Sacred Harp, The
General Info
Year: 1994
Duration: c. 8:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $125.00 | Score Only (print) - $20.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo I-II
Flute I-II-III
Oboe I-II-III
Bassoon I-II-III
Contrabassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
C Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:
- Bass Drum
- Glockenspiel
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tam-Tam
- Temple Blocks
- Tom-Tom, large (2)
- Triangle
- Tubular Bells
- Vibraphone
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
David Liptak chose a route to writing this composition that has been most widely recognized and acclaimed by Aaron Copland in his various settings of Americana such as Appalachian Spring, Rodeo and Billy the Kid. Liptak took, as his source of inspiration, the tune Wondrous Love, a hymn chosen from the well-known shaped-note collection, The Sacred Harp. Shaped-note singing was both vigorous and unrestrained, primarily using song with open fourths and fifths, and based in a particular key or mode. Liptak's compositional use of this earlier material has created a work with originality and musical depth.
- Program Note from publisher
Written for the inaugural ceremonies of Thomas Jackson, President of the University of Rochester (NY).
- Program Note from score
Commercial Discography
- Audio CD: Tokyo Kosei Wind Ensemble (Donald Hunsberger, conductor) - 1997
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Ensemble (Mark Scatterday, conductor) – 18 October 2019
- Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Ensemble (Mark Scatterday, conductor) – 2 November 2016
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Chasm (1998)
- Folgore's Months (2010)
- Octet (2005/2015)
- Sacred Harp, The (1997)
- Soundings (1982)
- Through the Brightening Air (2017)
Resources
- David Liptak website Accessed 3 November 2016
- Feagin, T. André. "The Sacred Harp." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 9, edit. & comp. by Richard Miles, 809-815. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2013.
- Liptak, D. (1997). The Sacred Harp: For Wind Ensemble [score]. WB Music: Miami, Fla.
- Liptak, David, and Donald Hunsberger. "The Sacred Harp." WindWorks: A Journal of the Contemporary Wind Band Issue 1, Fall 1997, pp. 11-12.