Title: Snapshots
Commission/Dedication: Commissioned by Mark Norman
Premiere: Details unknown
Composer: Barbara York
Publisher: Cimarron Music Press
Year: 2016
Purchasing: https://www.cimarronmusic.com/snapshots
Program notes from the composer:
This project was undertaken on a commission from Mark Norman and with the request that I base the music on poems by his friend, Topeka, Kansas poet, Steve Ridpath, from his book, A Walk through Life. I selected six of the shorter works from the many lovely poems in Steve’s book, thinking that these might provide the opportunity for several short movements of music that could be used either together in sequence, or separately, with or without the poetry being read before (or in one case even possibly during the music), thereby giving as many options and as much variety as possible to both player and listener. My thought was that, if the poetry were to be read along with the music, which is preferable, it could be done by a separate narrator or even by the Tuba player in the absence of the poet himself.
Author assessment:
Snapshots is an unusual work for York as she always used her own text, if text were to be included. Using selections from Steve Ridpath’s book of poetry, A Walk Through Life, York takes us through a 6-movement journey: I. Beyond, II. Autumn, III. Hello, IV. Reflections, V. Sail Away, and VI. The End. Each movement has poetry to be read by the soloist or a narrator. Snapshots lends the artist a collaborative opportunity to work with a colleague that typically isn’t partnered with low brass instruments.
For appropriateness, this piece requires a fair amount of flexibility and musical maturity. I would reserve this for a master’s level student in order to do it justice.
Recordings:
None currently available.
