for Large Wind Ensemble
Instrumentation:
- Piccolo
- Flute 1
- Flute 2
- Oboe 1
- Oboe 2 (English Horn)
- Clarinet in Bb 1
- Clarinet in Bb 2
- Clarinet in Bb 3
- Bass Clarinet
- BBb Contrabass Clarinet
- Bassoon 1
- Bassoon 2 (Contrabassoon)
- Alto Sax 1
- Alto Sax 2
- Tenor Sax
- Baritone Sax
- Trumpet in Bb 1
- Trumpet in Bb 2
- Trumpet in Bb 3
- Horn in F 1 & 2
- Horn in F 3 & 4
- Trombone 1
- Trombone 2
- Bass Trombone
- Euphonium
- Tuba
- Timpani (Tam Tam)
- Vibraphone (Xylophone, Tubular Bells)
- Marimba (Crotales, Crash Cymbals)
- Tubular Bells (Crash Cymbals)
- Percussion (Gong, Wind Chimes)
- Harp (opt. but preferred)
Program Notes:
TIMEPIECE for wind ensemble bears the dedication and supertitle – “to my grandpa, Philip Reid Jepson,” this piece is almost entirely inspired by the want to write a piece about something my grandpa absolutely loves –
Watches . . . Clocks . . . etc. . . . Timepieces, if you will.
How interesting you may say, the man loves watches so much you thought you should write a piece about it?
Yes.
For as long as I have been conscious and knowing, my grandpa has always worn a watch, but beyond that, has always just had these timepieces laying around… clocks in various rooms at houses, multiple wrist watches in drawers, watches laying on tables, his beside nightstand having a watch on display that actually rotates when plugged in… very cool, I know. But the biggest timepiece of them all, and the clock that sort of inspired this piece is an over century old mantle clock that he has always had, and I have always loved.
The start of the piece could be seen as the inner mechanisms of a clock working… the lush harmonic backing from the rest of the ensemble acts a pillow for this “ticking” to take place.
Many times throughout the work, there are grand moments of majestic brass that are meant to celebrate time itself. It is hard to fathom time as a construct – and how long we as humans have been on this Earth, and moments like this are meant to reinforce the idea that time is a massive, grand thing to be celebrated and cherished.
Other moments in the piece act as buffers of harmonic interest that showcase time as an almost “hypnotic” thing, when thinking about a clock, and the ticking back and forth, one can easily get lost in the trance-like sound of the ticking, in these moments in the piece, that side of clocks and watches is represented. This also takes me back to late nights in my grandparent’s house, in which there would always be a clock ticking all throughout the night, and somehow it was audible from just about anywhere.
All that being said – this piece really is meant to celebrate time as a construct in an interesting way, using various methods of keeping time as its main inspiration. It would have not been thought about this way without my Grandpa’s love of watches and clocks, and their ever-presence in my life as far as hanging out with him is concerned, and seeing how much value he always placed on a good ol’ watch.
Though I have only just started wearing a watch; an apple watch, so not as cool as one of my grandpa’s, I know that I will always hold this high regard for them and other assorted timepieces, as instilled in me by him.
Score Video/Audio:
Full Set of Score and Parts Available Directly from the Composer.