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Three Revelations from the Lotus Sutra

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Alfred Reed

Alfred Reed


General Info

Year: 1984
Duration: c. 27:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Piedmont Music, through Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts - $125.00   |   Score Only - $12.50


Movements

1. Awakening - 10:40
2. Contemplation - 10:22
3. Rejoicing in the Beauty of Peace - 6:15


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II-III (III doubling C Piccolo)
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
B-flat Cornet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Bells
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Maracas
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tam-Tam
  • Temple Blocks
  • Triangle
  • Vibraphone
  • Xylophone


Errata

In parts:

  • Percussion II, Snare Drum, mvt. 3, m.56: 2nd beat should be "eighth note + eighth note", not "dotted eighth note + sixteenth note"


In score:

  • Oboe I-II, m.122: Add a tie between the 1-2 notes
  • B-flat Cornet I-II, m.58: Add a tie between the 7th and 8th notes


Program Notes

Three Revelations from the Lotus Sutra is an attempt to realize in music three different states of man’s soul in his quest for ultimate perfection. The Lotus Sutra is the teaching of human respect, self-perfection and world peace – in a word, humanism, leading mankind from division to unity, from discord to harmony, from conflict to peace.

I. The first movement, Awakening, (To Awaken to the Light of the Universe) portrays the vastness and richness of the experience of the human mind on expanding its field of view from the narrow confines of daily life to the contemplation of, and merging with, the entire universe.

II. Contemplation (To Contemplate the Depths of the Soul) represents a turning-away of the mind from the “outer” to the “inner” universe -- the attempt to fathom the limitless possibilities of the human consciousness in its quest for identity, to answer the eternal questions beginning with the word “Why?”

III. Rejoicing (To Rejoice in the Beauty of Peace) depicts the realization that, while on earth, peace is not merely the absence of war, destruction, pain and suffering, but a thing of beauty in and of itself, and an occasion for heartfelt rejoicing on the part of all men everywhere, who share the same eternal quest as true brothers.

This suite was commissioned by, and is reverently dedicated to, Rissho Kosei-kai, on the occasion of the 77th birthday of its founder and president, the Reverent Nikkyo Niwano.

Rissho Kosei-kai, sponsor of the world-famous Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, is an organization of Buddhist laymen devoted to the effort of perfecting man's personality on the basis of the true meaning of Buddhism. Rissho, originally Chinese characters, indicated the ideal of "Establishment of the True Law, or the teaching of the Lotus Sutra in this world." Ko means the mutual exchange of thought and the spiritual unity among different human beings. Kai means "society," and when used following a name, the preceding characters give the purpose of the society. Therefore, Rissho Koseu-kai means "a society of people of faith organized to realize a peaceful world by perfecting mankind and personality through the principle of spiritual unity among different peoples and based on the true meaning of Buddhism."

Central to the purpose of this movement is the body of doctrine assembled from the teachings of the Buddha called the Lotus Sutra, the Absolute Truth, termed the "Wonderful Law."

The first performance of the complete work took place in November 1984 by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, under the direction of Frederick Fennell.

- Program Note by composer


Media


State Ratings

  • Alabama: Class AA
  • Florida: VI
  • Georgia: VI
  • Iowa: IV
  • Louisiana: V
  • Oklahoma: V-A
  • South Carolina: VI


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • University of Kentucky (Lexington) Symphony Band (Shayna Stahl, conductor) - 22 February 2023
  • University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire University Band (Randal C. Dickerson, conductor) - 28 November 2022
  • Clark County (Nev.) School District Honor Band Wind Symphony (James Keene, Conductor) - 29 January 2022
  • University of Akron (Ohio) Wind Symphony (Galen Karriker, conductor) - 22 January 2022
  • Scarsdale (N.Y.) High School Wind Ensemble (Jason Noble, conductor) - 7 December 2021
  • University of Mississippi (Oxford) Wind Ensemble (David Willson, conductor) - 23 April 2021
  • University of Kentucky (Lexington) Wind Ensemble (Cody Birdwell, conductor) - 25 September 2020
  • California All-State High School Concert Band (Cody Birdwell, conductor) - 23 February 2020 (2020 CASMEC Conference, Fresno)
  • St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minn.) Band (Timothy Mahr, conductor) – 9 February 2020
  • Cal Tech-Occidental Wind Orchestra (Pasadena, Calif.) (Glenn D. Price, conductor) – 12 May 2018
  • Texas Tech University (Lubbock) Concert Band (Sarah McKoin, conductor) – 26 March 2018
  • Solano Winds (Fairfield, Calif.) (Bill Doherty, conductor) – 9 March 2018
  • Jacksonville (Alabama) University Wind Ensemble (Artie Clifton, conductor) – 3 December 2017
  • San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Wind Orchestra (William V. Johnson, conductor) – 13 May 2006
  • High School Symphonic Band [Interlochen, Mich.] (Frederick Fennell, conductor) – 11 August 1985


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

  • Reed, A. (1984). Three Revelations from the Lotus Sutra [score]. Piedmont Music: U.S.
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