Crescent Still Abides, A

A tribute to three influential people, A Crescent Still Abides, expresses the sadness of their losses and the hope and joy that each brought to this world. Interspersed are musical references to all three, Princess Diana is remembered with the hymn "I Vow Thee My Country", Mother Teresa with the chant "Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine", and George Solti with a reference to Wagner's Funeral March. A powerful and rich work that transforms from darkness and sadness to a joyous and peaceful conclusion.

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Level: 5 | Duration: 11:20

Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1/2
English Horn (Oboe 2)
Bassoon 1/2
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2
Bb Clarinet 3
Bass Clarinet
Contrabass Clarinet
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
F Horn 3
F Horn 4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Euphonium
Tuba

Piano

Timpani (5 drums)
Percussion 1 (bells)
Percussion 2 (xylophone, large tam-tam, 5 brake drums)
Percussion 3 (vibraphone)
Percussion 4 (marimba, 2 bass drums)
Percussion 5 (crotales, large suspended cymbal, chimes)

Program Notes
Each that we lose takes part of us;
A crescent still abides,
Which like the moon, some turbid night,
Is summoned by the tides.
from Bulletins from Immortality
Emily Dickinson

Between August 31 and September 8, 1997, the world lost three most precious human beings: Princess Diana, Georg Solti and Mother Teresa. A Crescent Still Abides seeks to express both the sadness of this loss and the hope and joy that all three brought into this world. The "adagio theme" of sadness is first heard in the clarinet choir at measure 13 and alternates through a series of episodes and interlude-like sections, all of which add intensity to a type of mourning. Interspersed are references to all three people - Princess Diana with a quote of Holst's beautiful melody from "Jupiter" of The Planets (later to become the hymn, "I vow to Thee My Country" which is sung at Diana's funeral); Georg Solti with a reference to "Siegfried's "Funeral March" from Wagner's Der Ring der Nibelungen, a tribute to Solti's monumental feat of recording the whole "Ring" cycle; and to Mother Teresa with the chant, "Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine" from the opening of the Mass for the Dead of the Catholic Church. All the darkness and sadness turns into rays of hopeful light when the "adagio theme" is transformed in the major mode and flows to a joyous resolve and then recedes to a very peaceful conclusion.

- David R. Gillingham