EARTH-DAY PROGRAM Video Demos & Tricky Parts Info

Note: I added the “Earth-Day Message” for each piece except the first one — not that I’d want to be pedantic about it, but to create a thread of connection to our personal  relationship to the earth, and especially within our own communities.

Cosita Latina

This is the score of Cosita Latina.   NOTE: I tried to start the video at measure 18 of the score.

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: 

There’s no big message in this particular piece, but it’s a great opener because it introduces them to the harp, to some of the special effects, and the relationship of the harp to the orchestra.

TRICKY PARTS (Cosita Latina)

There don’t seem to be any serious tricky parts in this piece. It seems to rehearse and play fairly easily.

 Way You Are Blues

This is the score of  Way YOu Are Blues   – it’s open for other instrumental soloists by repeating D-E as needed.

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: 

This is a fun Blues – and the message is about unconditional love for imperfect humanity.

TRICKY PARTS (Way You Are Blues)

Conductor –  [m. 9 / 11] – Conductor usually starts beating in 9 (2 bars before the orchestra comes in) or 11 (the measure the strings & drumset comes in)

Conductor & Jazz/Blues Soloist (in the orchestra) – [m. 37-48 ] – If there’s a great blues or jazz soloist in the orchestra (tpt, tbn, clarinet, fiddle, or whoever) they could take a solo from 37- 48 [D]. Depending on how many people will take solos and how long each solo will be; 37-48 can repeated any number of times. At times we’ve even left the section (37-48) open, with a cue from the conductor for when to go on to Letter E, or repeated the larger section 37-60. It all depends on what the conductor, soloists & orchestra are comfortable with and how much rehearsal time we have to experiment.

All – Dynamics – [61-76] – We often need more than what’s originally printed in the score

Basses – [94] – arco (not pizz tremolo)

[SOLO] Brubecker

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: Honoring our inspirations

Belinda

This is the score of Belinda – and it’s playable with pairs, even though the score may not look that way.

Video #1: is of my local High School students singing this song with me at the tree just days before the tree was cut down.

Video #2: is of an open rehearsal with audience using chamber ensemble (I often test my pieces with chamber ensemble before expanding to orchestra).

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: 

Our relationship to trees (Belinda is a tree) and how they inspire us and play a role in our lives and even our loves.

(see tricky parts below)

 TRICKY PARTS (Belinda):

Conductor (and orchestra heads-up)

• Conductor – [46-47] – This hemiola is always a problem because I also slow down. 46-47 are in a substantially slower tempo. 48 is a Tempo.
• Conductor [70-73] – I often broaden this considerably
• Conductor [92] – There should be a fermata on this measure, with my pickup in tempo
• Conductor [95] – The tempo here should be about quarter note equals 120
• Conductor [103] – This pickup is written wrong — I do it as 3 quarter notes, not 3 8th notes.
• Conductor [104] – Tempo should be around 120
• Conductor [115] – As at 103, these pickups are written wrong – I do them as 3 quarter notes (so 116 isn’t as slow as you’d think from how slowly I do the pickups)
• Conductor [116] – Tempo still around 120
• Conductor [124] – Tempo around 114 (not 106 as written in the score)
• Conductor [138/139] – accel to the a tempo in 140
• Conductor [159-160] – these measures should actually be done at half-tempo

Tbns – [68] – delete last eight note (there should be only one note in that measure and it should be a quarter note with an accent and staccato on beat 4)

Perc – [All] – If you have questions about where you’re in or out vis-a-vis the “ad lib” latin percussion playing, please email as far as possible in advance with any specific questions: info@HipHarp.com 

Here are what my own notes say about the Latin Percussion (this should all be updated in your part, but just in case it isn’t here are my notes) – and when in doubt, just use your musical judgment (or better yet, just listen and have fun)

• Play 6-7 (Out: 8-9)
• Play 10-11 (Out: 12-13)
• 14-17 Play  ~ 18-20 play together with the rhythm of the melody if you can (Out: 20-21)
• 22-33 Play ~ 34-35 play together with the rhythm of the melody if you can  (Out:  36-37)
• 38-45 Play (Out: 46-53)
• 54-57 Play ~ 58-59 play together with the rhythm of the melody if you can  (Out: 60-61)
• (Out: 61-72)  73 Susp. Cymbal Swell (soft mallets)
• 74-89 Play ~ 90 – 91 Susp Cymb Swell (soft mallets), with a crescendo to forte and then stop the sound on 92
• (Out: 92-137) ~ Susp. Cymbal Swell 138-139 Swell (soft mallets)
• 140-150 Play (Out: 151-160) 161 & 162 Play with the Orchestra if you want and you can hear what they’re doing

Birth a’ Bertha [Solo – unless anyone wants to play with me]

This could be played solo or with brass if there’s time to rehearse. I often get the audience to sing along.  There’s currently no score but if we play it with ensemble members, I’ll provide one.

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: 

This is a song about the very same tree as the last song, but from a different perspective.  (Some people in the neighborhood called this tree ‘Belinda’ and others called it ‘Bertha.’) The message is that we each have our own relationship with the world around us – and it can have a very different feeling of love and connection for each person.

The Phoenix

This is the score of  The Phoenix   MP3 

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE:  

The power of nature to inform our human relationships.

TRICKY PARTS (The Phoenix):

The only tricky parts here are for E.H. and Oboe, which are exposed and hopefully evokative at J, K & L.  We’ll probably take the tempo a little slower than written — and DHC often plays an intro which goes into rhythm and will sound like A – so don’t be faked out if that happens (we’ll go over it in rehearsal to confirm)

The Nightingale

This is the score of The Nightingale

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE:  

The power of nature to inform our human relationships.

(See tricky parts below)

TRICKY PARTS (Nightingale)

Conductor [General Note] – I like to float over the rhythm, so conductor shouldn’t worry about following my words. Your CUE is when I say “She was my nightingale” — it’s easy to get faked out because the intro I play is similar to what’s written in bar one. I may make reference to the melody several times during my intro, but I will ALWAYS say “She was my nightingale” before I begin Bar 1 for real.

Everyone [65-92] – The upper woodwinds are dominant, if not in dynamic, in sense of of movement — any time woodwinds have a moving line, they should bring it out and be aware of moving within the counterpoint of the other woodwinds. Horns are next in prominence and the strings are creating the greater part of the atmosphere. It’s as though the woodwinds were the birds, the horns the trees and the strings the night sky.

Conductor & Everyone [93] – No subito piano, rather truly arriving at 93 and pulling back a little at 101, with a decrescendo in 100

Fl. 1 [33-40]  – Pull this up at least one dynamic marking to make sure you’re heard — you are like a descant voice here

E.H. & Cl. 1 [65-72] – This should sound like a duet between the two of you — the EH is slightly dominant to the Cl. 1, but they are both important — bring the dynamic markings up to f (EH) and mf (Cl) at the least.

E.H. [9] – Dynamic should be forte although you are playing with a Dolce feeling — you should be singing above everything else here. This line should sound as if it’s ad lib, but the underlying tempo should remain steady, so you need to make sure that any downbeat notes are actually played on the downbeat. All the triplets and 32nd notes are grace notes, so there is some liberty in where you actually place them.

E.H. [41-48] – Bring this out — you are the countermelody to the voice

Horns [33-40] Bring these lines out, even though they’re marked mp — you can play them louder — you should be nearly equal with the singer — you are a countermelody to her melody

INTERMISSION

HARP ENSEMBLE

1. You Have a Voice (Harp Ensemble & Voice)

This is a simple, but powerful piece that includes the audience, voice and harp ensemble

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: We all have a voice and a place in our world

Califypso

This is the score of Califypso..  It’s fun, it’s upbeat, it features the different families of instruments one-by-one in the orchestra, it has audience participation and it can also be used as a feature for harp ensemble and as a ‘guest conductor’ feature.

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE:

Every part of the earth has its own sound, and those sounds can be joyous – and we can combine those voices — the ‘audience’ and the ‘ensemble’ — the citizens and the leadership — we ALL have a part and a voice in the whole and in sharing and protecting the joy of this earth.

Our eco-system, like the orchestra, is made of different families – like plants, animals, minerals  — or like different cultures living in the same rhythm of time – and it’s important to play our part, to play together with the others and to celebrate what it means to do that together

TRICKY PARTS (Califypso)

This is a pretty simple piece that basically plays itself. There are no tricky parts that I know of.

You Have a Voice

This is a simple, but powerful piece that includes the audience, voice and harp ensemble

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE:

We all have a voice and a place in our world, and each voice has an essential story to tell.

TRICKY PARTS:

This is just about listening and being part of an ensemble – there are only 5 notes, and I teach them to the audience.  Orchestra can play along (or sing along) softly if you want.

New Blues

This is the score of the Score   MP3

This is a feature for the orchestra harpist and/or a local harp ensemble – but it can also feature other orchestral players. The way it usually works — assuming it’s been OK’d by administration, conductor and orchestral harpist — is that the orchestral harpist (and her/his harp) will be brought out in front of the orchestra at Deborah’s request, may be asked to play one or two short clichéd harp excerpts, then the orchestra harpist & Deborah will play New Blues as a feature with the orchestra.

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE:

When we come out from the background, we may find others who believe the way we do, who have a similar message. And as musicians we become the voice of the earth in the instruments we play – we are a direct line from the wood, from the elements, from the first people who heard the artistry of sound and created it into music.  

(See tricky parts below)

TRICKY PARTS (New Blues)

• Conductor – [37-48] – EXTRA SOLO POSSIBILITY If there’s a great blues or jazz soloist in the orchestra – or even someone just willing to try (tpt, tbn, clarinet, fiddle, or whoever) solos are available from m. 37 – 48. For more solos or longer solos, 37-48 can also be repeated as many times as desired.
• Conductor [75-81] – I’ll be playing something there — I just don’t know what

(Macho) Dogs of Somerville

This is the score of the Dogs of Somerville

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE:

There are many levels of connection between society and nature and pets are a kind of missing link between them. What happens when our pets become a little too much like us?

TRICKY PARTS:

NOTE: This video starts at m. 30, thought we’ll likely startieither in m. 1 or m. 11 (based on DHC’s discussion with the conductor)

Catcher in the Rye

This piece was inspired by Davey Steele, a Scottish singer and bodhran player whose voice embodied the tenderness of Scottish ballads and whose percussive playing evoked huge passion.

This is the score of Catcher in the Rye

I started the video at 1:17, where the orchestra comes in, after the story

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE:   

The importance of earth images and metaphors in our music and our literature. 

TRICKY PARTS (Catcher in the Rye):

• Conductor & Timpani or Percussion (Toms) – [Throughout] – The timp part in the score may be played on Toms (depending on acoustics and other considerations). If so, there’s ’s a sparser timpani part that was added after the score was finished (it accents the Tom part).
• Conductor & Timpani or Percussion (Toms) – [167-174] – Starting at 167 there’s a long, semi-improvised solo for harp & one of the following: Timpani, Bodhran, Frame drum, Snare drum. If it’s anything other than Timpani, the percussionist comes out front to play the duet with me. Depending on the drum you play, you may be miked.

  Here’s how it happens: Starting at Letter N, there are 4 orchestra “hits” followed by short harp solos. The fourth hit is at 162-163. I will extend the following “solo” (m. 163-166) as long as needed to give you time to come out and get ready to play with me. You’ll remain out to the end of the tune. If this tune is done with Timp, I’ll raise my arm to cue you to start the featured solo.  Timpani – Feature Part PDF Download:  Pg. 1    Pg. 2   

• Everyone (Tempo) – [199-202] – The tempo should stay the same as in the previous section
• Everyone (Tempo) – [203] – This is in 8. NO FERMATA. Eighth note in 203 = half note in 202
• Everyone (Tempo) [204 – 207] – This is in 2. Same tempo as in 199-202
• Everyone (Tempo) [209] – This is in 8. NO FERMATA. Eighth note in 208 = half note in 207
• E.H. (or Clarinet) [2 – 5] – This is extremely exposed. All grace notes should be very short (just embellishments, the classic, mournful Celtic piper’s sound. When an English Horn isn’t available, this part can be played on Clarinet but we never supply that part unless the conductor specifically asks for it.

Healing the Waters

This is the score of Healing the Waters

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE:

We’re the caretakers of our own greatest resources.  “Healing the Waters” was a gift for philanthropist, ecologies and friend Peter Wege, to honor his commitment to the project to clean up Lake Michigan.

ALTERNATE:

“RAIN KING” – for solo harp, which is about the power of nature to personify our our passions and struggles.

SOLO OPTIONS (if needed)

Depending on the timing of the concert, we can add one or two solo pieces here:

1. “Quixota” (Cirque du Lune) (solo harp)

This is a dynamic solo piece with looper

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: Sometimes we pit ourselves against nature in a quest of human striving.

2.”I’ll Be Your Sous Chef, Baby” (solo harp & voice)

This is a funny, sexy piece about preparing food.

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: The Earth-Day message is that, as humans, we can take some of our simplest connections to the earth (like our connection of food) and blow them to completely ridiculous extremes.  But that’s part of what makes us human.

3.Take Five (solo harp & voice)

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: The power of rhythm, both in nature and human experience and the ability to be inspired by those who came before us.

Congratulations, You Made it This Far

This is the score of Congratulations, You Made it This Far

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: About aging, and the celebration of our time on the earth.

(see tricky parts below)

TRICKY PARTS (Congratulations …)

• Conductor [77 – 94] – Don’t try to follow Deborah’s words — just mark each measure in a leisurely fashion, as though each measure were a candle you were lighting on a cake.
  • You should get to 90 before Deborah. Hold at the fermata on 90 until she has said, “And that child needs to hear something from you.”
  • Then end the fermata and continue to follow Deborah.
• Concertmaster/mistress – or Trumpet fanfare [61 – 63] – 
  A. IF CONCERTMASTER: What I really want here is a bravado, virtuosic piece, anywhere from 15 –60 seconds. It can be anything you want, but if possible, something that SOUNDS hard without actually BEING hard. You can choose anything — the key, tempo, etc aren’t important.

  If you don’t want to come up with something, you can play what’s written, or you can elect another player. in one concert, a 2nd violinist jumped up and played Czardas and the audience loved it (especially those who had sat in second violin sections in high school and college; on another program, a bass played a great virtuoso thing which I think he was making up on the spot — the audience also loved that).

  B. IF TRUMPET FANFARE: There should be something written in the part. If not, any famous cartoon –type fanfare will work (see the DVD “Invention & Alchemy” to see how this works)

• Principal Vc or Kb [64] – The F# should be a whole note and the the gliss should take as long as possible. In this measure you are impersonating our fear of a long slow decline during middle age. (See the DVD “Invention & Alchemy” to see how this works.

Baroque Flamenco

The premise of this piece is that a group of Flamenco Dancers accidentally get in a time machine and find themselves in Marie Antoinette’s boudoire. The contrast between the “Dolce” sections and the Energico or Appasionato sections should be exaggerated to cartoon-esque proportions. The Dolce sections should be truly snooty and the Energico/Appasionato sections raucous & passionate.

This is the score of Baroque Flamenco

This piece is now playable on the wearable harp, so it’ll be great to do it.

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE is about our living relationship to our past and future on this planet through music, and through both integrating with each other and celebrating our diversity in everything we do.

TRICKY PARTS (Baroque Flamenco):

Conductor [237] – May start slower than 108 and accel poco a poco to achieve tempo in 251 (dotted half = 80 or even a little faster)

Everyone [212] – No diminuendo, no decrease to mf. Just steady thru 214 then cresc poco a poco to climax in 225

Everyone [246] – no ritard (unless it feels totally right at the moment and the conductor adds it)

Cl. 1/2 [149 – 179] – Add one level to the dynamics

Tpts [21-36  &  54-68  & 123-148] – If you play in these sections, then you need to have an extremely light touch in order to contrast with the Appasionato & Energico Sections.

Tpts [180 – 225 ] – Stand from the pickup of K through m. 225 and play bravado, as if you were unbridled egotists (imagine you are combination Bullfighters, Flamenco Dancers and Don Juans)

Tpts [181 – 187] – This section seems to often fall behind the beat, so there’s probably something misleading in the way it’s composed — if you need to slur it differently to keep it in tempo, feel free to do that.

Vn1 & Vc [149 – 179] – Add one level to the dynamics, and if possible, split the Vn1’s and have them play the line divisi in octaves (play what’s written part plus one octave higher).

Hrp [149 – 209] – Play as loud as you can.

ENCORE (If Needed) 

“Quixota” (Cirque du Lune) (solo harp)

This is a dynamic solo piece with looper

EARTH-DAY MESSAGE: Sometimes we pit ourselves against nature in a quest of human striving.

ORIGINALLY PROPOSED PROGRAM

I tried to start the video at measure 18 of the score.

SOLO – Brubecker

I just noticed that this score has 4 horns & 3 trumpets – but I know we’ve done it with pairs of brass and winds.  I’ll need to check the library sheet to find out exactly how that works.

SOLO – Take Five

I started the video at 1:17, where the orchestra comes in, after the story

INTERMISSION

SOLO – Quixota

We don’t have video of this, I only have some archival audio (at left) and an arrangement for piano & harp that will give you an idea of the flavor but not the complete form.

I’m not convinced this is easy to rehearse, so this one is optional, but it’s really fun and has a fun story with it.

SOLO – Sous Chef

This piece is now playable on the wearable harp, so it’ll be great to do it.

ALTERNATE OPTIONS

The first part (from 0:00 to about 4:50) is just theater.  In this video the orchestra is playing, including a celesta, but that’s not essential instrumentation.

It’s fun and easy to play, but I’m 99% I programmed it the last time I played with Symphony Tacoma, and I didn’t want to program too much repeated material.

This audio is just midi-audio with harp.

This piece is usually most effective with a timpanist who is inventive and enjoys improv.