Songs of Wind and Water
Jay Vosk
About this work:
Songs of Wind and Rain is a tone poem based upon the Hohokan (Pima) story of the origins of irrigation. The work is in four brief movements.
1. A Breath of Wind
There was a great drought and the Pima Indians decided to build a canal to irrigate their land. They dug the canal with pointed sticks and removed the dirt with their hands. When they completed the work, they were unable to make the water run. They asked the medicine man to get the water to go. He went down to the canal and breathed over the water. The water acted like it was moving but didn’t go anywhere.
2. Dust Devils
The people got another medicine man to get the water to run. He went down to the canal to make the wind blow and create dust devils. The water seemed to be going forward but then it turned back to its point of origin.
3. Water Patterns
The people asked a third medicine man to get the water to run. He made the wind blow to create pretty patterns in the water. The water went but not enough for it to move through the canal.
4. Water-hair Snakes.
A fourth medicine man was asked to put more water in the canal. He pulled a hair from his head and put it in the water. The hair made the water move in a snakelike pattern. This caused the water to flow freely. From then on, the people learned how to build canals and irrigate their lands in order to grow crops.
Jay Vosk.
February, 2011
Tucson, Arizona
Year composed: 2011
Duration: 08:00:20
Ensemble type: Solo instrument, non-keyboard
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: For Native Flute and Piano