Mount Rainier Search and Rescue

From Wind Repertory Project
Stephen Lias

Stephen Lias


Subtitle: For Saxophone Quartet and Percussion Ensemble


General Info

Year: 2011 / 2018
Duration: c. 8:15
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alias Press, through Theodore Presser
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $49.99


Instrumentation

Full Score
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
Timpani
Percussion I-VI, including:

  • Anvil
  • Bass Drum
  • Bells
  • Chimes
  • China Cymbals
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Maracas
  • Marimba
  • Ride Cymbal
  • Sampler
  • Sizzle Cymbal
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tam-Tam
  • Timbales
  • Tom-Tom
  • Vibraphone
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

In May of 2004, climber Scott Richards called Mount Rainier National Park on a cell phone requesting a rescue for his climbing partner Peter Cooley. The two-person team was ascending Liberty Ridge near 12,000 feet (3657 meters) when Peter’s crampon caught and he fell approximately 30 feet and hit his head, sustaining severe head trauma including a skull fracture as well as injuries to his left arm and leg.

This twelve-minute composition, composed in 2011, roughly follows the major events of the rescue efforts that ensued over the next three agonizing days. In this piece, a series of musical snapshots and recurring musical gestures portray rescue attempts, desperate phone calls, and nights alone on the mountain. The daring rescue at the climax of the piece is followed by shock at Peter’s death, then an agonized section of mourning as the funeral chimes become unbearably loud.

The poignant mixture of adventure, fear, heroism, and grief in this event form a highly personal microcosm of emotions and actions felt around the world in recent years. Unexpected disasters, injured survivors desperately hoping for rescue, heroic efforts to save lives, grief for the victims -- these ideas will resonate deeply with people in Japan, New Zealand, Haiti, Chile, and elsewhere. This piece attempts to recapture the emotions, celebrate the heroism of the rescuers, and honor those lost.

This piece is part of my National Park Series.

- Program Note by composer


The 2020 University of Minnesota performance reproduced the text of the conversation between Richards and the 911 operator as subtitles for the audience.


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble Chamber Winds (Rodney Dorsey, conductor) - 1 February 2022
  • University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Wind Ensemble (David Roush, conductor) - 10 October 2020
  • XPlorium Ensemble (Taiwan) – 14 July 2011 *Premiere Performance*


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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