Arclight Alley
General Info
Year: 2010
Duration: c. 5:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: David Werfelmann
Cost: Score and Parts - contact publisher
Instrumentation
Full Score
Flute I-II-III-IV
Oboe I-II-III
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
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 I-II
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Bass Drum
- Snare Drum
- Chimes
- Glockenspiel
- Maracas
- Marimba
- Rain Stick
- Shakers
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Tom-Tom
- Triangle
- Vibraphone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
When I first began work on Arclight Alley, I had just relocated to Los Angeles. Having moved from the cornfields of Indiana, the size, density, massive population, and unique cultural profile of L.A. made an indelible impression on me and would greatly influence my creative work. Though I did not make a conscious decision to write about my new surroundings, the character of the city - and its effects on me - translated in many ways to the spirit of this piece. At times, the music of Arclight Alley is over-saturated with layers of texture and the raucous sections are balanced by calm, yet irregular moments of repose. Like L.A., the piece has a rich landscape, even if one cannot always see it.
While dreaming up this work, I knew that the gifted and well-educated musicians performing it would want a piece that was both fun to play and interesting to listen to. For that reason, I aimed to feature the strengths of each section of the ensemble in a variety of musical settings, be it a sweeping chorale for the low brass or an agile gesture for the saxophones.
Arclight Alley was commissioned by Dr. Andrew Mast and the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble, who premiered and recorded the work in 2010.
-Program notes by composer
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- California State University, Stanislaus, Wind Ensemble (Stuart Sims, conductor) - CBDNA Western/Northwestern Division Convention (Reno, Nev.) 14 March 2014
- University of Southern California Thornton Wind Ensemble (Sharon Lavery, conductor) - 17 February 2012
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Arclight Alley (2010)
- On the Shoulders of Giants (2016)