Turbine

John Mackey

General Info

Year: 2006
Duration: c. 8:45
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Osti Music
Cost: Score and Parts (Rental) - $375.00 | Score (Purchase) - $70.00

Instrumentation

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

Bass Drum (large) (2)
Brake drums (4)
China Cymbals (2, one large)
Crash Cymbals
Crotales
Glockenspiel
Hi-hat
Marimba (2)
Splash Cymbals (3)
Suspended Cymbals (3 large)
Tam-tam (large) (2)
Tambourine
Thunder Sheet
Timpani
Tom-Toms (4)
Triangle
Vibraphone
Whip

Errata

In Part and Score:

Contrabassoon, m.184: First note should be C natural.
B-flat Bass Clarinet II, m.39: First note should be a written C natural.
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet, m.3-4: Should have a written D natural.

- From Rebecca L. Phillips Dissertation

Program Notes

I'm afraid of flying. This piece was my way of dealing with that.

The first three minutes are rough, grinding, and tense, as the jet engine builds up speed (through texture, not tempo), and eventually goes racing down the runway. Once the jet takes off, though, the music changes, and we realize that flying really isn't so bad. In fact, it can be beautiful once the plane is airborne. But in the back of my mind, I'm always aware that we're up quite high -- and our lives (and that beauty) depend on these massive pieces of machinery. If that machine (in this case, the percussion) should fail, we'd all be in serious trouble, so I just keep my knuckles gripped to the armrest, look out at the clouds, think pretty thoughts, and hope that the pulse of that engine never lets up.

Turbine was commissioned by the Southeastern Conference Band Directors Association, and received its world premiere on 24 February 2006 by the University of Kentucky Wind Ensemble, conducted by J. Cody Birdwell. Special thanks to James Campbell, who served as a percussion coach for the premiere.

- Program Note by composer

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Florida State University Wind Symphony (Richard Clary, conductor)
Audio: Reference recording. University of Florida (Gainesville) Wind Symphony (David Waybright, conductor)
Audio CD: Permian High School Symphonic Band (Michael Watts, conductor) - 2006
Audio CD: The University of Florida Wind Ensemble (David A Waybright, conductor)
Audio CD: University of Kentucky Wind Ensemble (John Cody Birdwell, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Florida (Gainesville) Wind Symphony (David Waybright, conductor) – 22 January 2015
University of Nebraska at Omaha Symphonic Wind Ensemble (James R. Saker, conductor) – 13 March 2008 (CBDNA 2008 North Central Division Conference, Omaha, Neb.)
Troy High School; Troy, MI (Brian Nutting, conducting) - 11 February 2008
University of Missouri-Kansas City (Joe Parisi, conducting) - 18 January 2008
University of Michigan (Scott Boerma, conducting) - 18 January 2008
Oklahoma State University (Joe Missal, conducting) - 16 November 2007
Florida State University (Tallahassee) Wind Orchestra (Richard Cleary, conductor) – 31 March 2007 (CBDNA 2007 National Conference, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Permian High School (Odessa, Tx.) Symphonic Band (Michael Watts, conductor) – 20 December 2006 (2006 Midwest Clinic)
University of Kentucky (Lexington) Wind Ensemble (John Cody Birdwell, conductor) – 24 February 2006 (CBDNA 2006 Southern Division Conference, Nashville, Tenn.) *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Let Me Be Frank with You (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Night on Fire (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Ambrose) (2013/2021)
Sheltering Sky (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Dunnigan) (2012/2020)
Strange Humors (Flex instrumentation) (2006/2020)
This Cruel Moon (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Dunnigan) (2017/2020)

All Wind Works

Antique Violences (2017)
Asphalt Cocktail (2009)
Aurora Awakes (2009)
Clocking (2007)
Concerto for Soprano Sax and Wind Ensemble (2007)
Damn (1998)
A deep reverberation fills with stars (2022)
Divine Mischief (2022)
Drum Music: Concerto for Percussion (2011)
Fanfare for Full Fathom Five (2015)
Foundry (2011)
The Frozen Cathedral (2012)
Harvest: Concerto for Trombone (2009)
High Wire (2012)
Hymn to a Blue Hour (2010)
Hymn to a Blue Hour (arr. Wallace) (2010/2021)
Kingfishers Catch Fire (2007)
Let Me Be Frank with You (2020/2021)
Let Me Be Frank with You (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Lightning Field (2015)
Liminal (2016)
Mom Song
The Night Garden (2017)
Night on Fire. See: The Soul Has Many Motions
Places we can no longer go (2018)
(redacted) (2013)
Redline Tango (2004)
The Rumor of a Secret King (2017/2018)
The Rumor of a Secret King (arr. Blegen) (2017/2018/2020)
Sacred Spaces (2019)
Sasparilla (2005)
Sheltering Sky (2012)
Sheltering Sky (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Dunnigan) (2012/2020)
Snarl (2018)
Some treasures are heavy with human tears (2021)
Songs from the End of the World (2015)
The Soul Has Many Motions (2013)
- Night on Fire (2013)
- Night on Fire (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Ambrose) (2013/2021)
Strange Humors (2006)
Strange Humors (Flex instrumentation) (2006/2020)
Strange Humors (saxophone ensemble) (2006/2021)
This Cruel Moon (2014/2017)
This Cruel Moon (Flex instrumentation) (2017/2020)
Turbine (2006)
Turning (2007)
Undertow (2008)
Until the Scars (2014/2019)
Wine-Dark Sea (2014)
Xerxes (2010)

Resources

John Mackey website
Perusal score
Phillips, Rebecca L. John Mackey: The Composer, His Compositional Style and a Conductor's Analysis of Redline Tango and Turbine [Doctoral Dissertation].