Virga

From Wind Repertory Project
Robert Alger

Robert Alger


General Info

Year: 2018
Duration: c. 5:45
Difficulty: IV-1/2 (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Mountainside Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $150.00   |   Score Only (print) - $20.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
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
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone (optional but preferred)
Euphonium I-II
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Harp
Timpani
Percussion, including:

  • China Cymbal
  • Crotales (2)
  • Hi-Hat
  • Marimba
  • Rainstick
  • Sandpaper Blocks
  • Sizzle Cymbal
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tam-Tam
  • Vibraphone
  • Wind Chimes


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Virga is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “a mass of streaks of rain appearing to hang under a cloud and evaporating before reaching the ground.” The word stems from the Latin word of the same spelling meaning rod, stripe, or branch. Virgae, the plural of virga, form when surface air is hot and dry and precipitation evaporates or sublimates before hitting the ground. Consequently, virga is most commonly observed in desert areas, such as the southwestern United States.

The composer, Robert Alger, was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and raised in at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. Both climates are dry, and virgae are not uncommon. The paradox of water both rising and falling simultaneously is the inspiration for this piece. Ostinatos maintain the chords floating and unresolved; the main theme rises and falls in a state of perpetual limbo.

- Program Note by composer


Awards

  • Vera Hinckley Mayhew Creative Arts Contests: Music Composition category, 2019, third prize


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) Symphonic Band (Kirk Saville, conductor) - 17 April 2019 *Premiere Performance*


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources