Scott Michal
Songs of the River
Short instrumentation: 3 2 3 2 - 4 3 3 1, timp, perc(3), hp, str
Duration: 8'
Instrumentation details:
1st flute
2nd flute
3rd flute (+picc)
1st oboe
2nd oboe
bass clarinet in Bb
1st clarinet
2nd clarinet
1st bassoon
2nd bassoon
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
1st trumpet in C
2nd trumpet in C
3rd trumpet in C
1st trombone
2nd trombone
3rd trombone
tuba
timpani
percussion (3 players)
harp
violin I (14 players)
violin II (12 players)
viola (10 players)
violoncello (10 players)
double bass (8 players)
Songs of the River
Sample pages
Work introduction
Songs of the River is a Vignette of five scenes of life along the Ohio River in the vein of Percy Granger. The primary motivic material describes the movement of water, which permeates the entire work.
The Delta Queen, built in 1926, is the last of the great stern wheelers that once plied the river until it was withdrawn for refurbishment in 2008. Blennerhasset Island is an island near Parkersburg, WV where Harman Blennerhassett dreamed with Aaron Burr of establishing a private empire from the island. Visitors today can still feel the ghostly presence of their doomed dreams of grandeur. Fowl Play describes the antics of birds playing in the water. On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge near Pt. Pleasant, WV suddenly collapsed, killing 46 people. Shipping on the Ohio River was severely constricted by a series of waterfalls and rapids that could only be traversed at times of high water. starting in 1885, a series of locks and dams were constructed that in addition to making the river navigatable, created great places to fish that are enjoyed by all.