Chamber Orchestra - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.869356

Composed by Thomas Oboe Lee. 20th Century,Baroque,Classical,Contemporary,Romantic Period. Score and parts. 113 pages. Thomas Oboe Lee #15879. Published by Thomas Oboe Lee (A0.869356).

Instrumentation: 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 English horn, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, timpani and strings.

Program note:
In the year 2010, my wife Kristin Beckwith and I went to Paris twice, the first time in May and the second time in December right after Christmas. The weather was magnificent in May. Our friends Seph and Roger met us there. Being long-time veterans of Paris, they took us all over the city: Le Marais, the Left Bank, Montmartre, Sacré Coeur, Père LaChaise cemetery, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin des Tuileries, Notre Dame cathedral, Eiffel Tower, the flea market at Porte de Clignancourt, the canal at Saint Martin, etc. Since the weather was so great we basically stayed outside the entire two weeks. My wife Kris said that we had to return next again to Paris to go inside the museums. So we did. The weather in Paris after Christmas was very damp and chilly. So we did indoor activities: Le Louvre, Musée D’Orsay, Palais Garnier, etc. We even attended a beautiful performance of Swan Lake by the Paris Opera Ballet at L’Opéra Bastille.

I should also mention that on both occasions I met up with a former student of mine from Berklee, Joe Makholm. He makes a living in Paris playing jazz piano. Joe got us a gig at the Swan Bar in Montparnasse. On the first occasion we did it as a trio with a French bass player. I played flute. On the second occasion, we did it as a duo. Playing jazz in Paris? You can’t beat that!!!

Early this year, Steven Lipsitt and I had a chat about my writing a new work for the Boston Classical Orchestra. My last work for the BCO was a piano concerto with Robert Levin as soloist. I told Steven that this time I wanted to write a symphony. He said, Sure. Go ahead. I told him it would be about Paris. He said he would put Mozart’s Paris Symphony on the same program. I said, Fabulous!

Symphony No. 8 … City of Light (2011) is in five movements.

1. La Seine Presto, Moderato
2. Basilique du Sacré-Coeur Largo
3. Palais Garnier Allegro, Trio
4. Avenue des Champs-Élysées Allegro
5. Musée du Louvre Largo, Moderato

This work is dedicated to my wife and muse, Kristin Beckwith.

Audio Link: https://thomasoboelee.bandcamp.com/album/symphony-no-8-city-of-light-2011

Video link: https://youtu.be/-Yn76vWg7jE

Chamber Orchestra - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1342596

Composed by Traditional Irish Folk Tune. Arranged by Robert Myers. Celtic,Irish,Sacred,Traditional. 60 pages. WheatMyer Music #928096. Published by WheatMyer Music (A0.1342596).

From hymnary.org: 

SLANE is an old Irish folk tune associated with the ballad With My Love on the Road in Patrick W. Joyce's Old Irish Folk Music and Songs (1909). It became a hymn tune when it was arranged by David Evans (PHH 285) and set to the Irish hymn Be Thou My Vision published in the Church Hymnary (1927). SLANE is named for a hill in County Meath, Ireland, where St. Patrick's lighting of an Easter fire–an act of defiance against the pagan king Loegaire (fifth century)–led to his unlimited freedom to preach the gospel in Ireland.

This setting of SLANE takes a variations approach to the tune with three recognizable but distinct interpretations. The first is an intimate and contemplative interpretation, followed by a jig, which is fitting for the tune's Irish background, and the third is a majestic chorale. Snippets of Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (CWM RHONDDA) appear during interludes.

This arrangement was written for a smaller ensemble, recognizing that few church orchestras have a symphonic size string section. It features alto flute and solo violin carrying the melody or providing colorful counterpoint.  Other than these featured players other instruments are hardly asked to carry an independent line. Doubling is prevalent allowing for a lot of flexibility in instrumentation and coverage of missing parts or the director may specify strategic tacets to present additional color and texture. Optional doubling parts are provided for alto (dbls. alto flt.) and tenor saxophone (dbls. Cl. 3).