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2019 / 2020
on Southern monuments, myths, and histories
by David Kirkland Garner

about        research        2019 version        2020 version

RHSTO 2019 version

for mezzo-soprano, wind ensemble, wind quintet, archival sound and film

 

Recording from the concert premiere on Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 4pm and performed by the University of South Carolina Wind Ensemble led by Scott Weiss and mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway at the Koger Center in Columbia, SC. 

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Red hot sun turning over

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1. MONUMENT-PRELUDE (Oonossa)

2. PEDESTAL (Monument march)

3. ARIA (Vacant river)

4. INTERLUDE (Down in Alabama)

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5. ARIA (Weeping dreamer)

6. INTERLUDE (Makes a long time man feel bad)

7. PEDESTAL (Battle monument scherzo)

8. MONUMENT (Long winds)

 

9. INTERLUDE (Red hot sun turning over

10. ARIA (Beautiful and sad)

11. MONUMENT (Short winds)

12. PEDESTAL (Woodman, spare that tree)

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13. PEDESTAL (Hail Columbia)

14. MONUMENT (Distress)

15. INTERLUDE (The longest day I ever lived

16. ARIA-POSTLUDE (Lonely chair)

1. MONUMENT-PRELUDE (Oonossa)

​OBJECTS

UNFOLDING

  • the drums, which will become an important theme for the entire work, reference Lumbee and other Native American tribes in the South

  • the melody outlines harmonic motion for the entire work

  • the opening references 16. ARIA-POSTLUDE (Lonely chair)

2. PEDESTAL (Monument march)

​OBJECTS

UNFOLDING

  • each line of counterpoint is split up between 3-4 instruments, each adding different chromatic embellishment, blurring and obscuring the lines

  • the drums play with time and perception with their shifting patterns

3. ARIA (Vacant river)

​OBJECTS

UNFOLDING

  • Lazy and other-worldly bluegrass feel

4. INTERLUDE (Down in Alabama)

​OBJECTS

5. ARIA (Weeping dreamer)

OBJECTS

UNFOLDING

  • Ives' and Copland's versions of At the River are layered on top of one another with the Copland heard in the quiet background layer and the Ives is the intrusive, loud layer which includes the voice  

7. PEDESTAL (Battle monument scherzo)

OBJECTS

UNFOLDING

  • A playful reworking of the Stults waltz with added and dropped beats, strange tangents, cartoonish gestures, and reharmonizations

8. MONUMENT (Long winds)

OBJECTS

UNFOLDING

  • The percussion plays the data on Confederate monuments-- each strike represents one monument or memorial erected or dedicated. Some years have only a couple of dedications while other years had many, for example 1910 had 44 dedications

9. INTERLUDE (Red hot sun turning over)

OBJECTS

10. ARIA (Beautiful and sad)

OBJECTS

11. MONUMENT (Short winds)

OBJECTS

12. PEDESTAL (Woodman, spare that tree)

OBJECTS

13. PEDESTAL (Hail columbia)

OBJECTS

14. MONUMENT (Distress)

OBJECTS

  • Data on confederate monuments erected/dedicated (1861-2018)​

    • the 4 toms play the dedication data​

  • Data on lynchings of African Americans (1882-1968)

  • 32b: Distress, sacred harp (written by Anne Steele)

    • provides the harmonic progression for the loud arpeggiated winds ​

    • in the final section the low brass play a chorale version of the tune

15. INTERLUDE (The longest day I ever lived)

16. ARIA-POSTLUDE (Lonely chair)

OBJECTS

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