A9D6D3BE-95C1-4201-9F3C-DB01648C0845
| ID | A9D6D3BE-95C1-4201-9F3C-DB01648C0845 |
|---|---|
| Titlecode | R00917 |
| Title Name | Folksongs for Orchestra |
| Marketing Copy | Formerly titled Four Spirituals for Orchestra. Movements: I. Going to lay down my sword and shield, II. And they crucified my Lord, III. My Lord, what a morning, IV. O, Peter, go ring dem bells |
| Instrumentation | 2+1(Picc).2+1(EH).2.2: 2.2.2.1: Timp.Perc(6). Pno(d. Hpscd).Hp: Str |
| Commission | (not set) |
| Dedication | (not set) |
| Program Notes | My concern was to set these melodies in an interesting way, in a respectful orchestral manner. They are to me wonderful melodies, to be treated with much respect. The four spirituals are quoted intact, which is an unusual procedure for me because I am much more in the habit of using only snippets from various sources--pop tunes, folk songs. The focus is to frame these melodies in a minaturistic fashion: they should be easy for the listener to identify. A brief introduction precedes the statement of the first part of "Going to lay down my sword and shield." The second spiritual, "And they crucified my Lord," becomes fragmented after the initial trumpet phrase. The melody is completed later in the setting after the strings repeat the first phrase and the trombones accelerate the final pitches of the melody to the text, "Not a word, not a word." The flutter-tonguing of the flute above sustained strings links the second spiritual with the third one, "My Lord, what a morning." In the setting of this extraordinary song, the first note of the melody is never heard. The melody is apportioned to several wind instruments that successively play only a few notes of the tune. An interlude involving two trumpets is interpolated between the presentations of the spiritual. The setting of the fourth spiritual, "O, Peter, go ring dem bells," is marked by a ritornello, the recurrence of the introductory material, that is spliced [into] the joviality of this most hearty of religious statements. --George Walker |
| Title Brand | 2 |
| Year Composed | 1990 |
| Copyright Number | (not set) |
| Copyright Year | (not set) |
| Duration | 15 |
| Ensemble Size | 13 |
| Date Created | 2008-10-31 20:31:17.000000 |
| Date Updated | 2025-09-30 20:31:17 |
| Inhouse Note | (not set) |
| Bsc Code | (not set) |
| Text Author | (not set) |
| Premier Performance Memo | (not set) |
| Recording Credits | Recorded by The Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Albany Records CD TROY 270. |
| Review | "A tone-poem-like transformation of simple melodic elements into an expressively far ranging statement" --Washington Post |
| Awards | (not set) |
| Title Category | 7 |
| Title Movements | I. Going to lay down my sword and shield II. And they crucified my Lord III. My Lord, what a morning IV. O, Peter, go ring dem bells |
| Title Grade | (not set) |
| Set Series ID | (not set) |
| Title Instrument Category Text | Full Orchestra |
| Title Sub Category Text | (not set) |
| Title Sub Category | 31 |
| Title Instrument Header | 41 |
| Title Grade Text | (not set) |
| Clean Url | folksongs-for-orchestra-r00917 |