Kingfishers Catch Fire (score)

Commissioned by 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). Consortium organized by Mamoru Nakata.

Premiere March 17, 2007, JWECC '07 Special Band, conducted by Ichiro Saito. Kurashiki, Japan.

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.

(John Mackey)