A deep reverberation fills with stars
Wind Ensemble/8'30"/Difficulty - Hard/2022
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"A deep reverberation fills with stars"
Hikarigaoka Girls' High School Wind Orchestra
The world of music for wind ensemble is almost inextricably linked to the importance of music education, as many of us who celebrate the medium have connected with it through school bands. Undoubtedly, the importance of music educators in the lives of those who continue to make music as either amateurs or professionals in adulthood is paramount. In the case of John Mackey’s A deep reverberation fills with stars, the connection is both implied and overt as it celebrates his friendship and professional admiration for the work’s dedicatee—Jon Grantham, Director of Bands at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, California—on the occasion of his twentieth year of teaching, but could equally be seen as a tribute to anyone dedicated to the passionate pursuit of arts education. The thematic exploration of the piece moves from a sensation of being lost and adrift to one of confidence and acceptance, not unlike the journey that any student undertakes as they pursue fluency and passion for the subject material as guided by a dedicated mentor. The piece also reflects the composer’s own creative emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic, as he describes:
This is the most substantial piece I’ve written since the start of the pandemic. I’d written very little; it was basically impossible for me to motivate myself when concerts grinded to a halt. So the idea with this one—partially by design, but largely just because it happened to turn out this way once I started writing—is that of emerging from darkness (“a deep reverberation”) with the return of some sense of normalcy, coinciding with—at least for me—some hope of an improvement of mental health.
A deep reverberation fills with stars unfolds in in two parts. The first explores lonely spaces with feelings of uncertainty, longing, and—at times—sorrow, while the second turns those same sonic environments into a place of warmth, joy, and discovery. The opening measures establish a palette of twinkling, with the chiming of a single handbell on G-flat announcing its presence on an expanse of silence. The implied harmonic motif of G-flat to F in the handbells (and eventually other instruments) recurs throughout the piece and helps to create an expressive theme of tension and release. Layers of syncopation are added sequentially, mostly in metallic percussion and piano, and a constantly shifting metric canvas lends a sensation of unpredictability as the introduction fizzes and pops in a shimmering display. Following this introductory section, the first real melody emerges: a solo trumpet tune that feels somber and reflective set atop a more restrained twinkling rhythm in keyboards and a gently rocking oscillation of two chords—D-flat major and F minor—in low winds. The tune itself is songlike and stretched over a long span, at times hinting at a glimmer of optimism before returning to its subdued nature in a reflection of itself as played by a solo clarinet. A second verse of this theme immediately follows, slightly condensed but more emphatically energetic, seemingly trying to burst free, but eventually receding in a nearly identical manner, with solo flute leading the first half of the work to a quiet conclusion.
The second half of the piece opens once again with handbell, but this time in the key of F major, completing a long expression of the descending harmonic motif that appeared in the work’s first few measures. This time, instead of a somber melody, we hear a serene chorale from clarinets and bassoon that patiently spins through both extended diatonic and chromatic harmonies with confident ease. Whereas the first half of the work felt uncertain, now those same combinations of rhythms and harmonies resonate with curiosity and the excitement of understanding. As the chorale persists, more voices join in, building in density and volume to what seems like it must surely be the climactic moment, only to dissipate temporarily back into the sparse twinkling of the introduction once more. This time, however, that texture is crisper and brighter, confident in its inevitable direction. Joined to one more final statement of the chorale melody, the work ends with rapturous celebration.
Program note by Jacob Wallace. Used with permission. Please credit Jacob Wallace when reproducing or excerpting this note.
Premiered
May 24, 2022
Amador Valley High School Wind Ensemble
conducted by Jonathan Grantham
Commissioned by
Amador Friends of Music
In celebration of Jonathan Grantham's 20th Anniversary at Amador Valley High School