The Winds of Time
for Wind Ensemble
Written: (2021)
Duration: 14'
Instrumentation: wind ensemble (4 Flutes (Flute 3 doubling Piccolo and Sea Shell Wind Chimes, Flute 4 doubling Alto Flute), 3 Oboes (Oboe 3 doubling English Horn and Sea Shell Wind Chimes), 4 B-flat Clarinets (Clarinet 4 doubling B-flat Bass Clarinet), 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, 4 Saxophones (2 Alto, Tenor, Baritone), 3 B-flat Trumpets, 4 F Horns, 2 Trombones, Bass trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Piano, Timpani (doubling Sea Shell Wind Chimes, Cymbal and Bow required), 4 Percussion (See Below for Instrumentation)
Percussion Instrumentation: Percussion 1—Tubular Chimes, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Snare Drum, Medium Concert Bass Drum, Medium Suspended Cymbal, Medium Tam Tam (bow), Temple Blocks, Sandpaper Blocks, Anvil, Ratchet; Percussion 2—Single B-flat 3 Tubular Chime (bucket of water), Vibraphone, Xylophone, Crotales (high octave), 4 Timbales, Medium Suspended Cymbal (bow), 2 Triangles (high, medium), Sandpaper Blocks; Percussion 3—Single B-natural 3 Tubular Chime (bucket of water), Glockenspiel, Piccolo Snare Drum, 4 Concert Tom Toms, Bell Tree, Mark Tree, 3 Wood blocks (high, medium, low), Sandpaper Blocks; Percussion 4—Single C4 Tubular Chime (bucket of water), Crotales (low octave), Large Concert Bass Drum, Large Tam Tam (bow), Medium Crash Cymbals (mounted), Large Suspended Cymbal, Bell Tree, 3 Triangles (high, medium, low), 2 Maracas, Ratchet, Sandpaper Blocks, Thunder Tube
Commissioned by the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Mark Davis Scatterday, Conductor, and a consortium of wind ensembles in honor of the Eastman School of Music’s Centennial Anniversary. Consortium members include Carthage Wind Orchestra (Carthage College), CCM Wind Ensemble (University of Cincinnati), Eastman Wind Ensemble (Eastman School of Music), Nevada Wind Ensemble (University of Nevada, Reno), Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Northwestern University), TCNJ Wind Ensemble (The College of New Jersey), Wind Symphony (Ohio University), and the UNC Wind Ensemble (The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
World Premiere: Eastman Wind Ensemble, Mark Davis Scatterday, conductor, Eastman School of Music, Kodak Theater, April 15, 2022.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
PROGRAM NOTE
The Winds of Time was inspired by the title and content of the poem of the same name by Tanzanian poet and novelist Euphrase Kezilahabi. I created musical elements from the various words, phrases and metaphors in his poem, especially those related to wind and water: watching the waves rising, falling, swelling, surging, and waves being driven by winds. The passage of time, inevitability, darkness, and the poem’s overall despair are represented throughout the ensemble with various bells, drums, winds, exotic instruments, and a few non-standard playing techniques.
Although this work is divided into three connected movements, Waves rising, falling, swelling, surging, Bending space/time, and Colossal chimes, fading light, it is more a rhapsody than narrative in structure. Various themes and motives gradually come into the foreground and recede into the background throughout the entire work, similar to how shells wash up on a shore and then become lost to the sand.
The Winds of Time was commissioned by the Eastman School of Music Wind Ensemble, Mark Davis Scatterday, Conductor, and a consortium of wind ensembles in honor of Eastman’s 100th anniversary.
Press Quotes
“It is a wonderful piece, and I look forward to doing it, hopefully next season.”
“Thank you for your excellent piece. I was able to catch the live stream of the premiere and thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially appreciated the variety of sounds and colors that you drew out of the ensemble , in my opinion this summarizes so well what the Eastman Wind Ensemble has come to stand for. I look forward to programming the work in future seasons!”