ORCHESTRAL » A Farmer's Symphony
| Instrumentation: | *2 2 2 2/ 4 2 3 1/ timp + 2 perc/ harp/ strings |
| Duration: | 18' |
Programme Notes
I. The Seeds of Spring -- II. Summer Nocturne -- III. The Harvesters
When I was young and growing up on a vegetable farm in Newmarket, Ontario, it always amazed me how one small box of seeds sitting in the corner of my dad's storage shed could fill up the entire barn five fold in the autumn. Just as a farmer begins with a seed, I chose to start my symphony with one single pitch. Consequently the first movement, The Seeds of Spring, begins with one single reiterated pitch, an "A". The gentle sounds of rain and wind are created in the percussion section. After a couple of minutes, the harp begins an acceleration in tempo and the piece takes on a more defined shape. A perpetual motion pattern in the harp and vibraphone provides a subtle harmonic backdrop to a solo clarinet which creates a melody from the first few pitches introduced in the opening. The brass choir builds the movement to its loudest point which encompasses the entire range of the orchestra. The movement ends with a return to the ambience of the opening.
Summer Nocturne is slow and lyrical and was inspired by warm, quiet summer evenings and the sound of the crops rustling in a gentle breeze. The lower strings begin this movement by playing a theme in their dark, lower registers. This theme, derived from the previous movement, undergoes a maturing process through the second movement. Among other instruments featured in the score, the harp has a prominent role.
The final movement, The Harvesters, begins with the sound of a large engine winding up to life. In this movement I attempt to depict machine and man by contrasting mechanical discordant chattering against bold intrepid melodies. Unabating in energy and speed, this movement drives the composition to its conclusion, not much unlike the human stamina required to bring the farming season to a close.
Audio Samples
| Seeds of Spring | |
| Summer Nocturne | |
| The Harvesters |
Premiere
April 16, 1994
EDMONTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Conductor: Michael Lankester
Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Subsequent Performances
| EDMONTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTREA November 18, 19, 2006 Conductor: William Eddins Winspear Centre for Music Edmonton, Alberta Canada |
WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA October 17 - 22, 2006 Conductor: Alexander Mickelthwaite Manitoba tour: Dauphin, Yorkton, Minnedosa, Pinawa, Fraserwood, Steinbach, |
| INTERNATIONAL SYMPHONY April 29, 2006 (The Harvesters only) Conductor: Jerome Summers |
NIAGARA SYMPHONY April 23, 2006 (The Harvesters only) Conductor: Daniel Swift Sean O’Sullivan Theatre St. Catherines, Ontario Canada |
CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA May 26, 2005 Conductor: Rosemary Thomson Jack Singer Concert Hall Calgary, Alberta Canada |
| ORCHESTRA LONDON April 21, 22, 2004 Conductor: Timothy Vernon Centennial Hall London, Ontario Canada |
EDMONTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA April 15, 2004 Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin Winspear Centre Edmonton, Alberta Canada |
VICTORIA SYMPHONY December 2003 Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin Winspear Centre Edmonton, Alberta Canada |
Reviews
"...a beautiful imaginative work. Colourfully, extraordinarily orchestrated, filled with delicate, wispy sounds and a grand all-stops-out ending, it shows Estacio as one of the most talented younger composers on the continent." -John Charles, Edmonton Sun, April 19, 1994
Score/Parts Rental
For more information on score and parts rental for A Farmer's Symphony, contact John Estacio or the Canadian Music Centre.
