Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo
2 Trumpet 1
1 Timpani
4 Flutes
2 Trumpet 2
1 Percussion 1
2 Oboes
2 Trumpet 3
1 Percussion 2
2 Bassoons
1 Horn in F 1
1 Percussion 3
1 Contrabassoon
1 Horn in F 2
1 Percussion 4
1 Eb Clarinet
1 Horn in F 3
1 Harp
2 1st Clarinet
1 Horn in F 4
1 Piano
2 2nd Clarinet
1 Trombone 1
2 3rd Clarinet
1 Trombone 2
1 Bass Clarinet
1 Bass Trombone
1 Contrabass Clarinet
2 Euphonium
1 Soprano Saxophone
2 Tuba
1 Alto Saxophone
1 Double Bass
1 Tenor Saxophone 1 Baritone Saxophone
Contact Information: jjaxson.composer@gmail.com
Program Notes Safety, A Fluttered Heart i s a response to the afflictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking the programmatic approach, this piece immediately throws the listener at the beginning of ensuing tragedy for its foreshadowing of what’s to come. Then everything calms down and we are taken back in time, to a time before the general public knew that a pandemic was on the way. Here you will hear the sounds of peace, joy, the sounds of an almost perfect world. Near the end of 2019, the World Health Organization was just informed of a pneumonia of unknown cause, later to be called COVID-19. By the sounds of the sleigh bells we are now near the end of the year, where most people are trying to get their minds off of what is happening overseas. One of those things they do to de-stress is to jam to some groovin' tunes. This section is jazz influenced, meant to distract the audience, making them forget of the virus spreading across Asia. You will soon hear the sounds of an airplane as it travels overhead, crossing the Atlantic and to the U.S. The first few notes of our National Anthem will play in the background, taking on a more ‘worrying’ feel as the plane touches down in the states and the first person unknowingly contracted with the corona virus steps foot onto our soil. The public starts becoming concerned as the first U.S. case hits the news. Cases start rising in numbers, states are issuing “Stay-at-home” orders and safety guidelines. Some Americans follow them, some do not, putting many at risk. The continuous rise of cases and the
disputes that follow build and build into the final climax of the piece that was foreshadowed from the very beginning. After the opening statement is reiterated in a more “divided” sense, we then pay homage to those whom we’ve lost by engaging in a choral-like passage using familiar thematic material. The ending gives us a vision, the possible future of everyone coming together. It also asks a question, how long it will take before we can go back to how things were, or will our lives be ultimately changed for a long time?
Compositional Notes: -If you take the year ‘2019’ and apply those four numbers to the pitch clock, assuming 0 = C, you get: D-C-C#/Db-A. This row will show up in the same order, making it easier to point out when listening. -Infected persons are represented by half-step trills.
Performance Notes: -Letter O: *For clarinets, all interpretations should be rapid and in random order using the pitches provided, no trilling or change in dynamics. If the player needs to breathe then perform the note AND the trill shown in parentheses and crescendo to a strong release, the player should come back in softly and repeat the process every time they need to breathe.