Songs of Flowers, Bells and Death: Contextures IV for Chorus and Percussion Orchestra
General Info
Year: 1991
Duration: c. 20:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: NM-West
Cost: Score and Parts - $0.00 | Score Only - $0.00
Movements
Instrumentation
Player 1: Vibraphone
Player 2: Marimba, glockenspiel, tam tam
Player 3: Tubular chimes, cymbals α2, xylophone, vibraphone(share 1.)
Player 4: Timpani, crotales
Player 5: Bass marimba, glockenspiel, tam tam, cymbals α2
Player 6: Tubular chimes, cymbals α2, xylophone, vibraphone(share 8.)
Player 7: Marimba, glockenspiel, tam tam, vibraphone(share 8.)
Player 8: Vibraphone
Player 9: Suspended cymbal & 5 Roto-toms & triangle, vibra-slap, timpano
Player 10: Suspended cymbal & 5 Concert tom-toms, flexatone, triangle, anvil,maracas, cowbells(5), timpano, crotales(share 4.)
Player 11: Suspended cymbal & 5 Chinese Tom-toms, vibra-slap, Indian rasp, guiro, brake drums(5), flexatone, timpano(share 4.)
Player 12: Bass drums(2), suspended cymbal, sleighbells(2), flexatone, stainless steel bowls(6), timpano
Program Notes
commission: Barlow Endowment; dedication: to Joan; premiere: 8 March 1994, Provo, Utah, Brigham Young University Chorus and Percussion Ensemble
Songs of Flowers, Bells and Death: Contextures IV, was commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University. The premiere took place at Brigham Young on March 8, 1994, with Ron Brough conducting the Brigham Young Concert Choir and Percussion Ensemble.
The subtitle, Contextures IV, refers to this being the last in a similarly titled or subtitled series of pieces: Contextures: Riots Decade '60 (referring to the Watts riots in Los Angeles); Contextures II: The Final Beast (A collection of anti-war poetry); A Kennedy Portrait: Contextures III.
Each work deals with social issues, two (II and IV) dealing with war. IV is the last, not just the most recent, work dealing with these subjects, because of the frustration and helplessness that eventually sap the creative energy in the face of ongoing events.
Whatever else there is to say about Songs of Flowers, Bells and Death is best expressed in the poetry, which embraces approximately 2600 years of sadness and anger.[1]
Text
Suffering of this world
Even when the flowers flower,
And in spite of the flowers. - Issa (Japanese, 1763-1827)
What passing bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries for them from prayers or bells,
Nor any voice of morning save the choirs,
The shrill demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds. - Wilfred Owen (English, 1893-1918)
Old Battlefield, fresh Spring flowers again,
All that is left of the dream
Of twice ten thousand warriors slain.
Do not quarrel.
You were made to help one another.
Birds of passage. - Basho (Japanese, 1644-94)
Oh Great Spirit who dwells in the sky,
Lead us to the path of peace and understanding.
Let all of us live as brothers and sisters.
Our lives are so short here walking upon Mother Earth's Surface.
Let our eyes be opened to all the blessings you have given us.
Please hear our prayers.
Oh, Great Spirit. - South Dakota Sioux Indians
Afraitor athemistos anestias
Estineekainos
Hos polemu eratai epidaimiou
Okru o entos
Atai Phonos Eris Polemus
He that creates war among
His people is without
Brotherhood, is loveless,
Is without hearth,
Utter destruction, slaughter, strife, war! - Homer: the Illiad — Book IX (c. 700 B.C.)
This and this alone is true religion:
To serve thy brethren;
This is sin above all other sin:
To harm thy brethren. - True Religion, Tulsedas (c. 1532-1623) (Translated by Mahatma Gandhi, 1930, during imprisonment, Yerauda Jail, Poona)
Errata
Awards
Commercial Discography
Recent Performances
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Works for Percussion by this Composer
Solos
2-4-1 - Snare Drum
A Trifle for Timothy - Multiple Percussion
Corrente II - Multiple Percussion
Da Dit - Multiple Percussion
Des Imagistes - Percussion Sextet; Narrator
Divinations - Multiple Percussion
English Suite - Multiple Percussion
French Suite - Multiple Percussion
Images - Timpani
L'Arlesienne - Multiple Percussion
Morris Dance - Multiple Percussion
M'SP - Timpani
Passacaglia - Percussion Solo
Theme and Metric Variations - Multiple Percussion
Two Drums in the Shape of an Etude - Multiple Percussion
Variations for King George - Timpani
Percussion Solos with Orchestra
Concerto for Solo Percussion and Chamber Ensemble - Multiple Percussion; Orchestra
Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra (Kraft) - Timpani; Orchestra
Concerto No. 2 for Timpani and Orchestra, XIII The Grand Encounter - Timpani; Orchestra
Three Miniatures for Percussion and Orchestra - Solo - Multiple Percussion; Orchestra
Triangles: Concerto for Percussion and Ten Instruments - Multiple Percussion; Chamber Ensemble
Percussion Solos with Strings
Music for String Quartet and Percussion - Multiple Percussion; String Quartet
Percussion Ensembles
Colorations - Variable Instrumentation; Graphic Score
Kandinsky Variations - Variable Instrumentation; graphic score
Quartet for Percussion (Kraft) - Percussion Quartet
Scherzo á Due - Multiple Percussion Duet
Suite for Percussion - Percussion Quartet
Trio for Percussion (Kraft) - Percussion Trio
Percussion Ensembles with Orchestra
Concerto for Four Percussion Soloists & Orchestra - Percussion Quartet; Orchestra
Configurations - Concerto for Four Percussion Soloists & Jazz Orchestra - Percussion Quartet; Jazz Orchestra
Momentum for Eight Percussionists - Percussion Ensemble (8)
Three Miniatures for Percussion and Orchestra - Percussion Quartet; Orchestra
Percussion Ensemble with Concert Band
Quintessence: Concerto for Five Percussion Soloists and Concert Band - Percussion Quintet; Concert Band
Percussion Ensemble with Voice
Songs of Flowers, Bells and Death: Contextures IV for Chorus and Percussion Orchestra - Percussion Ensemble (12); Chorus
Theme and Variations (Kraft) - Percussion Quartet; Narrator (optional)
Encounter Series
Encounters I - Multiple Percussion; with tape
Encounters II - Tuba
Encounters III - Multiple Percussion; Trumpet
Encounters IV - Multiple Percussion; Trombone
Encounters V: In the Morning of the Winter Sea - Multiple Percussion; Cello
Encounters VI - A Concertino for Roto-toms and Percussion Quartet - Percussion Quartet; Multiple Percussion
Encounters VII - Multiple Percussion Duet
Encounters VIII - Multiple Percussion
Encounters IX - Multiple Percussion; Saxophone
Encounters X - Marimba; Violin
Encounters XI: The Demise of Suriyodhaya - Multiple Percussion; English Horn
Encounters XII: The Gabrielic Foray - Multiple Percussion; Harp
Encounters XIII - Multiple Percussion; Woodwind Quintet
Encounters XIV: Concerto a Tre - Multiple Percussion, Violin, Piano
Encounters XV - Multiple Percussion, Guitar
Encounters XVI - Multiple Percussion, Flute
Encounters XVII - Multiple Percussion, Clarinet
Additional Resources
References