The Mountain for 2 Clarinets in B-Flat

JB 184

The Mountain | Jenni Brandon B-Flat Clarinet (Duo)

For Two Clarinets in B-Flat

Music by Jenni Brandon

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The Mountain for two clarinets in B-flat is inspired by the poem “My Help is in the Mountain” by Nancy Wood (1936-2013).

This work describes going to the mountain to find healing, to draw inspiration from the rocks and streams, and to become one with all of the land, finding strength from nature and from within. Throughout this piece for 2 clarinets there is a sense of beauty and awe of the power of nature – from the joy of finding oneself in nature, to the flowing waters passing by the trees. The work creates a sense of the majesty of a mountain and forest, but also how nature can heal the soul. There are moments of joy and hope, moments of reflection, playfulness, and solitude.

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This work was commissioned by the La HERmandad Duo – Carrie RavenStem and Adria Sutherland and premiered during Clarinetfest© 2022 in Reno, Nevada.

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My Help is in the Mountain Poem by Nancy C. Wood My help is in the mountain Where I take myself to heal The earthly wounds That people give to me.

I find a rock with sun on it And a stream where the water runs gentle And the trees which one by one give me company.

So must I stay for a long time Until I have grown from the rock And the stream is running through me And I cannot tell myself from one tall tree.

Then I know that nothing touches me Nor makes me run away.

My help is in the mountain That I take away with me.

Jenni Brandon is a composer and conductor, creating music in collaboration with other musicians and artists. She has written over 70 works, telling stories through memorable musical lines influenced by nature and poetry.

Commissioned to write music from solo to orchestral works, her music appears on over 21 albums. Her music has been awarded the Sorel Medallion, American Prize, Paderewski Cycle, Women Composers Festival of Hartford International Competition, and Bassoon Chamber Music Composition Competition among others.

Her works are published and distributed by Boosey & Hawkes, Santa Barbara Music, Graphite, TrevCo, Imagine, J.W. Pepper, June Emerson, and her own publishing company Jenni Brandon Music. As a conductor she conducted her one-act opera 3 PADEREWSKIS in the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center. She also presents workshops on collaboration and the business of music, striving to create a supportive environment where collaboration leads to an exploration of ideas. Visit jennibrandon.com to learn more.

Original poem © 1972 Nancy C. Wood, from Hollering Sun, courtesy of the Nancy Wood Literary Trust. For more poems by Nancy Wood please visit www.NancyWood.com.

www.jennibrandon.com

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