Protected Sleep
Faye-Ellen1 Silverman
About this work:
David Jolley requested a piece for percussion and horn based on a Jewish theme. This work is based on the centuries-old Sephardic song “Durme, durme”. Its Ladino text suggests its origins at a time when Christians, Muslims, and Arabs flourished side-by-side. The song itself is a lullaby – one that expresses the hope that the loved one can sleep without anxiety and pain. The simplicity of the melody lends itself to compositional embellishment.
This work is a fantasia on the first verse of the melody – which unfolds over the course of the composition. Intervals from the melody are used in the embellishments, and part of the melody forms a cantus firmus in the slow section of the work. The horn writing itself is meant to show the off the beautiful tone and the virtuoso abilities that characterize the playing of David Jolley. The marimba part matches the horn in virtuosity. The two sometimes play in counterpoint, and sometimes serve to finish the other’s thoughts.
Year composed: 2006
Duration: 00:09:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 2-5 players
Instrumentation: 1 Horn in F, 1 Marimba