Concert Band - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1028005 Composed by Becca Schack. Contemporary,Folk,World. Score and parts. 111 pages. Ingenue Music #3140847. Published by Ingenue Music (A0.1028005). Commissioned by The Association for Music in International Schools AMIS. Premiered in Bangkok, Thailand in January 2011, conducted by Dimosthenis Dimitrakoulakos. Program Notes: The image of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, kept reappearing in my mind as the main focus for this piece. According to myth, the islands of Hawaii owe their existence to Pele who ran away from her jealous sister, a sea goddess, to these tiny islands. Her sister sent tidal waves and Pele answered by sending fiery lava into the ocean, making new land as it cooled. The spirit of Pele lives on in the craters of the volcano, watching over the islands, reminding us that fiery eruptions and emotional upheavals are followed by new life and change. Pele, unpredictable and powerful, makes her entrance with a loud bang of brass and percussion, followed by the entire ensemble joining in. As the trumpets trail off, words from the ancient Hawaiian chant E Pele, E Pele are heard moving between each section in contrasting rhythms, as the tuba and low brass unfold the main theme. This chant is performed in Hawaiian culture accompanied by hula kahiko, an ancient style of hula dancing. The vibraphone plays a tranquil melody reminiscent of a Hawaiian wind chime softly blowing in the wind. The congas and rainstick evokes a tribal element. The piece is meant to juxtapose the multi-faceted natures of Pele. Syncopated rhythms in the winds paired with big brass and percussion represent her passion and violent temper. The playful, quiet, lingering sections led by the flute and vibraphone represent her irresistible and enchanting mystery as she creates new land and the living things that inhabit these magnificent islands. Hawaiian Chant: E Pele e Pele ka`uka`ulï ana Ha`ina ka inoa no Pele la ea English Translation: O Pele o Pele, moving along In the name of Pele
