Land Remembered, A

From Wind Repertory Project
Larry Clark

Larry Clark


General Info

Year: 2010
Duration: c. 7:14
Difficulty: III Grade
Publisher: Carl Fischer, LLC
Cost: Score and Parts - $85.00   |   Score Only - $12.00


Movements

1. A New Life in a New Land
2. On The Prairie
3. Hardships on the Rugged Frontier


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe I
Bassoon I
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Eb Alto Sax I-II
Bb Tenor Sax I
Eb Baritone Sax
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II, including:

  • Snare Drum
  • Bass Drum
  • Cymbal (crash and suspended)
  • Bells
  • Xylophone
  • Rain Stick
  • Claves
  • Timpani
  • Tom-toms
  • Thunder sheet
  • Maracas
  • Triangle


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

A Land Remembered was commissioned by the Horace Mann Middle School Raider Band in Brandon, Florida under the direction of Kevin Fuller. It was premiered in May of 2009 with the composer conducting.

In trying to help students perform better not only musically, but academically, the thought came to director Kevin Fuller that perhaps a school-wide study should be done based on one theme. Patrick D. Smith author penned the novel A Land Remembered (Student Edition) to make the American pioneer spirit more accessible to young readers. It is a story about the MacIvey family moving to the middle of Florida in 1858 to eke out a living in the wilderness. In Volume 1 (which this piece is about) Tobias, Emma and their son Zech begin their battle to survive in the barren Florida wilderness. They manage to use the resources around them to survive and, eventually, begin to prosper by gathering wild cows from the swamps and herding them across the state to market. Zech learns the ways of the land from the Seminoles, with whom his life becomes entwined as he grows into manhood.

The piece is not meant to tell specifically any events from the novel, but just to depict musically some of the thoughts and scenes that came to mind to me as I read the novel. The piece is cast in three continuous move- ments. The first movement “A New Life in a New Land” is a fanfare that sets the mood, and quickly introduces some fragments of the main theme that is first stated in the second movement. The movement is meant to depict the optimism and excitement that the settlers first felt when they arrived in the rugged terrain of Florida.

The second movement “On the Prairie” depicts the wide-open spaces and beauty of central Florida. Yes, Florida does have prairies, just like the plains states, but they are different in that they contain pockets of Cypress trees and areas of almost impassable palmetto brush. After an atmospheric introduction the main theme of the piece unfolds. It is also optimistic and beautiful as stated by the woodwinds. This is followed by a more melancholy presentation of the theme, now in minor to depict the harsh realities that are still part of this beautiful, but difficult frontier. This feeling subsides with a return of the opening material that leads to a climatic presentation of the main theme once more in a major key. The open material returns once more to complete the movement.

The final movement “Hardships on the Rugged Frontier” begins abruptly with an aggressive 6/8 theme that is based on some of the same intervallic relationships found in the main theme of the second movement. The music is meant to give the listener the feeling of the pain and anguish that these settlers must have felt when dealing with droughts, hurricanes, cattle rustlers, Seminoles, mosquitoes, lack of food and water and all matter of calamities that would be encountered in this unsettled territory. The movement moves from the aggressive theme to a short moment of repose that contains the sounds of music from the Seminoles, who by the way were very helpful to the MacIvy family in the novel. This is followed by a return of the aggressive theme. Something unique that Kevin Fuller, the director of the commission band, asked for was that I challenge all the players in the group and give them melodic material to play. I thought about this for a long time and it made musical sense to me in this last movement to give the melody at this point to everyone in the winds in unison. It is an interesting effect that is not often used in band music. I think you will like it. This is followed by a return of the aggressive section that leads to an exciting coda to the piece that leaves the listener with hope for these Florida pioneers.

It has been my pleasure to have the opportunity to write this piece. I hope you and your students enjoy it and find it useful for your program.

- Program Note by Composer


Media

{http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIrgDqZ9aIE}

  • MP3 Download: [1]


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

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Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources