"Every cloud has a silver lining" is the basis for movement 4. The adage is very easy to understand as it simply tells us to look for the good within our trials and tribulations. But sometimes we need help in order to find the good, so the idea of a prayer setting came to mind.
The movement is mostly in 3/4 with a few meter changes to 2/4 and 4/4 to add a little variety. It begins with a two measure introduction for tuba alone that hints of the varied meter that will be used again later in the movement. In measure 3, both instruments begin the prayer in harmony with only minimal counterpoint during the sustained notes. The harmony alternates between minor and major portraying both sadness and hope. Measures 12-16 contain wandering chromaticism and the ties over the bar lines that disguise the 3/4 meter. This section represents the person being lost and trying to find his way. By measure 18, things settle down again as a variant of the opening ten measures occurs. The ending also reinforces the minor and major modalities once again showing hope within the sadness.
As I am writing, I find myself being influenced by some ideas about book writing that I heard and read about, as I am also trying my hand again as an author, this time a story about camping with our two cats. The ideas are by Tom Bird. Tom emphasis getting more into the right brain and allowing the ideas to flow without allowing the left brain to be too judgmental. While I already compose that way, I found that I am relying more on my ear to tell me what comes next and I really listened to it and wrote down what it was desiring without questioning it. To my surprise, what my ear was telling me had even more unity and variety than what my left brain would have created. Of course, I still needed to refine a few spots using both my left and right brain after the movement was complete, but what resulted seemed to have a higher level of perfection than some of my other works. All this fits in well with the "Inner Game" concepts of Tim Gallwey and Barry Green, with whom I had taken workshops. It was nice to experience the joy of free-flowing creativity that one does not always have when composing. If you are a composer or performer who struggles with being freely creative, I encourage you to pursue the offerings of the above mentioned names.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/adages_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
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