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Instrumentation |
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1
- Full Score
1 - Piccolo
4 - Flute 1
4 - Flute 2
2 - Oboe
1 - English Horn
1 - Eb Clarinet
4 - Bb Clarinet 1
4 - Bb Clarinet 2
4 - Bb Clarinet 3
2 - Eb Alto Clarinet
2 - Bb Bass Clarinet
1 - Bb Contrabass Clarinet
1 - Eb Contrabass Clarinet
2 - Bassoon
2 - Eb Alto Saxophone 1
2 - Eb Alto Saxophone 2
2 - Bb Tenor Saxophone
1 - Eb Baritone Saxophone
2 - F Horn 1 & 3
2 - F Horn 2 & 4
3 - Bb Trumpet 1
3 - Bb Trumpet 2
3 - Bb Trumpet 3
2 - Trombone 1
2 - Trombone 2
2 - Trombone 3 & Bass Trombone
2 - Baritone Horn B.C.
2 - Baritone Horn T.C.
4 - Tuba
1 - Contrabass
1 - Timpani
3 - Snare, Field, & Bass Drum
3 - Auxiliary Percussion
(Chimes, Bells, Cymbals, &
Triangle)
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Movement
III, Finale (8:40)
"We Toomed Our Stoops for the Gaudy Sodgers"
("We Emptied Our
Glasses for the Handsome Soldiers")
Grade 5
Premiered March 1, 2000 at
the
American Bandmasters Association Convention, Austin, Texas
by The University of Oklahoma Wind Symphony |
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This
movement is a conversation amongst some men in hiding a few
days after Culloden, with topics ranging from "Why were
the MacPhearsons late?" to "Where will I go
now?" It is a human recounting of the whole rising of
"’45" told by the men who witnessed it. I tried to
incorporate tunes appropriate to their subjects: Prince
Charles, food – the lack thereof, whiskey – a necessity,
Clan Battle Calls, patriotic songs, marriage songs (for many
of them married all during the campaign), bawdy sex songs,
even a pipe jig that Prince Charles supposedly parlor-danced
to two days prior to the battle of Culloden. There is Johnny
Cope, a tune commemorating their victory at Prestopans earlier
in the uprising (which is still used today as reveille in the
Scottish Pipe Regiments) and Killie Crankie, a 350-year-old to
date battle victory call-to-arms as well as some good
old-fashioned spousal discording, kilt-swirling and
whiskey-drinking pipe reels!
The
finale ends on a positive note, since the Scots always seem to
land on their feet in mid-stride, confirming their honor,
heritage and steadfastness in the single sentence: "I don’t
know where I am to go now, but I do know, wherever I go,
Scotland goes with me!"
Culloden’s
three movements (the first two are available separately) may
be performed singly, in pairs (I & II, II & III) or as
the complete set. Additional historical information is at the
end of the score. |
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To
see and hear the score: Culloden,
Movement III |
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Additional
background information
The Battle of
Culloden, commonly referred to as "Bloody Culloden," April
16, 1746, is a subject of musical importance as well as historical.
The battle itself lasted less than thirty minutes, ending the
attempt of "The Bonnie Prince Charlie’s" gaining of the
throne, leaving 1,500 Scots/sympathizers dead on the field compared
to the minimal English loss of 300. Following the battle, the
English continued to hunt down and murder wounded and stable alike,
(over 1,000 on the immediately succeeding days) and any possible
threats for years afterwards. This period of years is referred to as
"The Clearances." Torture, death, imprisonment, relocation
and the shipping of prisoners as indentured slaves to foreign
countries continued. This scattered not only the people, but their
music as well to the four corners of the earth. The burning of all
the Jacobite music directly following Culloden is also noteworthy.
My objective was to
locate and present the popular Scottish/Highland/Gaelic music
leading up to this battle and the music that came about because of
it – virtually, the "Top-40" of 1745-6 Scotland. I was
simply amazed at the quantity and quality of music researched and
documented from the period. Not only did I find a vast number of
wonderful airs, strathspeys, reels, jigs, laments and many others,
in Gaelic and English, but I also had never heard most of them
before.
I was able to locate
music written by actual survivors of Culloden (some composed in
prison) and obtained several works belonging to Niel Gow, who won
the National Fiddling Competitions in Scotland in 1745, The Simon
Frazer Collection, and several other worthy publications from that
time period. Being folk music, it was traditionally passed on by ear
with words changing to fit the occasion. Hundreds, probably
thousands of scant melodies were little more than 8 to 16 bars in
length, some with many variations boasting separate titles, with
many having been "ancient sets." Only a handful bore a
composer’s name (those being from the period directly after the
"’45 Rising"). I found their music and lyrics riveting,
bawdy and comical, yet wondrous in simplicity.
Culloden is an attempt to present
these works in my own way without losing their original charm and
flavor. For the men, women and children whose lives were forever
changed by the uprising of "Bonnie Prince Charlie" and for
their beautifully passionate and glorious music, which has certainly
changed my own, I pay this tribute. J.G.
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