TITLE: The Continental Harp and Band Report (1968)

COMPOSER: Eric Stokes (1930-1981)

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Eric Stokes was born in Haddon Heights, New Jersey on July 13, 1930. He sang in his church and high school choirs. He earned a degree from Lawrence College. He received a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory. Stokes considers himself as an outdoorsman. Nature has always had a significant influence on him. He claims that the "unscheduled spectacular multi-media performances of summer thunderstorms over New Jersey taught him so much about style and idea." The written word is important to Stokes. The score of the The Continental Harp and Band Report is headed with the following excerpt written by Hart Crane.

"O harp and alter, of the fury fused. (How could mere toil align thy choiring strings)"

"This a book of nine compositions for winds, brass, keyboard and percussion. 'Continental' refers to the early American prototypes, 'Harp' is both sacred and profane, and the 'Band Report' is addressed to the people."

The score is punctuated with poetry and philosophy; the musicans beat upon their instruments and hold them aloft; there is even a moment of pantomime. The result is a musical report that "harps" on various aspects of Americana. The work was commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra to commemorate the first season in their new concert hall in Minneapolis. It was premiered on March 5, 1975.

MOVEMENTS: Nine

1. Brooklyn Bridge 3' 19"
2. Cindy 2' 13"
3. No Deposit-No Return 2' 35"
4. Toccata: Captain John Smith, His Tucket 3' 23"
5. Watergate Galop 1' 45"
6. A Shopping Center Xmas Eve 4' 01"
7. Revolution, American Birth-Wright A Bicentennial Meditation 3' 57"
8. Off Paumanok: The Jacob's Ladders 4' 25"
9. The Triumph of Time 16' 07"

PERFORMANCE TIME: 42' 05"

INSTRUMENTATION: 38 Instruments

• 2 Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 1 Alto Flute, 3 Oboes, 1 English Horn, 3 Clarinets, 1 Bass Clarinet, 3 Bassoons, 1 Contra Bassoon, 1 Soprano Sax, 1 Tenor Sax, 4 Horns, 4 Trumpets, 4 Trombones, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 3 Percussion, 1 Harp, 2 Pianos.

EDITIONS: Available for Purchase via Composer

• Eric Stokes, Horsphal Music Concern, 161 W. 32nd St., Minneapolis, MN 55408

COMPOSITION SKETCH AND MUSICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The following section may be performed in any order except for the last section, "The Triumph of Time", must be performed last.

Brooklyn Bridge

• Inspired by Hart Crane's poem of the same name, the first section features intricate accoustical experiements that paint the famous bridge in an eerie half-light.

Cindy

• The rollicking section, based on the southern folk melody, is reminiscent of the style of Charles Ives and contains a charming contrapuntal section. Flirty and ingenious, its rhythms and harmonies work together in a unique way.

No Deposit-No Return

• This jamboree of rhythms and meters is adapted from Stokes' first opera, Horspfal,produced by the Minnesota Opera Company in 1969. This section divides the ensemble into four groups, each with its own meter and tempo. Stokes said, "Those who may find this order of counterpoint too boisterous and contentious should pass it by, but what would football be without its scrimmage?" An old washboard and spoon are required in this movement.

Toccata: Captain John Smith, His Tucket

• The Italian work "toccare" means "to touch". This section provides a literal translation since all of the instruments are "played" by touching. Tucket is a 16th century term for the Italian toccata. Captain John Smith's adventures in Virginia left an Elizabethan mark on that colony. The music of this section has that flavor.

Watergate Galop

• The galop, Stokes recalls, "was a rapid dance executed with many changes of steps and with hopping movements." And when The Star Spangled Banner is painfully distorted at the end of the section, the listener cannot be sure what is "operational" any longer.

A Shopping Center Xmas Eve

• The introduction of a mime playing a frustrated salesclerk, according to Stokes, "takes a small step in music's progress toward a state of theater." Stokes' experiments in sound are a tour de force in this section, which ends like the sound of a broken record.

Revolution, American Birth-Wright A Bicentennial Meditation

• An organ introducs this section, but is abruptly interupted by the bass drum. Snatches of Americana erupt suddenly in this troubled movement.

Off Paumanok: The Jacob's Ladders

• The incredible sonorities of this section seem to create rungs of sound, particularly with its unsual combination of instruments.

The Triumph of Time

• This section is majestic and triumphant sounding, inspired by an engraving of the same title by Peter Breugel. It is an antiphonal tone poem of imposing proportions. Stokes requests that this movement must always be performed last.

Note by Marshall Portnoy

SELECTED RECORDINGS:

RELATED WEBSITES:

Other Works of Stokes - http://:www.allmusic.com