Cane River Murals
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General Info
Year: 2012
Duration: c. 16:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Studio Music
Cost: Score and Parts - £130.00 | Score Only - £40.00
Movements
1. Spring Planting (Spiritual) – 3:55
2. Wash Day (Scherzo) – 2:26
3. Baptism, Wedding & Funeral (Triptych) – 4:42
4. Honky Tonk (Blues) – 2:09
5. Pecan Harvest (Celebration) – 2:49
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass 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
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-VI
(percussion detail desired)
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Cane River Murals was commissioned by and dedicated to the Northwestern State University Wind Symphony, Natchitoches, Louisiana, William E. Brent, conductor, for the 100th anniversary of their band program. The work is based on the African House Murals by Clementine Hunter that are housed and preserved on the Melrose Plantation. Ellerby also used the idea of the Cane River to bind five separate movements together, flowing as it does through the whole scenario, as do bells in their various symbolic guises. The movements are as follows:
Spring Planting (Spiritual) A kind of miniature overture, the river motif is announced immediately and combined with the spiritual Deep River, which is partially quoted, forming the basis for the opening.
Wash Day (Sjherzo) A scene depicting much activity and individual endeavor set in a swing tempo. There are ‘improvised’ patterns in the percussion and even a wash board employed to convey the mood suggested by the mural.
Baptism, Wedding & Funeral (Triptych) In three sections linked without a break but the outer ones sharing common material, this opens with delicate textures and lyrical solo contributions.
Honky Tonk (Blues) A mono-thematic movement, the simple blues melody, heard initially on solo saxophone, finds its way into more involved orchestrations and denser textures until a full tutti rendition is delivered, followed by a swift but exhausted coda.
Pecan Harvest (Celebration) A bright and optimistic concluding movement, highly charged and rarely without a change of time signature every bar.
- Program Note by Showa Wind Symphony concert program, 18 July 2015 (WASBE, San Jose, Calif.)
Awards
- Cane River Murals has been recommended as interesting, serious and distinctive music by members of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE).
Commercial Discography
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- University of North Florida (Jacksonville) Wind Symphony (Erin Bodnar, conductor) – 19 February 2020
- McLennan College (Waco, Tx.) Wind Ensemble (Jon Conrad, conductor) 29 October 2019
- University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Symphonic Band (John R. Locke, conductor) – 29 November 2016
- CBDNA North Central (Ames, Iowa) Intercollegiate Band (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) – 27 February 2016 (CBDNA 2016 North Central Division Conference, Ames, Iowa)
- Lone Star Wind Orchestra (Richardson, Texas) (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) – 31 January 2016
- Showa Wind Symphony (Tokyo, Japan) (Eugene Migliaro Corporan, conductor) – 18 July 2015 - WASBE Conference, San Jose, Calif.
- Orchestre d'Harmonie de la Ville de Vichy (France) – 7 December 2014
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Cane River Murals (2012)
- Clarinet Concerto (2001)
- Club Europe (2002)
- The Cries of London (2005)
- Divertimento for Wind Dectet (1999/2001)
- Dona Nobis Pacem (1995)
- Elgar Variations (2007/2009)
- Evocations (1996/2001)
- Five Manx Romances (2017)
- From Kitty Hawk to the Stars (2002)
- Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun (2022)
- Malcolm Arnold Variations (2008)
- Menorcan Dances (2019)
- Natalis (1993/2006)
- New World Dances (1999)
- Northumbrian Dances (2019/2021)
- Ovation (2001)
- Paris Sketches (1994)
- Paris Sketches (ed. Reynish) (1994/2004)
- Prelude for Hampstead Heath (1990)
- Requiescant Aberfan (2009)
- Roman Trilogy (2014)
- A Silent Movie Suite (2013)
- A Soliliquy for Solferino (2012)
- Symphony for Winds (1997)
- Tales from Andersen (2006)
- Tristan Encounters (1998/2007)
- Tuba Concerto (1988/1991)
- Venetian Spells (1984)
- Via Crucis (2006)
- Wassail Dances (2018)
- Wessex Dances (2021)
Resources
- Ellerby, M. (2012). Cane River Murals [score]. Studio Music Co.: London.
- Gerhardstein, Ron. "Cane River Murals." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 11, Compiled and edited by Richard Miles, 714-722. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2018.