Red Clay and Mississippi Delta

Valerie Coleman

Subtitle: Scherzo for Wind Quintet

General Info

Year: 2009
Duration: c. 5:10
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: V. Coleman Music
Cost: Score and Parts (digital) - $35.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute (doubles Piccolo)
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet
Horn in F

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Red Clay is a short work that combines the traditional idea of musical scherzo with living in the South. It references the background of my mother's side of the family that hails from the Mississippi delta region. From the juke joints and casino boats that line the Mississippi river, to the skin tone of kinfolk in the area: a dark skin that looks like it came directly from the red clay. The solo lines are instilled with personality, meant to capture the listener’s attention as they wail with “bluesy” riffs that are accompanied (‘comped’) by the rest of the ensemble. The result is a virtuosic chamber work that merges classical technique and orchestration with the blues dialect and charm of the south.

- Program Note by composer

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Michigan State University (East Lansing) Wind Symphony (Kevin Sedatole, conductor) - 21 April 2021
Florida International University (Miami) Wind Ensemble (Brenton F. Alston, conductor) – 9 February 2019
Imani Winds - 2013

Works for Winds by This Composer

Resources

Coleman, V. (2009). Red Clay and Mississippi Delta [score]. V. Coleman Music: New York.
Valerie Coleman website Accessed 6 February 2019