Concert Band - Level 4 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.1239680
Composed by David M. Stewart. March. Score and Parts. 92 pages. DMStewart Music #835071. Published by DMStewart Music (A0.1239680).
This piece, The Palatka Port March, is intended to depict a little of the sense of life in the early years of Florida on the St. John’s River. It was once a target for ships venturing out to find the New World. It has been used to ferry barges and livestock. Some simply used it for sailing and transportation throughout the years, and some to catch fish to provide for themselves. The life on this river has been diverse, yet fulfilling over the years and will continue to be so in the future.Â
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 The melodies in this piece were taken from the shape of the St. Johns River from its upper point in Jacksonville, to where our part of the story ends in Palatka. Notice the falling and rising 8th note runs at the beginning, this represents the rise and the fall of the river as it enters Jacksonville from the Atlantic Ocean. The first strain is a linear, yet very regal melody where the heavy beats follow the contour of the river as it runs south. Here you can picture the ships coming from Europe across the ocean and the excitement they felt when they reached it. The second strain is more playful and represents the life that the river has provided for people for centuries. The Trio represents the calmness and civility when Palatka was discovered, and the happiness the settlers must have felt knowing they had found their perfect place to call home. The break strain represents the hard work and efforts that were put forth to secure the land and build a community. There would have been many triumphs and many successes, but the journey would have not been easy. The final strain is the culmination of the piece. This is the celebration and the feeling of personal nobility that all of the settlers felt after taking a river and dirt and building a city.Â
I hope you enjoy, The Palatka Port March!
