The Great Oak. Edward Mylechreest. Symphonic Sketches of Nature. For Chamber Orchestra. Mylestone Music MylestoneMusic.com

Transcription

1 The Great Oak Symhonic Sketches o Nature For Chamber Orchestra Edward Mylechreest Mylestone Music MylestoneMusic.com

2 Perormance Notes The Great Oak is a rogrammatic work written or chamber orchestra, which aims to ortray the lie cycle o a these mighty natural miracles. The music relects this journey, taking us through just some o the stages o this natural miracle. Introduction An atmosheric start to the iece, the music eatured here is that o the hymn tune, Praise God rom whom all Blessings low. This hymn tune will be integral to the transitional story throughout the iece, intertwining with other material. Allow the strings to eature here in this oening section, with the woodwind roviding an extra colouration to the sound. The Parent Tree The Great Oak Theme Coming out o the introduction, we immediately ind ourselves in an exciting Allegro Giocoso section, ull o bustling colours and grandeur. The music eatured here is based on the great oak theme, a central theme that the entirety o the iece will be inluenced by. Amongst the anaric brass, and the exciting music o the woodwinds and uer strings, ensure that the reerence to the oening hymn tune ound in the bassoon, cello and then contrabass is heard rominently. From bar 38 allow the music to make a natural diminuendo and Rallentando, as the music dies away into section C. It is here that we hear the oak theme in its true orm, having been disguised in the exciting music ound reviously, as in our musical journey we see the great arent trees in their magnitude. The strings must lay a ull sound, exressing the great size o the arents, articularly when we reach the Grandioso section. By bar 57 the music seems to resolve, and the journey seems to come to an end, but it is here that the real journey o this iece begins. The wind and brass layers are to breathe in a dramatic ashion here, as a reresentation o the wind blowing against the trees. This causes a seed to all rom the tree, as a violin cadenza here reresents the tiny seed alling through the branches and into the earth. The Seed & The Earth The Earth Theme

3 The great oak theme is transigured, and using rimarily the whole tone scale, the music takes on a ar darker and more sinister, earthy tone. The bassoon and bass clarinet here must relect this dark timbre in the oening hrases o this Allegro Misterioso section. The darkness o the earth rovides both rotection and danger or the seed, and the music ortrays this; the rigidity o the music relecting the comressing surrounding earth, with danger and darkness alluded to by the sinister anare ound in the horn and trombone. Hints to other creatures ound in the earth are ound in the score, with a slithering worm and a lurry o ants, whilst recious jewels gimmer in the darkness. This quiet but resent danger suddenly gives way to the exansive vastness o the earth as the timani enter with a rimal igure. The music moves into a march, a itting rigid orm or the earth. The original theme o the earth must remain resent even as we move into the louder dynamics, and deeer and deeer into the ground. By the Pesante section the music must be a grotesque and heavy icture o the earth with brie reerences to our hymn tune resent. The music builds and builds, until it eventually collases in on itsel, and our ocus returns rom the earth to the seed itsel. By the Andante Semlice the seed begins to show lie, stirring in the soil, and it is then that we realise the otential in the seed to one day be a great oak tree (bar 109). With this realisation, the seed suddenly shoots into lie quite literally, as the shoot o the tree rises out o the ground and into the air. The clarinet reerence to the hymn tune in J must be resent here. Allow the music to grow and accel right u until letter K, where the seedling has broken ree o the earth. The Seedling & The Rain The Rain Theme A sudden change as the seedling comes to realise its new surroundings. Ensure that the ianos note leading into section K is orceul enough to last through the section. The irst hints o rain are resent here as the clouds begin to sit rain. At the Moderato the rain begins in ull, eatured in the soradic rhythmic movements o irst the cello and contrabass, and then joined by the bassoon and lute. Be mindul o the two breaks leading into section M and N, to hel raise susense and ensure that the music crescendos u to these breaks. At letter N allow the music to low with greater movement, irst in quite a orceul manner beore dying down. Section O reresents the seedling soaking in the nourishment o the rain, whilst being gently swayed by wind. Through the music the rain continues to all, and the storm icks u, shaking the young tree. Through letter Q this must be most resent, as the music must build into a orceul renzy as the storm builds and builds. The sudden must come as a shock to the audience.

4 The Saling & The Sun The Sun Theme Out o the aarent darkness o the storm, suddenly the clouds art and the sun burst through. Relected by an exansive oening chord, the brass is then eatured as a grand anare to the sun. Allow the oening o this new section to be as grand and exansive as ossible. A simle but majestic trumet solo shows the warmth o the sun shining down, and the saling basking in its glow. The music grows and warms as the young tree grows in itsel, with the ull orchestra showing this warmth. In section T, allow the trumet reerences to the great oak to be rominent, as the tree grows ever closer to reaching this status itsel. The warmth o the sun dies away, leaving the solo trumet to lament on its assing. The har here must have reedom to lay its igure in a natural unorced way. At section U, the cello must be rominent, as its reerence to the hymn tune is a symbol o the assing o time. The music here or the strings lows into the inal section, as over time the tree will eventually reach maturity. A choral like section or the woodwind resents the hymn tune in ull, or the irst time since the oening section. Ensure balance and a true hymn like quality to the woodwind choir here. The har and strings under this must shimmer with excitement as the music continues. From bar 281, the music really begins to build, with the cello and iano laying the original anaric variation o the great oak theme into the inal section. Allow the music here to crescendo with a molto accelerando. Finale The Great Oak We reach the Prestissimo temo, and immediately the brass take over the hymn o raise, but dislay it in a ar more exclamatory and celebratory manner. In between the strains o the hymn, the rest o the orchestra dislay reerences to the music o the journey that we have been on through the iece. This begins with the great oak, ollowed by the earth, the rain and then the sun each in turn. In these quick lashbacks ensure that the style o the music is maintained, and that any eatures here are brought to the ore o the music. We eventually return to the music o the great oak, but again with reerences to the unique journey that this tree has been on, and the hymn o raise. The iano eect ound in section X must be resent, but not overowering or the rest o the ensemble. Section Y restates the Great Oak theme, and must be a dramatic declaration o the theme, as the tree reaches its ull otential. Each o the chords which underlay the sustained C# must be equally as strong, and dramatic. Allow the music to grow, so much so that when we reach the it comes as a great shock to the listener.

5 The ianissimo chord that ollows this too must be a surrise to the listener, who will be execting a strong inal chord at this oint. The inal chord must be strong and majestic without becoming too orceul or brash. In the enultimate bar ensure that the timani igure is strong and directed, leading into the inal bar. Throughout the iece all reerences to the hymn tune Praise God rom whom all Blessings low must be resent or the listener. This hymn tune was icked due to the nature o the lyrics, a simle hymn o raise, and also because o its age; it is one o the oldest hymns known to man, and as such I elt that it has a articularly earthy quality to it. In a similar vein all reerences to the great oak theme must be clear, as this one central theme is the basis or all o the musical variations ound throughout the iece; the earth, the rain and the sun. The great oak theme itsel when resented within one o the sketches thereore must be strong as a reminder o the overall musical journey o the iece. The Great Oak is clearly intended to be a rogrammatic work, and is in essence a condensed tone oem, made u o several symhonic sketches. As such, when being erormed, lease ensure that at least the basic story arc o the iece is shared with erormer and audience alike.

6 Praise God, rom Whom all blessings low; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Great Oak was written or and remiered by the Birmingham Contemorary Music Grou in 2013 as art o Edward Mylechreest s inal year comosition module at the University o Birmingham. In essence, The Great Oak is a condensed tone oem slit into searate symhonic sketches, which seeks to ortray the lie cycle o a great oak tree; rom the mighty arent trees to the tiniest seed in the earth, rom the seedling soaking in the nourishment o the rain, to the young saling basking in the sun. All the way rom the humblest o origins to a great oak tree in itsel, the music aims to relect this incredible journey. All o the material within The Great Oak is derived rom a central 'Oak Theme' which is intertwined throughout the iece with one o the oldest known hymns, 'Praise God rom whom all Blessings low, a itting hymn o raise or these sketches o nature. Instrumentation Flute (Piccolo) Oboe (Cor Anglais) Clarinet in Bb (Bass Clarinet in Bb) Bassoon French Horn in F Trumet in Bb Trombone Timani Har Piano Violin I Violin II Viola Cello Contrabass Score in C Duration 11:20 Edward Mylechreest 2013

7 Flute (Piccolo) Andante Misterioso q = 80 The Great Oak Symhonic Sketches o Nature Edward Mylechreest Oboe (Cor Anglais) Clarinet in Bb (Bass Clarinet) Bassoon Horn in F Trumet in Bb Trombone Timani Har Piano Violin I NMLONMMN Andante Misterioso q = 80 m m Violin II m m Viola m Violoncello Contrabass Mylestone Music MylestoneMusic.com

8 2 Fl. 10 rall. Tt. Tim. H. rall. m m I m m m m m m

9 Fl. Allegro Giocoso h = A semre 3 semre semre solo Tt. Tim. H. A Allegro Giocoso h = 92 semre I semre semre solo

10 4 Fl. 26 B Tt. Tim. H. B I solo

11 Fl. 31 dim. 5 dim. Tt. Tim. H. I

12 6 Fl. 36 m rall. m To C. A. dim. m To B. m solo m Tt. Tim. m H. rall. I dim. dim. m m m

13 7 Fl. 40 dim. Tt. Tim. H. dim. I m

14 8 Fl. 44 C Andante q = 80 Grandioso Tt. Tim. H. C m Andante q = 80 Grandioso I m m m m

15 9 Fl. 50 Breath Only Breath Only Breath Only Breath Only Breath Only Tt. Breath Only Breath Only Tim. H. dim. I dim. dim. dim. dim.

16 10 Fl. Cadenza Jubiloso 58 D Tt. Tim. m H. D accel. Cadenza Jubiloso Freely rall m m m m accel. I

17 Fl. 60 Allegro Misterioso q = Bass Clarinet in Bb solo. solo. Tt. Tim. H. Allegro Misterioso q = 112 I solo.

18 12 Fl. E 66 Flutter Tongue m Cor Anglais 3 B. Tt. mute m cu mute 3 3 straight mute m Tim. H. NNMOLMMM m m E I

19 13 Fl. 72 C. A. B. Tt. subito 3 subito Tim. H. I

20 14 Fl. F 78 Alla Marcia con Fuoco m C. A. B. m m Oen. m Tt. Oen. m Tim. m 3 H. m Alla Marcia con Fuoco F I m m m

21 15 Fl. 84 Pesante G C. A. solo m B. 3 Tt. 3 Straight Mute Tim. H. 6 I m Pesante G m

22 16 Fl. 89 C. A. m B. Tt. m Tim. H. I sim. sim.

23 Fl. C. A B Tt. 3 3 Tim. H. damen I

24 18 Fl. rall. Andante Semlice q = solo. H C. A. B. solo. solo. Tt. Tim. with snare drum sticks 3 H. rall. H Andante Semlice q = 76 I

25 19 Fl. 103 C. A. B. solo. solo. m Tt. solo. Tim. H. I

26 20 Fl. Allegro con Fuoco q. = I J C. A. To B. Tt. m m Clarinet in Bb To solo. Tim. H. I Allegro con Fuoco q. = 76 I J with tim sticks dim. dim. dim. m dim.

27 Fl. 120 molto accel. m 21 C. A. Oboe m m Tt. m Oen. m m Tim. H. m LNMOMLLM m z molto accel. m I m m m m

28 22 Fl. Misterioso q = K L solo. Moderato m solo. m m m solo. Tt. Straight Mute. Tim. H. I Misterioso q = 100 LMLOLMML K L Moderato m izz. solo. arco izz. solo. arco. m

29 Fl. M 138 m m 23 m solo. m m Tt. m Tim. H. I izz. M m solo izz. arco.

30 24 Fl. 145 solo. 3 m Slow trill building in seed Tt. m Tim. 3 H. I arco. m

31 Fl. 151 N Più mosso q = 80 (e =240) To Picc. O 25 solo. m m Tt. Tim. H. m dim. m dim. Più mosso q = 80 (e =240) N O izz. m dim. I izz. m dim. izz. m dim. izz. m dim. izz. m dim.

32 26 Fl. 167 m Tt. Tim. H. m m I m m arco izz

33 27 Picc. P Piccolo 183 m m m m m m Mute m Tt. m Str Mute m Tim. H. m m m m P arco m I arco m arco m arco m izz m

34 28 Picc. 197 m m m m Tt. Tim. H. m m m I m m m m

35 Picc. 211 Q molto accel. To Fl. Flute 29 m m m subito m m m m Tt. m subito m m Tim. m m H. m m molto accel. Q I m m m subito m m arco subito m m

36 30 Fl Tt. Tim. 4 H I

37 Fl. R 232 Grandioso Maestoso q = Tt. Oen. Oen. Oen. m m m Tim. H. m MMNONMMM R Grandioso Maestoso q = 92 I

38 32 Fl. 239 molto rit. Tt. solo. m Tim. H. dim. molto rit. I

39 Fl. Andante Semlice q = S 33 Tt. Majestically 3 Tim. H. Andante Semlice q = 76 S I m m

40 34 Fl. 252 T m m m m Tt. m 3 m m Tim. H m 3 m m m T m m I m m m m izz.

41 Fl. 258 To Picc. rall. 35 Tt. solo. m Tim. m H dim rall. I m arco. m

42 36 Fl. Andante Misterioso q = U Piccolo Tt. Tim. H. Freely m LNLOLNLL I Andante Misterioso q = 60 U solo.

43 Picc. V Moderato Semlice q = Tt. Tim. H. Moderato Semlice q =100 V I

44 38 Picc. 281 molto accel. Tt. Tim. H. m molto accel. I m m

45 Picc. Prestissimo q = W 39 m m subito m Tt. subito m subito m Tim. m H. m m W Prestissimo q = 184 m I m m m m

46 40 Picc. 296 m m solo. Tt. Tim. H. I solo.

47 41 Picc. 302 m m m m m m m m Tt. Tim. H. m m m m m m m I m m m m m m m m

48 42 Picc. 309 X m Jubiloso Brilliante m m Tt. Tim. H. Use right ore-arm across general area Jubiloso Brilliante X semre I semre semre

49 43 Picc. 316 Tt. Tim. H. I

50 44 Picc. 321 Tt. Tim. H. I

51 Picc. Molto Dramatico Andante q = 80 molto rit. rit. 326 Y Z 45 Tt. Tim. H. Molto Dramatico Y molto rit. Andante q = 80 Z rit. damen solo. damen damen I