Dance of the Thunderbolts

SKU: CF.FAS43

ISBN 9780825863387. UPC: 798408063382. 8.5 X 11 inches. Key: E minor.

Titled by the students of J. T. Lambert Middle School in East Stroudsburg, PA, which commissioned the original version for band, this brilliant, heavily accented piece emphasizes rhythmic alertness and attention to dynamic contrasts. Bold fanfare writing alternates with lyrical writing of considerable warmth and the spiccato style of playing is introduced.
The title for Dance of the Thunderbolts was suggested by students at J. T. Lambert Middle School in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. This piece was originally commissioned for the sixth-grade band at the school in 2003 and has now been transcribed for string orchestra. The students specifically asked for the piece to be “a strong powerful piece with lots of accents and a strong abrupt ending.” As you can see and hear, the piece contains many of these aspects. After the title was suggested I came up with the thunderbolt dance section of the piece first stated at m. 24. Later during the compositional process I decided to frame this theme with a more lyrical theme, but one that still contains the sparkle of the staccato ostinato that is layered together with the elongated theme. Following the thunderbolt dance at m.24 is a short interlude to soften the sound before a return of the theme in fragments traded between different sections and in different tessituras. The lyrical theme returns and is followed by “a strong abrupt ending” as suggested by the students. As with all of my pieces at this level, the tempo is merely a suggestion and should be adjusted slower or faster to fit the needs of your students and the performance situation.It has been my pleasure to have the opportunity to write this piece. I hope you and your students enjoy it and find it useful for your program.—Larry ClarkLakeland, FL 2007.