Mysterious Village

Description

Flute 1, Flute 2, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Clarinet in Bb 3, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Trumpet in Bb 1, Trumpet in Bb 2, Horn in F 1, Horn in F 2, Trombone 1, Trombone 2, Euphonium, Bb Euphonium, Tuba, Percussion, Piano, Chime, Timpani, Gong — Mysterious Village is written for young bands. My goal was to write a piecethat challenges young performers while also appealing to listeners of all ages.The village I envision is pure fantasy and could exist anywhere in the world.It’s a place I’ve never been and reflects a kind of life I’ve never experienced. Perhaps no one lives in this village and it is inhabited only by ghosts. This sense of the unknown is what inspired Mysterious Village.Though listeners will hear sounds that may suggest ancient cultures, I hopethey would also feel emotions that are common to us today. In spite of differing customs, values and beliefs, people everywhere and all through time seem to share the same feelings. So, it is not through the intellect that we connect with people far away and long ago, but through emotions that never change.I’m hoping that this piece evokes a sense of wonder in listeners and a curiosity about those whom we may never meet, but with whom we share a universal human experience. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Colgrass continues to write music on commission specifically for school ensembles. Mysterious Village contains some easy tone clusters and modern compositional techniques in this mystical and subtle addition to the school band repertoire. This wonderful piece has already been recognized for inclusion in the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series of texts.