AHJ, Vol. 7 No. 4, Winter 1980

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DANIEL PINKHAM. Company at the creche for treble voices and handbells or glockenspiel and piano, organ, or harp. E.C. Schirmer, 1978. Score, 19 p. 42 For the Harp by PATRICIA JOHN SEA CHANGES, Price $3.00 1. Fog Off Pelican Spit 2. Summer Squall 3. Surf AMERICANA Suite 1. Preamble, Price $2.00 2. A Time of Snow, Price $2.00 3. Imago lgnato, Price $2.00 MNEMOSYNE, Price $2.00 APRILLE, Price $2.00 TACHYSTOS (Swift), Price $2.00 HENRIETTE, Price $2.00 Patricia John - }' nota concertiJta e compositrice per lo strument da lei prediletto: I' Arpa da cui Ja trarre effetti inrnliti e rnggeJlivi. Associazione Lirica Concertistica Arribrosiana "La Donna Nella Creazione Musicale" Biblioteca Germanica di Milano Milano, Italy March 11, 1979 Available: LYON & HEALY London, Chicago THE PANTILE PRESS 1414 Milford Avenue Houston, Texas 77006 SALVI NewYork, Paris, Santa Monica In 1976 as the Boston Chapter was preparing to host the national conference, I was asked to contact Daniel Pinkham to see what he had composed for harp that we might be able to use on a program of music by New England composers. Several things were considered but, with the forces available, were deemed unfeasable. Dan mentioned that he was working on a piece for chorus with handbell and organ accompaniment, but that it could be rewritten to include harp. The result was Company at the Creche, a Christmas piece in seven movements for three-part treble voices, harp, and handbell choir on poems by Norma Farber. Each of the movements is short, the total duration of the piece being about seven minutes. The poems are the "songs" of various beasts whose names title each movement: Stork, Dove, Caterpillar, Rooster, Porcupine, Spider and Lion. The setting of the choral parts reflects this simplicity with clear, straightforward rhythms and tonal melodies. From a purely technical standpoint, the choral parts are not difficult and should present no problems for an amateur choir. By contrast, the harp and handbell parts (glockenspiel or celesta can be substituted) are quite chromatic and, incidentally, are always in unison when they are playing together. The resulting sonority is an almost glittering or twinkling backdrop to the chorus. Technically, the harp part is more pianistic than harpistic in style, and, as I have said before, rather chromatic. Most of the writing occurs in the third, fourth, and fifth octaves of the instrument, rarely venturing beyond this range. Both hands work very closely together, only occasionally crossing. Pedal changes are abundant throughout the work and can be tricky at times, presenting more challenge, I believe, than any of the passage work in the piece, although in the last movement (Lion) each element gives the other a run for its money. All things considered, I would judge this piece to be of intermediate to advanced intermediate difficulty. Let me say here that any difficulty presented in learning the piece is far outweighed by the truly excellent sonority that results, and this, of course, is all that matters. Company at the Creche is a perfect companion piece to the Britten Ceremony of Carols. In editing the harp part, I have included all pedal markings and pedal diagrams where needed, and fin- AMERICAN HARP JOURNAL
gerings where I felt they would save the performing harpist time. Carl Swanson The Harp Studio Boston, MA Artiss deVolt CLAIRE POLIN. Vigniatures: variations for violin and harp. Seesaw, 1979. 7 p. Over the past twenty years, Claire Polin has become one of the most accomplished composers on the American scene. It was a joy for Delaware Valley Composers to hear the first performance of her Vigniatures for violin and harp on 26 January 1980 in Philadelphia. This adroitly fashioned work was written as a birthday gift to her son Gabriel Schaff. To quote the composer: "It is a set of continuous variations on a series created from the name of his pet cat, Angelique, and reflects the various moods of a miniature person in a miniature row." The result is a miniature masterpiece, encompassing in five minutes a playfully diverse gambol of colors, accents, and structures. After solo pizzicati and soft harp accents in fourths and fifths, a brief melodic phrase is subjected to quick imagery-double-stops, solos for both instruments, increasing animation, a reprise of the opening pizzicati, and a final scurrying scramble. Masterly writing and the wisdom of the heart have resulted in a lovely and accessible work of wide audience appeal. Harry Hewitt President, Delaware Valley Composers Philadelphia, PA R. MURRAY SHAFER. The Crown of Ariadne.Arcana, 1980. 15 p. The Crown of Ariadne was commissioned by the Ontario Arts Council for me and forms the musical portion of the stage work, Patria IV, which tells the story of Theseus and Ariadne. It is a suite of six dances which, in the stage work, accompany dancers, but can also be played by itself as a concert work. The score calls for harp and various percussion instruments, all of which are to be played by the harpist. There is a meticulous diagram indicating how each percussion instrument should be placed around the harp for easy accessibility. Although no previous experience as a percussionist is needed to play this piece, consultation with a percussionist is advisable. Following is a brief description of each dance. 1. Ariadne Awakens. This dance requires that D, E, A, and B of the middle register of the harp be tuned in quarter tones. It is a piece of contrasting moods Winter/1980 Formerly Harp Instructor: Mozarteum Academy, Salzburg, Austria New England Conservatory, Boston, Massachusetts Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Florida Private Studio, Sea Island, Georgia THE COLLEGE Patricia Vaeth Croke Harpist • Classical and Popular - B.A. In MUSIC - Theory • Composition • History Music Education • Applied Summer and Winter Sessions Non-music Majors Accepted For Information Write: ALBERT SEAY, Chairman Music Dept. THE COLORADO COLLEGE COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO 80903 43
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Page 16 and 17: Mrs. G. W. Bethell E lusive U.S. Ag
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Page 22 and 23: Harp Strings: Selection and Care by
Page 24 and 25: Gut Strings Gut strings are manufac
Page 26 and 27: Britten's A Ceremony of Carols by J
Page 28 and 29: 26 Faculty: Kathleen Bride THE MANH
Page 30 and 31: follows a dominant-tonic ostinato d
Page 32 and 33: twice more (mm. 8 and 9), coming to
Page 34 and 35: The Amazing Dorothy Remsen by Carro
Page 36 and 37: now available I ... des Fleurs ( So
Page 38 and 39: Sarah Bullen Catherine White Barbar
Page 40 and 41: The Kathleen Alister scholarship ha
Page 42 and 43: Fredonia 1980 by Pearl Chertok Fred
Page 46 and 47: PLAN NOW TO ATTI CAUFORNIA HARP WC
Page 48 and 49: 46 TOBE RELEASED SOON MILDRED DILLI
Page 50 and 51: RE QU IRED READIN G FO R HA RPISTS:
Page 52 and 53: VIOTTI, J.B. Sonate pour la harpe.
Page 54 and 55: GERSHWIN, George. But not for me. A
Page 56 and 57: The ideal instrument for all ages.
Page 58 and 59: O'HARA, MARY. Tranquility Mary O'Ha
Page 60 and 61: the Sfiepherd SchOol ofMusic A Dist
Page 62 and 63: Tour: Longstreth* & Escosa. 10: Nap
Page 64 and 65: AMERICAN HARP SOCIETY, INC. 1981 CO
Page 66 and 67: INEZ STAFFORD A WARD The Bay Area C
Page 68 and 69: 66 RESEARCH COMMITTEE WINS GRANT Th
Page 70 and 71: AMERICAN HARP SOCIETY, INC. EIGHTEE
Page 72 and 73: and a book, Writing for the Pedal H
Page 74 and 75: Meet the New Officers. • • Sinc
Page 76 and 77: Secretary Born in Rochester, Minnes
Page 78 and 79: 1 September 1979 through 31 August
Page 80 and 81: Mile-High (Denver, Colorado) Presid
Page 82 and 83: Portland President, Marion Fouse, 2
Page 84 and 85: ~ ~B·~. ~- i ... a ' "TEACH YOURSE
Page 86 and 87: New England JOAN HARRISON CEO,B.M.,
Page 88 and 89: PETER E. EAGLE, Professor Chairman
Page 90: MARJORIE CHAUVEL 4100 Old Adobe Rd.

AHJ, Vol. 7 No. 4, Winter 1980

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