Score
Piccolo
4 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Bassoons
Contrabassoon
Clarinet in Eb
4 Clarinets in Bb
2 Bass Clarinets in Bb
Contrabass Clarinet in Bb
Soprano Sax
2 Alto Saxes
Tenor Sax
Baritone Sax
4 Trumpets in Bb
4 French Horns
3 Tenor Trombones
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
2 Tubas
Double Bass
Percussion, 6 players:
Player 1 : Waterphone* , Suspended Cymbal
Player 2 : 2 Brake Drums, Suspended Cymbal, Crotales (shared with player 5)
Player 3 : 2 Suspended Steel Plates, Crash Cymbals, Tam-Tam (shared with player 6)
Player 4 : Bass Drum
Player 5 : Snare Drum, Crotales
Player 6 : Tam-Tam, Vibraphone
* A "waterphone" is the original name of the instrument as designed by Richard Waters. The "knock-off" is called an ocean harp, and the ocean harp can be obtained much less expensively, as it is mass produced. Another option is the "Aquasonic," available, as of this writing, on Ebay. Its sound is preferred over the ocean harp.
Commissioned by Josh Thompson, Lake Zurich High School; Jim Kull, St. Charles East High School; Jon Walsh, Conant High School; Ramiro Barrera, James Logan High School; Steve Andre, Grapevine High School; Marc Mueller, Moore High School; Phil Obado, University High School; Bobby Francis, Texas Christian University; and David Papenhagen, Portage Northern High School.
Consortium organized by Josh Thompson
"Turning" was commissioned by a consortium led by my high school friend, Josh Thompson, who is now a high school band director in the Chicago area. The overriding idea when writing the piece was to convey "strong" beauty as well as loss, rather than traditional "pretty" lyricism.
I chose the title "Turning" for this piece because the word can mean any number of things, all of which might be heard in the piece itself. It could refer to the turning of a massive, prehistoric planet, as the first signs of life begin to bubble up from cracks in the ground. It could refer to the turning of leaves in the fall, a beautiful - but melancholy - thing to see. Or, in the piece's darkest moments, the title could refer to the turning of a knife into one's chest.
(John Mackey)
