Winter Triptych

Winter Triptych was written in the fall of 2018, conceived as a multi-movement piece for grade 1 concert band. In 2023, Erin Holden, band director at Rochester West Middle School, asked me to write a piece that middle school clarinet players could perform in a choir, being considerate of their ranges. This clarinet choir is an arrangement of the concert band piece using the first and third movements. The same melodic phrase is used for all three movements with different historical backdrops. The opening movement is a fanfare/overture that creates an exhilarating opening and finish with different colors (sonorities) of the choir being presented in the middle, make sure the chorale is full and connected. I made sure that the parts were of varying difficulty to accommodate a variety of levels of players. Parts were meant to be doubled to allow maximum players but may also be played with one player if they are a stronger player. The use of two bass clarinet parts provides extra interest and contrapuntal ideas. This instrument should be a prominent sound during the last song, that is why I reduced it to one part. Cutting from seven clarinet parts in the first song to six parts in the last, just move those players onto another part. Let the melody bounce and have life, keeping the eighth notes light, imagining the exhilaration of a horse driven sleigh ride in winter snow. I hope you and your students enjoy this lively work, remembering the fun that nature brings.