Tears of St Lawrence
General Info
Year: 2014
Duration: c. 5:00
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Longitude 91 Publications
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $115.00 | Score Only (print) - $25.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:
- Chimes
- Glockenspiel
- Key Chimes
- Marimba
- Sizzle Cymbal
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Vibraphone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Early last summer, my then five-year-old daughter became very interested in astronomy. She read every book in the library on the topic and became obsessed with the idea of seeing a falling star. After scanning the night sky for a few months with no success, she began to give up hope. Fortunately for all of us, the annual Perseids meteor shower -- often referred to as the “Tears of St. Lawrence” -- was quickly approaching.
One clear mid-August night, I woke my daughter a bit after midnight. Without telling her what was to come, we quietly made our way outside. After anxiously waiting for what felt like forever, we saw our first falling star together! In addition to the obvious sense of excitement, however, I couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic, because I knew that in a few short weeks, my daughter would be going to school for the first time. As we watched the stars, we took turns telling stories as we wondered what the next year would bring. Two hours and countless meteors later, I finally convinced my daughter to return to bed. Tears of St. Lawrence was inspired by the variety of emotions experienced during that memorable night.
Commissioned by the McFarland High School 9th Grade Concert Band, McFarland, Wisconsin (Joseph Hartson, Director).
- Program Note by composer
Media
State Ratings
- Florida: III
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Hartwick College (Oneonta, N.Y.) Wind Ensemble (Andrew Pease, conductor) - 5 October 2023
- North Marion High School (Ocala, Fla.) Concert Band (Aaron Janosa, conductor) - 4 March 2023
- The Ohio State University (Columbus) Collegiate Winds (Christopher Hoch, conductor) - 23 February 2023
- University of Kansas (Lawrence) University Band (Angelina Gomez, conductor) – 2 November 2022
- Miami (Ohio) University Symphony Band (Gary A. Speck, conductor) - 23 March 2021
- West Virginia University (Morgantown) Symphonic Band (Cheldon Williams, conductor) - 17 November 2020
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Wind Orchestra (Nicholas P. Waldron, conductor) – 8 March 2020
- University of Nebraska Omaha Symphonic University Band (Joshua Kearney, conductor) – 6 December 2019
- Michigan State University (East Lansing) Concert Band (Arris Golden, conductor) – 24 April 2019
- University of Texas (Austin) Texas Concert Band (Pamornpan Komolpamorn, conductor) – 22 April 2019
- Oklahoma State University (Stillwater) Concert Band (Tyler Austin, conductor) – 4 March 2019
- Blue Valley North High School (Overland Park, Kan.) Symphonic Band (Dan Freeman, conductor) – 18 April 2018
- Kansas Wesleyan University (Salina) Wind Ensemble (Carl T. Rowles, conductor) - 8 February 2018
- Northshore Concert Band (Evanston, Ill.) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) - 8 November 2017
- Northshore Concert Band (Evanston, Ill.) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) - 5 November 2017
- University of Kansas (Lawrence) Symphonic Band (Brooke E. Humfeld, conductor) – 2 May 2017
- Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) Concert Band (John Stanley Ross, conductor) - 24 April 2017
- Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (Jacksonville, Fla.) Wind Symphony (Gary Green, conductor) - 14 December 2016 (2016 Midwest Clinic)
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Life Painting (Adaptable Band) (2019/2020)
- Tears of St. Lawrence (Flex instrumentation) (2014/2020)
All Wind Works
- All the Things I'm Not (2019)
- Among the Aspens (2022)
- And Sings the Tune Without the Words (2020)
- April (2008)
- Beneath a Canvas of Green (2012/2018)
- Bluebonnet Drift (2021)
- Child Moon (2017)
- Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble (2018)
- A Dream of Trees (2019)
- Drifting (2022)
- Fever Flash
- Floral Larceny (2018)
- Forever Radiant (2019)
- A Glimpse of the Eternal (2016)
- I was Just Looking at the World (2011)
- In the Open Air, in the Silent Lines (2018)
- In This Moment (2001/2011)
- Inner Sanctum (2010)
- Iris (2016)
- It Has to Be Beautiful (2018)
- Life Painting (2019)
- Life Painting (Adaptable Band) (2019/2020)
- The Long Light After Time (2022)
- Move
- On the Grid
- Only Light (2014)
- Pale Blue on Deep (2011)
- Snap
- Shimmer
- Stained with Light
- Tears of St Lawrence (2014)
- Tears of St. Lawrence (Flex instrumentation) (2014/2020)
- Temperance (2016)
- ...to the wind (2014)
- Traces of Amber Sky (2018)
- Vignettes of Mount Vernon (2022)
Resources
- Pease, Andy. "Tears of St. Lawrence by Aaron Perrine." Wind Band Literature, 27 August 2023. Accessed 27 August 2023
- Perrine, A.; McFarland High School (Wisc.) (2014). Tears of St. Lawrence : (2014) [score]. Longitude 91 Publications:[Iowa?].
- Perusal score.