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Poor Man's Symphony
By Bruce Sankey 2020
 
S A T B
 
 
So, you’d like to commission a brand new symphony for your ensemble to premiere, but you’ve missed Haydn and the funds will not stretch as far as Philip Glass. Well – we’re here to help.
 
This suite loosely follows symphonic structure, albeit constrained by practical considerations of length. Guidance on dynamics is minimal, allowing performers leeway in this area but, where offered, are important. For example at the end of Movement 2 the intention is to fade to a whisper.
 
Movement 1 should be played “con spirito” and the staccato notes duly observed to emphasize this mood. Likewise the final movement should be brisk, limited only by the need for adept fingering of the sixteenth notes.
-- Bruce Sankey
 
The links for "Download Score/Parts" and "MP3" include all four movements of Poor Man's Symphony. If you would like to download or listen to only a single movement, you can use the following links.
1st movement, "Giocoso"    Score     MP3
2nd movement, "Andante Affetuoso"    Score    MP3
3rd movement, "Minuet"     Score    MP3
4th movement, "Finale"    Score    MP3
 
This petite “symphony” for SATB is a light-hearted and approachable set of 4 short movements, each with its own character. The music is very melodic with plenty of interplay between the parts. A hint of “19th-century carousel” flavors the first movement “Giocoso”, with the Soprano playing the melody supported by an oom-pah band.  Player are encouraged to impart their expressiveness to the 2nd movement “Andante Affetuoso” where the poignant moments can be made even more so. The 3rd movement, "Minuet," has fluffy musical gimmicks and also the highest notes in the Soprano with some B-flats. As might be expected, the 4th movement, "Finale," has some bombastic 16th-note runs in all parts, but it’s in an easy key for recorders and can be mastered with just a little practice.
-- Glen Shannon
 
 
No. of Recorder Parts:
4
Difficulty:
Moderate
Occasion:
Any
Libraries:
New Music for Recorder
Date Added:
09/30/2020
Style:
Social/Casual, Concert, Neo-Renaissance/Baroque/Classical