Snallygaster!

Description

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Trumpet in Bb 1, Trumpet in Bb 2, Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Bassoon, Bb Euphonium, Tuba, Mallets, Bells, Timpani, Percussion 1, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Gong, Crash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Percussion 2, Triangle, Tambourine, Ratchet, Percussion 3, Flexatone — The Snallygaster folklore creature comes alive in this spooky programmatic work for young band. The first accounts began in the eighteenth century from Frederick County, Maryland of a terrifying monster called a Schneller Geist (German for "quick ghost") with a twenty-foot tail, two huge wings, a metallic sharp beak and claws like steel hooks, snatching children and livestock. Allegedly, seven-pointed stars kept the Snallygaster away and can still be seen painted on local barns. It has been reported that the legend was resurrected in the nineteenth-century to frighten freed slaves.It remained a folktale for many years until 1909 when a Maryland paper, the Middletown Valley Register, began printing accounts of Snallygaster sightings in an effort to increase their sales. The publicity led to rumors that the Smithsonian Institution was offering a reward for its capture and that President Theodore Roosevelt considered postponing an African safari to hunt the creature. There were no more sightings of the mysterious beast until twenty-three years later, when it once again appeared in Frederick County as the offspring from 1909, according to the Middletown Valley Register hoax. More recently, the Snallygaster has appeared in a video game and books. Most notedly, author J. K. Rowling referenced the Snallygaster in her 2017 Fantastic Beasts from her Harry Potter world.PERFORMANCE NOTES:This tongue-in-cheek musical portrayal presents the Snallygaster in an eerie minor mode theme with a variety of metallic percussion, symbolic of its metal beak and claws. The slurred eighth notes in mm. 36-39 represent its flapping wings. Close attention to the dynamics, staccato, and accented notes will help magnify the beast. The screams and cows mooing are designed to create a sense of the creature’s looming terror, intended to get a rise from your audience. Snallygaster! brings to life the spooky creature of American folklore, known for its terrifying features and eerie presence. The piece begins with a dark, minor theme that represents the Snallygaster’s approach, followed by dynamic, metallic percussion that mimics its sharp beak and claws. The music evolves through different stages, depicting the creature’s terrorizing antics, from flapping wings to the ultimate victory of the Snallygaster. The playful yet ominous character of the piece makes for an engaging performance that will thrill audiences.

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