Kingfishers Catch Fire

Wind Ensemble/12'/Difficulty - Hard/2007

Please note: Scores are purchased, fulfilled in hard copy, and yours to keep. Parts are licensed (“rented”) per performance, and delivered in PDF form. The parts PDF does not include a score.

Full Score (11x17 paper)

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$70.00

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First Performance (parts)

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$425.00

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Performance Date*:

Additional Performance

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$150.00

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Kingfishers Catch Fire

performed by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble
conducted by Jerry Junkin

View the score

I. Following falls and falls of rain
II. Kingfishers catch fire

A “kingfisher” is a bird with beautiful, brilliantly colored feathers that look in sunlight as if they are on fire. Kingfishers are extremely shy birds and are rarely seen, but when they are seen, they are undeniably beautiful.

 

The first movement, “Following falls and falls of rain,” is suspended in tone, but with hope, depicting the kingfisher slowly emerging from its nest in the early morning stillness, just after a heavy rain storm. The second movement, “Kingfishers catch fire,” imagines the bird flying out into the sunlight.

 

The work features optional antiphonal trumpets placed behind the audience. The trumpet solo in the first movement is played from the back of the hall, and the trumpet flourishes in the second movement are played by the antiphonal trumpet choir. You may catch the reference to Stravinsky’s “Firebird” at the end of the piece.

 

Note: The first horn part is extremely high in range, but it is cued in Bb cornet. In other words, don’t let the horn parts scare you too much.

Premiered

March 17, 2007

JWECC '07 Special Band, conducted by Ichiro Saito.
Kurashiki, Japan.

Commissioned by

Consortium organized by Mamoru Nakata.

Kentaro Hino (Hikarigaoka Girls' High School), Mamoru Nakata (Wind Ensemble du Nord), Masafumi Matsumoto (Okayama Sanyo High School), Kotai Yo (Wind Ensemble "KANADE"), Toshiya Iwata (Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare "Heartful Winds"), Taizo Okuyama (Wind Ensemble Soleil), and Shintaro Fukumoto (Community Band of Sagamihara).