Alabama Songbook Suite Movement 6

This is the sixth movement of a multi-movement composition that I am writing for Jeremy Crawford. It is based on selections from The Alabama Songbook compiled by Byron Arnold. This movement is called "Niggljy Naggljy".

I was attracted to this song because of the title and also that I thought it would make a great scherzo movement.

In all the movements, I tried to have the song appear at the beginning, sometimes with accompaniment and other times without, since these pieces may be brought to schools and used as a demonstration of the songs and also the settings. I decided to begin this movement with the tuba alone. At measure 11, the piano plays a two-measure vamp before it accompanies the tuba on the melody. At 23 and 32, the piano plays the tune in a one-measure canon, first in G then in Ab. At 41, the tuba plays a variation of the tune with piano accompaniment in Eb. At 51, the accompaniment becomes more active.

Measure 63 begins a development section. The characteristic long-short rhythm becomes a two-measure vamp that occurs between fragments of the tune. Sometimes the vamp stays on the same pitch and other times it alternates octaves. It is varied in register and instrumentation. This section constantly changes tonality and has measures of chromaticism. Measure 87 serves as a recapitulation, but the variation of the tune returns rather than the tune itself. A 4-measure coda ends the movement.

Below is a video of the score that uses sampled sounds. Your comments are always appreciated.

Dr. B

Alabama Songbook Suite Movement 5

This is the fifth movement of a multi-movement composition that I am writing for Jeremy Crawford. It is based on selections from The Alabama Songbook compiled by Byron Arnold. This movement is called "Drunkard's Song".

My goal in writing this movement is to make the tuba sound drunk. I do a number of things in both the tuba and piano to create this illusion of inconsistencies common in an inebriated person.

While the song itself in in 6/8, I begin the movement with two measures of piano in 9/8, therefore disguising the meter. When the tuba comes in with the song in 6/8, the piano continues its 9/8 pattern. The pattern disguises the tonality by using the lowered 7th scale degree in the triplet. The tuba player is asked to play the tune in a drunkard manner. I am envisioning scooped notes and bending of pitch.

Measures 17-34 is a free section loosely based on motives from the song. Accidentals and tonality shifts obscure the sense of key and hemiola is used to disguise the rhythm.

Measures 35- 45 is a section of all out drunkenness. The tuba uses flutter tongue, high register squeals, and grace notes. the piano imitates the tuba and sometimes mocks the tuba with laughing sounds.

Measures 47-62 brings back a slightly elaborated version of the tune and tuba is muted. The ending incorporates the laughing sounds and the flutter tongue. The tuba is so drunk, that he can't even find the correct pitch to end on until the last moment.

Below is a video of the score that uses sampled sounds. Your comments are always appreciated.

Dr. B

Alabama Songbook Suite Movement 4

This is the fourth movement of a multi-movement composition that I am writing for Jeremy Crawford. It is based on selections from The Alabama Songbook compiled by Byron Arnold. This movement combines two songs, "Boil Them Cabbage Down" and "No!No!No!".

One of the things I enjoy a lot is seeing if I can combine two folk songs together in a variety of ways. These two songs seemed like they would go together well and would create interesting possibilities as "Boil Them Cabbage Down" is in major and "No!No!No!" is in Dorian mode. Below is a description of the movement:

M. 1-16 - The tuba plays "No!No!No!" while the right hand of the piano plays "Boil Them Cabbage Down"
M. 17-38 - The piano plays a two measure vamp that alternates G major and G minor and continues this throughout this section. The tuba plays a variation based on both tunes. Some of the phrases are in E minor and others in G major. Measure 30 adds rhythmic variety through the use of a 5/8 measure.
M. 39-56 - The piano plays a variant of "Boil Them Cabbage Down". Chromatic Scales and pointallism are used. The tuba enters in canon at measure 49. A 3/4 measure at 55 is used to add rhythmic variety.
M. 57-74 - The is like a development section. It uses fragments of both tunes and three tonalities/modalities are present. There is a change of key at measure 65.
M. 75-92 - This section is like M. 39-56.
M. 93-108 - This is like M. 1-16 except that the left hand of the piano adds a canonic statement of "Boil Them Cabbage Down".
M. 109 - end - The tuba plays "Boil Them Cabbage Down" while the left hand of the piano plays a bass line derived from "No!No!No!" The four measure ending exploits the vague modality before ending on an open fifth chord of C and G.

Below is a video of the score that uses sampled sounds. Your comments are always appreciated.

Dr. B

Alabama Songbook Suite Movement 3

This is the third movement of a multi-movement composition for tuba and piano that I am writing for Jeremy Crawford. It is based on selections from The Alabama Songbook compiled by Byron Arnold. This movement is Logan O. Bucken.

I was looking for a song in triple meter and this song appealed to me because of its rhythmic variety and possible motifs for development. The 7/8 measure is a curiosity as I am sure it is a result of Byron Arnold's transcription of the way the song was sung as he recorded it. Often folk songs are sung with rhythmic liberties that were not originally intended. Nevertheless, the 7/8 measure provides a nice break to the steadiness of the rhythm.

I provide a four measure introduction using one of the motifs from the song. It moves around tonally providing a hint of some of the altered chords that appear in my setting. The verse appears immediately afterwards in a very simple setting. I did not include the chorus here because of its similarity to the verse.

At measure 13, I create a contrasting section using a motif derived from the first measure of the song. The last motif of the song is used to modulate through a number of keys before arriving on the 7/8 measure at 22. This short section treats one of the motifs in a short canon before repeating and extending the introduction.

The section from measures 31-40 is a development section using another motif from the song that emphasizes hemiola rhythm. Instead of two groups of 3 in the 6/8, it becomes three groups of 2. This section is also in minor.

At measure 41, I take advantage of the Scottish roots of this Alabama folk song by creating a drone. The setting is in the piano and is the verse of the song. The chorus of the song appears in its entirety next in the piano while the tuba plays a technical countermelody. A deceptive cadence precedes the final fortissimo declaration.

Below is a video of the score that uses sampled sounds. Your comments are always appreciated.

Dr. B

Alabama Songbook Suite Movement 2

This is the second movement of a multi-movement composition for tuba and piano that I am writing for Jeremy Crawford. It is based on selections from The Alabama Songbook compiled by Byron Arnold. This movement is Little Dove.

I was attracted to this song because of its simple beauty. In this instance, it was challenging to preserve the natural characteristics of the song yet create interesting variations.

I started first with an unaccompanied version of the song played by tuba alone. I found the motif of the last two measures to be the most interesting part of the song and used it to create an ostinato in the next section. The right hand of the piano plays simple arpeggiated chords. I move the tuba to the upper register as I love the sonority of the instrument in that range.

At measure 19, the key changes, the tempo increases slightly, and the melody and accompaniment are more elaborate. I trade the melodic phrases between the tuba and piano. I also add some borrowed chords, one at measure 24 and the others at measure 27. The ones at 27 create a deceptive cadence and a modulation back to the original key.

Measure 28 ushers in the most elaborate setting of the song with chromatic lines in the piano left hand switching to the right hand 4 measures later. The tuba is once again in its high register.  The key change at measure 37 has the piano playing the tune in canon while the tuba plays an obligato. The movement ends with chromatically altered chords over my favorite motif.

Below is a video of the score that uses sampled sounds. Your comments are always appreciated.

Dr. B

Alabama Songbook Suite Movement I

This is the first movement of a multi-movement composition for tuba and piano that I am writing for Jeremy Crawford. It is based on selections from The Alabama Songbook compiled by Byron Arnold. This movement is Jack the Sailor.

I was attracted to this song because of its rhythmic variety and the way it has measures with two beats and measures with three beats. After stating the song as is, I begin to create variations of it as follows:

• 11-20 - ornamented version of the melody in the tuba
• 21-34 - 5/8 (2+3) variation - inspired by the measures of 2 and measures of 3, this diminution of the rhythm creates an interesting metrical variation
• 35 - 46 - Still in 5/8, tonality change, tuba melody from the previous variation is stated in cannon in the piano
• 47-61 - A free variation using motifs from the tune, back to 2/4 and 3/4 meter
• 62-74 - Sudden shift of tonality, meter is now 7/8 (2+2+3), canon between tuba and right hand of the piano
• 75-end - Sudden shift of tonality. A free variation using motifs from the tune, back to 2/4 and 3/4 meter, coda added

Below is a video of the score that uses sampled sounds. You comments are always appreciated.

Dr. B

Recent Activity

Hi everyone,
I have not posted about my more recent compositions because they have been written as individual commissions and to honor premiere aspect, I decided not to unveil the compositions here. I will tell you that I composed compositions for Saxophone Quartet and Piano, Saxophone Quartet and Organ, and Saxophone Quartet with Middle School Band. These compositions will be made available to the public after they are premiered in the Fall.

At the request of the commissioner, I plan to make several versions of the Saxophone Quartet with Middle School Band composition. This piece is called "The Tortoise and the Hare" and the story fits the idea of the band having easy parts and the soloists more technically demanding parts. A narrator reads sections of the story and the band and soloists illustrate those sections. I will create a version that has a clarinet quartet (3 Bb clarinets and bass clarinet), woodwind quintet, and brass quintet playing the solo parts in order to give the piece wider appeal.

I am also honored to have had my composition "Portrait of Don Quixote" selected as the winning composition in the Hillcrest Wind Ensemble's 2016 Composition Contest. The piece will be premiered on October 8 in San Diego and if you are in the area, I hope you will come to the concert and say "hello." Here is a link to information about the concert http://hillcrestwindensemble.com/index.html

If you are in New York City on September 11, you can hear my composition "Rescue" performed by the West Point Band as part of Vox Novus Fifteen Minutes of Fame. My composition was one of 15 one-minute compositions specifically written for this concert out of 100 entries. Here is a link to more information about this concert http://www.voxnovus.com/15_Minutes_of_Fame//featuring/West_Point_Band/

I have also recently completed a number of arrangements of show music for various small ensembles. Here is a list with links:

    •    I Cain't Say No from Oklahoma for Brass Trio
    •    I Cain't Say No from Oklahoma for Woodwind Trio
    •    Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man from Showboat for Brass Trio
    •    Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man from Showboat for Woodwind Trio
    •    Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) for Brass Quintet

Thanks for reading my posts.

Dr. B