attention to our footholds as we trek over broken rocks. Tantalizing little views of the valley at every switchback make our determination even stronger. Finally, we burst through a stand of pines and----we're at the summit! The immensity of the view is overwhelming, and ultimately humbling. A brief coda, while we sit dazed on the rocks, ends the movement in a feeling of triumph. The final movement, Acadia, is also about a trip. In the summer of 2014, I took a sailing trip with a dear friend from North Haven, Maine, to the southern coast of Mt. Desert Island in Acadia National Park. The experience left me both exuberant and exhausted, with an appreciation for the ocean that I hadn't had previously. The approach to Acadia National Park by water, too, was thrilling: like the difference between climbing a mountain on foot with riding up on a ski-lift, I felt I'd earned the right to be there. The music for this movement is entirely based on the opening UR-theme. There's a sense of the water and the mysterious, quiet deep from the very beginning, with seagulls and bell buoys setting the scene. As we leave the harbor, the theme (in a canon between solo euphonium and tuba) almost seems as if large subaquatic animals are observing our departure. There are three themes (call them A, B and C) in this seafaring journey---but they are all based on the UR theme, in its original form with octaves displaced, in an upside-down form, and in a backwards version as well. (The ocean, while appearing to be unchanging, is always changing.) We move out into the main channel (A), passing several islands (B), until we reach the long draw that parallels the coastline called Eggemoggin Reach, and a sudden burst of new speed (C). Things suddenly stop, as if the wind had died, and we have a vision: is that really Mt. Desert Island we can see off the port bow, vaguely in the distance? A chorale of saxophones seems to suggest that. We push off anew as the chorale ends, and go through all three themes again---but in different instrumentations, and different keys. At the final tack-turn, there it is, for real: Mt. Desert Island, big as life. We've made it. As we pull into the harbor, where we'll secure the boat for the night, there's a feeling of achievement. Our whale and dolphin friends return, and we end our journey with gratitude and celebration. I am profoundly grateful to Jaclyn Hartenberger, Professor of Conducting at the University of Georgia, for leading the consortium which provided the commissioning of this work.