Appalachian Awakening (6-Horn Jazz Ensemble)
Roger M. Aldridge
About this work:
Appalachian Awakening is an extended piece that expresses my love of the Appalachian Mountains. The Rockies are beautifully majestic, but there is a deep-rooted soul in the Appalachians that speaks to me. The idea for this music came to me when I was hiking in West Virginia. I was not intending to think about a new piece of music; however, all of a sudden I heard the opening of the bossa nova in my mind and it expressed, for me, the beauty of the surrounding mountains.
This is a highly unusual composition in how it combines bossa nova and Appalachian-style fiddle music. The two sections were composed as one piece, with the fiddle music emerging from the bossa nova. That is, they are not separate pieces that were put together.
The mid-size ensemble score is for soloist, 5 horns, and rhythm section. Ideally, the solo instrument is a violin; however it can work with other instruments. The score uses flexible instrumentation. This enables the music to be played by many combinations of instruments. My article on mid-size ensemble describes the concepts I used in this piece. Note: the recording leaves out the solo section for the violin towards the end.
Recorded by David Arivett.
This piece can be purchased at Sheet Music Plus.
Year composed: 2012
Duration: 00:00:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Alto Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 Clarinet, 1 Alto Clarinet, 1 Bass Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 1 Soprano Saxophone, 1 Alto Saxophone, 1 Tenor Saxophone, 1 Baritone Saxophone, 1 Horn in F, 1 Trumpet, 1 Trombone, 1 Bass Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Drum Set, 1 Piano, 1 Violin, 1 Double bass, 1 Electric Guitar
Instrumentation notes: The soloist can conceivably be any mid-range instrument; however, violin is recommended.