WATERCOLORS
by Jim Bonney - for concert band [TBD / Grade 3+]
score examples coming soon!
Echoes of Sun and Ice MP3
Moon Over Twilight Lake MP3
Raindrops Hang from a Spider's Web MP3
Cast Adript on a Stormy Sea MP3
Reflections in a Tidal Pool MP3
Water -- such a simple blessing, but it is absolutely essential to sustaining life. In writing this piece, my hope was that this collection of sketches would remind us how precious the gift of water is to every living thing on our planet. WATERCOLORS is a modular work, and it is up to the director's discretion as to which of these sketches will be selected for performance. For example, a director might choose to only program REFLECTIONS IN A TIDAL POOL as a subdued finale for their concert. They may choose to create a suite from 3 sketches, or they may choose to perform all 5... I leave the choice up to the ensemble's abilities and the director's creativity. Enjoy!
ECHOES OF SUN AND ICE - I used a jagged melodic line with large intervals and open quartal harmony to musically recreate the grandeur of a glacier-topped mountain range -- the big, bombastic brass and percussion probably helps too. My inspiration came from a ski trip in the Canadian Rockies.
MOON OVER TWILIGHT LAKE - The basis of this melody came from an early piece I wrote for bass clarinet, 'cello, and marimba. I've always liked the tune, and I thought it's folk simplicity and melancholy tone would fit well with this collection. This piece always reminds me of a very placid mountain lake near Aspen, Colorado... but the actual Twilight Lake only exists in my imagination.
RAINDROPS HANG FROM A SPIDER'S WEB - When it came time to create this collection, this was the first sketch I started, and the last one I finished. It wasn't that the process took a long time, it was that every iteration just wasn't quite right -- I knew what I wanted to achieve, but it took a while to quiet my mind so that I could hear it. Nature will always reveal it's elegant, intricate, yet simple patterns to anyone who takes the time to notice.
CAST ADRIFT ON A STORMY SEA - My dad is a sailor; so is my uncle, and my grandfather... I suspect you could trace it even further back in my bloodline. When it came to writing a collection of pieces revolving around water themes, there was no question that one of them had to involve a respectful homage to the awesome power of the ocean.
REFLECTIONS IN A TIDAL POOL - I wrote this while I was staying on the beach of a small island in Mexico - every morning I'd write for a few hours before the day's adventures began. Writing this became my oasis of introspection; a meditative moment to listen to the waves on the shore, smell the fresh sea breeze that moved through the diaphanous curtains, and feel the rise and fall of my breath.
A portion of the sales of this piece will be donated to The Color of Water, a coalition of artists dedicated to bringing awareness to water conservation efforts.
WATERCOLORS was commissioned by the Lone Star Middle School Consortium. I would like to thank Asa Burk, Alan Hanna, Bryan Edwards, and Kathy Johnson. Without their keen interest and support, this piece may never have been realized.
[Score and Parts = $250 + shipping & handling]
To order Watercolors, click here