All Dark Is Now No More

James M. David

Subtitle: Passacaglia canonico e granulare

General Info

Year: 2014
Duration: c. 9:00
Difficulty: V+ (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: James M. David
Cost: Score and Parts (digital) - $150.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV
B-flat Bass Clarinet
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-IV
Euphonium
Tuba I-II
String Bass
Harp
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including

Bass Drum (medium)
Bongos
China Cymbal
Crash Cymbals
Crotales (low octave and high C)
Chimes
Doumbek (or Djembe)
Marimba (4.3-octave)
Ribbon Crasher (or Tambourine)
Shekere (or Cabasa)
Sizzle Cymbal
Splash Cymbal
Suspended Cymbal (medium)
Tam-tam (medium)
Tambourine (2)
Triangle (small and large)
Vibraphone
Wind Chimes (bamboo and glass)
Wood Block (small and large)
Xylophone

Electronics

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

All Dark Is Now No More (Passacaglia canonico e granulare) for wind ensemble and electronics is a meditation and exultation on light, darkness, and shadow. The title is taken from James Dickey’s poem Sleeping out at Easter which, for me, is an exploration of the metaphysical connection between humans and nature found at the moment of sunrise. The lilting quality of this phrase is imitated in the primary motive first heard in low reeds and euphonium. The Italian subtitle refers to the underlying structures of the work. The first word, passacaglia, refers to the fact that a repeating bass line is used to create numerous contrapuntal variations. “Canonico,” or canonic, implies that many different types of canons are employed against the original bass motive. Finally, “granulare” refers to the consistent use of granular synthesis in the electronics, which breaks apart large sounds into many segments that are then rearranged into algorithmic clouds of digital chaos. My goal was to show a gradual movement from darkness to light in two broad sections (an adagio followed by an asymmetric allegro) culminating in a final explosion of light and shadow.

- Program Note by composer

Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Toronto (Ont., Can.) Youth Wind Orchestra (Colin Clarke, conductor) - 30 April 2022
Whitworth University (Spokane, Wash.) Wind Symphony (Richard Strauch, conductor) - 22 April 2016
Colorado State University (Fort Collins) Symphonic Band (Richard Frey, conductor) – 10 December 2014 *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Lookfar (Adaptable Band) (2020)
March Tumbao (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Menlo Park, 1879 (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Zephyrus (Flex instrumentation) (2019)

All Wind Works

All Dark Is Now No More (2014)
Auto '66 (2011)
Big Four on the River (2014)
Bright Window (2005)
Codex Gigas. See: Symphony No. 1
Dymaxion (2021)
Flying Jewels (2021)
From the Shaken Tower: Symphony for Percussion and Winds (2014)
Ghosts of the Old Year (2016)
Heartland Verses (2019)
I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold (2017)
Lookfar (Adaptable Band) (2020)
March Tumbao (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Menlo Park, 1879 (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Message from Arecibo (2023)
Octarine Spark (2009)
Pavillons en L'Air (2009)
Sinfonietta No 1 (2004)
Sinfonietta No 3: "Strange and Mysterious Waters" (2010)
Swing Landscape (2018)
Symphony No. 1 (2020)
Tesseract (2023)
Troublesome Fire (2022)
Two-Lane Blacktop (2013)
Urban Light (2021)
With Soul Serene (2019)
Zephyrus (Flex instrumentation) (2019)

Resources

Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "James M. David." Accessed 5 March 2017
James M. David website Accessed 6 March 2017
Perusal score