Solemn Message, A

From Wind Repertory Project
Franklin D. Hansen

Franklin Hansen


General Info

Year: 2020
Duration: c. 4:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Arden Press Music Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts - Unknown   


Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V-VI, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Chimes
  • Glockenspiel
  • Marimba
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Vibraphone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

A Solemn Message was written to illustrate the devastating effects of cancer on the lives of millions — not only those physically suffering from it — but also those who have had their lives upturned with the diagnosis of a loved one.

The piece reads like an elegy, beginning with a pensive and anticipatory introduction. Solos transform and weave through the layers of the piece as an illustration of isolation and emptiness, which eventually escalate into a massive soundscape, heavy with the weight of grief and worry. With the bass drum and timpani echoing the beating of a heart, the piece becomes a reminder of the fragility of human life, in both the physical and the emotional sense. However, in the wake of the crushing climax, a thread of hope emerges as a clarinet solo, mirroring the piece’s introduction. This leads gently to the final chord in major where, in the aftermath of sorrow and devastation, there comes a fragment of warmth and reassurance with the knowledge that things will eventually heal.

- Program Note by Emily Ta


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Grand Ledge (Mich.) High School Wind Symphony (John Szczerowski, conductor) - 26 May 2022
  • Grand Ledge (Mich.) High School Wind Symphony (John Szczerowski, conductor) - 14 April 2022 (Western Michigan University Spring Conference on Wind and Percussion Music, Kalamazoo)
  • Grand Ledge (Mich.) High School Wind Symphony (John Szczerowski, conductor) - 28 January 2022 (MSBOA 2022 Conference [MMC], Grand Rapids, Mich.)
  • Grand Ledge (Mich.) High School Wind Symphony (John Szczerowski, conductor) - 19 January 2022


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources