Brave the River(big) - Score

Brave the River
Commissioned by the Keokuk High School Band
Instrumentation
Flute 1+2
Oboe
Bassoon
B♭ Clarinet 1+2
Bass Clarinet
Alto Sax. 1+2
Tenor Sax.
Bari Sax.
B♭ Trumpet 1+2
F Horn 1+2
Trombone 1+2
Euphonium
Tuba
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Timpani
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
Marimba
Percussion 1
- Snare
Percussion 2
- Ocean Drum
- Tam Tam
- Prepared Triangle
- Sus. Cymbal
- Ratchet
- Crash Cymbal
- Brake Drum
- Sleigh Bells
Percussion 3
- Sus. Cymbal (bowed)
- Claves
- Sleigh Bells
- Wind Chimes/Mark Tree
- Temple Blocks
- Bass Drum
- Crash Cymbal
- Triangle
Program Notes:
This piece was written for Keokuk High School Band’s 100th anniversary. When first approached with this request,
they asked for a piece that focused on the town and how it became. One of the most interesting historical events
from Keokuk, Iowa, was that in 1913 a hydroelectric energy plant and dam was created on the Mississippi River.
This specific dam had many notable “firsts” in the world of hydroelectric engineering, and is still in operation
today. Because it was such a notable part of the town’s history (and I love writing about nature), the piece is based
on the building of the dam, and celebrates an incredible feat of engineering. As such, the rhythmic ostinato
throughout the piece is based on the spelling of Mississippi. When learning to spell this long name, we often learn
it as a chant, with accents on the M, and the i’s. This ostinato flows through the piece, starting out untamed and
almost sinister. In the middle we can hear the sounds of construction starting, before the river sweeps back in to
remind us that it will not be so easy to keep it contained. It is a fight to get it finished, but our engineers prevail and
victory is celebrated. We have braved the river.