Thomas Clark – composer / digital artist

Tag: trombone music

  • Sacred Springs

    2020 . . . . trombone or euphonium and piano . . . . duration: 7:50

    Peaceful Spring Lake and the San Marcos River flow from ancient springs emanating up from the Edwards Aquifer in the Texas Hill Country. For centuries, Native American tribes considered these powerful springs a sacred place where they worshiped eternal spirits. In the 20th century, the springs became the centerpiece of a famous recreation resort, Aquarena Springs. Now that the park has been restored to its original natural habitat, it remains a place of beauty and spiritual contemplation.

    The main tune of Sacred Springs is based on a 15th-century English carol, a graceful tune that became the melody for the lyrical modern hymn, “O Love, How Deep.” The melody’s canonic treatment, both in somber chant and spinning ostinato, continues my modern obsession with that ancient musical technique.

    To request performance materials, email the composer, tc24@txstate.edu.

    COMPLETE SCORE

  • Modern Inventions

    2016 . . . 12 contrapuntal etudes . . . 15 minutes

    This set of 12 etudes for two contrapuntal voices was first composed as modern 20th-century style studies for the aural skills workbook ARRAYS. They echo the musical characters of early 20th-century composers Debussy, Bartók, Stravinsky, Hindemith, Varese, Webern, and others of mid-century such as Dallapiccola. Though the “invention” designation recalls Bach’s great Two-Part Inventions, a more direct inspiration was Bartók’s Mikrokosmos, six books of piano etudes.

    Though originally scored in limited treble and bass ranges suitable for singing, the intervallic and rhythmic complexities are more suitable for instrumental studies. Versions of the twelve are available for string orchestra, or for pairs of instruments:

    • viola & cello
    • clarinet & bass clarinet
    • trombone & bass trombone

    The 12 Contrapuncti are graduated in challenge for study, but can also be performed, as one short suite of four, or two or three suites altogether in any order.

    Suite I

    • 1. Strolling – tempo = 48
    • 2. Boldly – tempo = 72
    • 3. Celestial – tempo = 54
    • 4. Proudly – tempo = 78

    Suite II

    • 5. Dancing – tempo = 54
    • 6. Skating – tempo = 126
    • 7. Exploring – tempo = 132
    • 8. Contemplative – tempo = 128

    Suite III

    • 9. Emphatically – tempo = 84
    • 10. Precise – tempo = 66
    • 11. Mysterious – tempo = 72
    • 12. Aggressive – tempo = 84

    Here are all 12 played by strings:

    [order – Suite II, Suite III, Suite I]

    To request study/performance materials, email composer

    Thomas Clark, tc24@txstate.edu