Lightning Field

John Mackey

General Info

Year: 2015
Duration: c. 5:20
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Osti Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $125.00 | Score Only - $20.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Prepared Piano
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Bass Drum
China Cymbal
Marimba
Splash Cymbal
Suspended Crash Cymbal
Tambourine
Thunder Tubes (3)
Tom-Tom (4)
Triangle
Vibraphone
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

John Mackey's Lightning Field takes its title from a work of art by Walter De Maria. That work is a massive expanse, 385 acres, of New Mexico desert, claimed and transformed by the artist via an installation of 400 steel rods: planted in the earth and reaching toward the sky, they call down its power -- literally creating man-made lightning storms. Like them, Mackey's piece speaks to the ancient impulse to summon nature's power, and the magic such acts unleash.

A sense of energy runs throughout the work, with the driving onstage percussion enhanced by the sound of thunder (provided by inexpensive hand-held percussion instruments called "thunder tubes") surrounding the audience.

- Program Note from publisher

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Texas Christian University Wind Symphony (Bobby Francis, conductor)

State Ratings

Texas: III. Complete

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Camp Encore/Coda (Sweden, Me.) Symphonic Winds (Trevor Frost, conductor) - 21 July 2023
University of Illinois (Champaign) University Band (Hannah Rudy, conductor) - 29 April 2023
Corinth (Miss.) High School Symphonic Band (Ben Ratliff, conductor) - 1 April 2023 (MIA Concert Band Showcase)
Firebaugh (Calif.) High School Symphonic Band (Jose Ledesma, conductor) - 26 March 2023 (2023 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.)
Buchanan High School (Clovis, Calif.) Wind Symphony (John Lack, conductor) - 24 March 2023 (2023 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.)
The Ohio State University (Columbus) University Band (Alex Mandragon, conductor) - 23 February 2023
Michigan State University (East Lansing) Campus Band (Andrew Bohn, conductor) - 16 November 2022
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) North Star Campus Band (Lauren Visel, conductor) -- 20 October 2022
Texas A&M University (College Station) Concert Band (Lance Sample, conductor) - 2 October 2022
Heritage High School (Menifee, Calif.) Concert Band (Francisco Gaxiola, conductor) - 2 June 2022
California All-State Junior High School Concert Band (Jeanne Christensen, conductor) – 20 February 2022 (2022 CASMEC Conference, Fresno)
Bridgewater (Va.) College Symphonic Band (Christine Carrillo, conductor) - 7 November 2021
Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.) Symphony Band (Julia Baumanis, conductor) - 14 October 2021
Madison (S.D.) High School Band (Nicole Decker, conductor) - 16 May 2021
Columbus (Ohio) State Community College Concert Band (Thomas Lloyd, conductor) - 20 April 2020 (planned but not performed)
University of Tulsa (Okla.) Wind Ensemble (Richard Wagner, conductor) – 10 March 2020
University of Tulsa (Okla.) Symphonic Winds (Aaron Wacker, conductor) – 2 March 2020
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Maroon Campus Band (Lance Sample, conductor) – 2 December 2019
University of Southern Main (Gorham) Concert Band (Jackie Townsend, conductor) – 13 November 2019
Patrick Marsh Middle School Band (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) (Chris Gleason, conductor) – 13 May 2015 – *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Let Me Be Frank with You (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Night on Fire (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Ambrose) (2013/2021)
Sheltering Sky (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Dunnigan) (2012/2020)
Strange Humors (Flex instrumentation) (2006/2020)
This Cruel Moon (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Dunnigan) (2017/2020)

All Wind Works

Antique Violences (2017)
Asphalt Cocktail (2009)
Aurora Awakes (2009)
Clocking (2007)
Concerto for Soprano Sax and Wind Ensemble (2007)
Damn (1998)
A deep reverberation fills with stars (2022)
Divine Mischief (2022)
Drum Music: Concerto for Percussion (2011)
Fanfare for Full Fathom Five (2015)
Foundry (2011)
The Frozen Cathedral (2012)
Harvest: Concerto for Trombone (2009)
High Wire (2012)
Hymn to a Blue Hour (2010)
Hymn to a Blue Hour (arr. Wallace) (2010/2021)
Kingfishers Catch Fire (2007)
Let Me Be Frank with You (2020/2021)
Let Me Be Frank with You (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Lightning Field (2015)
Liminal (2016)
Mom Song
The Night Garden (2017)
Night on Fire. See: The Soul Has Many Motions
Places we can no longer go (2018)
(redacted) (2013)
Redline Tango (2004)
The Rumor of a Secret King (2017/2018)
The Rumor of a Secret King (arr. Blegen) (2017/2018/2020)
Sacred Spaces (2019)
Sasparilla (2005)
Sheltering Sky (2012)
Sheltering Sky (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Dunnigan) (2012/2020)
Snarl (2018)
Some treasures are heavy with human tears (2021)
Songs from the End of the World (2015)
The Soul Has Many Motions (2013)
- Night on Fire (2013)
- Night on Fire (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Ambrose) (2013/2021)
Strange Humors (2006)
Strange Humors (Flex instrumentation) (2006/2020)
Strange Humors (saxophone ensemble) (2006/2021)
This Cruel Moon (2014/2017)
This Cruel Moon (Flex instrumentation) (2017/2020)
Turbine (2006)
Turning (2007)
Undertow (2008)
Until the Scars (2014/2019)
Venomous Devices (2023)
Wine-Dark Sea (2014)
Xerxes (2010)

Resources

Batcheller, James. "Lightning Field." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 11, Compiled and edited by Richard Miles, 368-375. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2018.
Perusal score