Author: Ronald Royer

triofus/morofus

Independent
2008

Mark Payne-Piano; Robert Riseling-Clarinet; David Hayward-Bassoon; Anne Thompson-Flute

Ronald Royer – In Memoriam Fryderyk Chopin for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano (7:08)

Mark Payne-Piano, Robert Riseling-Clarinet, David Hayward-Bassoon

Iin Memoriam Fryderyk Chopin is based upon and inspired by the Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72, No. 1 for piano. In Memoriam serves as a reflection on the life, work and death of Chopin at the age of thirty-nine. After a short piano introduction, a meditative section features a cadenza for clarinet followed by one for bassoon. A more rhythmic and energetic section follows, which is meant to suggest his struggles in life and creativity. After a climactic section ending with a piano solo, a more peaceful section shines through representing the beauty, joy and genius of Chopin’s legacy. Originally written for clarinet, cello and string orchestra in 1999, In Memoriam was rewritten in 2007 for TriofuS. Ronald Royer’s’ friend and colleague, Chris Meyer, created the piano part from the string orchestra parts.

1-3. Divertimento – Paul Carr

4-6. Trio – Madeleine Dring

7-10. Four Panels from My Past – Allen Torok

11. In Memoriam Fryderyk Chopin, for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano – Ronald Royer

12. Trio Breve No. 1 – John Burge

Rhapsody for Violin and Chamber Orchestra

Instrumentation:

Solo vn./1.2(2=ehn).2(2=bcl).2./2.0.0.0./hp./strings

Other Version: Violin and Piano

Date: 2007

Duration: 12:43

The Rhapsody draws inspiration from a variety of European sources, including French Impressionism, German Expressionism, Hungarian folk music, and virtuosic Spanish violin music. Combining all these disparate styles of music, ranging from Ravel and Bartok to Sarasate, allowed me to create a new work based on a traditional and popular form. Composing took place in three comfortable locations, my home in Toronto, my in-laws’ home in the rural Ontario town of Cayuga and my parents’ home in Los Angeles. This also helped in giving me the right ambience and variety of influences for this enjoyable endeavor.

Commissioning

The Rhapsody was commissioned and first performed by the Orchestras Mississauga (John Barnum, music director) with the assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Recorded by Conrad Chow on Cambria Records in 2012.

Mirage (orchestra)

Instrumentation:

2(2=picc).2.2(2=bcl).2./4.2.3.0./timp.1perc./strings

Other Versions: Chamber Orchestra, String Orchestra and Quintet

Date: 2007

Duration: 9:45

Notes:

My intent in this composition is to explore the shifting and illusionary world of the dream state. Mirage begins with a slow meditative introduction representing the act of falling asleep. A solo viola cadenza follows, starting a sequence of musical episodes, each emphasizing different emotions and parts of a dream. As the string orchestra enters, the music takes on a melancholy air with occasional mysterious interludes. In the next section, the music speeds up and takes on a restless and more intense character employing a bluesy and jazz-infused theme. The music moves into a more flowing and serene section before leading into a faster and more agitated section representing the dream taking a more troubled direction. Leading to an unsettling climax, the music abruptly stops leaving silence. The original meditative music returns as the dreamer starts to awake entering that in-between world of wondering if the dream was real or not.

Analysis

Mirage is based on three musical motifs which are continuously evolving and developing, giving the music an unstable yet unified character. The first two motifs are heard in the opening five bars. The third motif is introduced in the first allegro section. The form can be considered a fantasia or fantasy variation.

Motif 1 – ascending perfect 5^th, minor 2^nd, and perfect 5^th (bars 1-3)

Motif 2 – descending minor 2^nd, and major 3^rd, then an ascending major 2^nd (bars 4-5)

Motif 3 – ascending minor 3^rd, major 2^nd, and minor 3^rd (bars 44-45)

Commissioning and First Performance

Mirage was originally composed for orchestra and was commissioned by the Orchestras Mississauga (John Barnum, music director) with the assistance of a Canada Council for the Arts composer residency grant. The re-orchestrated version of Mirage for string orchestra was commissioned by the Orchestras Mississauga and Soundstreams Canada (Lawrence Cherney, artistic director) and again was assisted by the Canada Council for Arts composer residency grant. The first performance of the string orchestra version was on February 19, 2007 at the Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto, featuring the Amici Strings and the University of Toronto Schools String Ensemble conducted by Joaquin Valdepenas.

The Nightingale’s Rhapsody

Cambria Master Recordings
2007

Music for Clarinet and Strings, World Premiere Recordings

“Two compositions, Romance for Clarinet and Strings, and Rhapsody for Clarinet, Percussion and Strings, come from the pen of Ronald Royer. These masterful and witty pieces live up to Royer’s reputation for music that is both entertaining and imaginative.”

Showtimemagazine.ca, Stanley Fefferman

Introduction

This collection of new compositions for clarinet and strings represents an idea that began at the turn of the Millennium in 2000. At that time, I undertook to commission works which would be consonant with the uniquely expressive yet dynamic voice of the clarinet.

The four commissioned composers have each established a distinguished body of music which demonstrates their exceptional lyrical gifts, as well as their respect for music of established compositional techniques. Each of the composers responded to my wish to have a lyrical but dramatically rhapsodic work created especially for this recording project. Some of the commissioning criteria embrace the same traditions as many of the rhapsodic music of earlier masters such as Debussy, Brahms, Bliss, Liszt, Ginastera and Gershwin.

What has emerged has more than fulfilled my expectations, and we now have a new collection of truly brilliant works to add to the already-rich clarinet repertoire. It is my wish that performers and audiences enjoy these beautiful examples of the finest of today’s creative artists, and explore other music from their extensive output. – Jerome Summers

Composer’s Notes:

The Romance for Clarinet, String Orchestra, Piano and Harp was rewritten in the fall of 2004 for clarinetist Jerome Summers based on a previously composed orchestral piece called Cinema, which had been written the previous winter. Cinema was commissioned for a special 40^th anniversary concert to celebrate the foundation of the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Dr. Glenn Mallory’s directorship. I had asked Glenn to describe his dream composition for this project. After some thought, Glenn said he would love a piece featuring a beautiful romantic melody.

Today, one of the fields of musical composition that most highly values sweeping romantic melody is music for film. Having worked in Los Angeles for the motion picture and television industry during the 1980’s, I decided to draw on this experience to compose Cinema. Combining both American and European influences, Cinema and therefore Romance was written in two sections. In this version called Romance, the opening section has a “Magical” atmosphere created by the strings, piano and harp against a more improvisatory and melodic clarinet part ending with a solo clarinet cadenza. In the second section, the main romantic melody is first heard in the clarinet. This section also includes a darker “film noir” melody featuring a solo violin and cello with the clarinet. Romance ends as it began, quietly and calmly.

Romance was first performed by clarinetist Jerome Summers and the Toronto Sinfonietta conducted by Ronald Royer at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on January 23, 2005.

The Rhapsody for Clarinet and String Orchestra was created to showcase various musical and technical features of a solo clarinet while being supported by a string orchestra and percussion. I chose the form of a rhapsody because I felt it would give me the ability to show off the clarinet’s flexibility while also allowing me to have some fun composing a piece with a variety of musical styles and moods.

In the 19th-century, the rhapsody became a highly emotional and free musical form with large changes of moods connected to Hungarian or gypsy violin playing. The height of this trend can be found in the 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies of Liszt (1846-85). In the 20th-century, Bartok, Enescu and Ravel are some notable examples of European composers writing rhapsodies in this same trend. As well, it is important to note that Debussy wrote the wonderful Premiere Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano for the Paris Conservatoire in 1910 to feature the player’s technical ability for its end-of -year wind instrument examinations. In my Rhapsody, I have tried to pay tribute to this excellent collection of rhapsodies while also adding some other musical influences, including some rhapsodies by the Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera.

In three continuous sections, the Rhapsody starts with a slow mysterious mood that introduces the main musical motives and melodies of the composition. Next, the tempo increases while the music becomes more tender and flowing, ending with solo clarinet cadenzas. The final section is a fast paced virtuoso rondo including Hungarian, Latin American and various other musical elements to complete the clarinetist’s musical workout. The Rhapsody was commissioned and first performed by clarinetist Jerome Summers accompanied by conductor Stephane LaForest and Orchestra London (Ontario, Canada) on November 2, 2005.

Notes From the Recording Sessions

I was very pleased when Jerry Summers asked me to join the sessions as a project liaison. Having been a part of many recordings as both a professional cellist and a composer, I always enjoy the excitement of preserving a musical performance. Arriving at the Ottawa church where the recordings sessions would take place, I was struck by the enthusiasm, passion and dedication of all the people working on this project. There had been some last minute challenges to test the organizing team. Jerry’s clarinet was accidentally damaged during the previous day’s rehearsal, so emergency repairs by the local clarinet expert were quickly arranged. One of the viola players was forced by an emergency to withdraw from the recording sessions requiring a last minute substitution. The piano player came down with a nasty flu but decided she would still try to play. Then on the first day of recording, a very noisy hydro truck was deployed just outside the church, but the workers graciously responded to our plea for quiet! These were only a few of the situations in play leading up to and starting the sessions.

Simon Streatfield, the conductor and a veteran of many recordings, led the musicians with a cheerful demeanor and expertise that was an inspiration. Keith Horner, the recording producer with years of experience at the CBC, kept the recording process on track giving directions and feedback with his rich and elegant voice. A wonderful example of the players’ commitment to this project came from the principal percussionist, Andre Morin. Before the sessions began, he realized the part scored for a low tom-tom in my Rhapsody presented recording challenges so he built a special drum just for this recording. He didn’t ask for any additional money for all his work and he was right, this new drum did record beautifully. All the players were amazing and illness didn’t stop the pianist from delivering an excellent performance. Our clarinet soloist played all day with amazing musicality and verve, never showing signs of fatigue.

When the sessions were finished, the orchestra gave Jerry a round of enthusiastic applause, congratulating him for his outstanding playing and for organizing this very special Canadian project. As a composer and a musician, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed being a part of these sessions.

Jerome Summers-Clarinet, Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, Simon Streatfeild- Conductor

1-2. Ronald Royer – Romance for Clarinet, String Orchestra, Piano and Harp (9:10)

3-6. Oliver Whitehead – Pissarro Landscapes for Clarinet, Piano and Strings (21:28)

7-10. Michael Conway Baker – Concerto for Clarinet, Piano, Percussion and Strings (16:21)

11-12. Dale Reubart – Arioso for Clarinet and String Orchestra (11:25)

13-14. Ronald Royer – Rhapsody for Clarinet, Percussion and String Orchestra (10:52)

The Storyteller’s Bag

“Thoroughly original…thoroughly engaging…wonderful mix of new music and stories for young audiences…my screen-addicted five-year-olds listened with rapture the first time I put on The Storyteller’s Bag and begged for it again the next day.”

– City Parent magazine, 2006

Sinfonia Concertante for Piano Trio and Orchestra

Instrumentation:

Solo vn.vc.pn./2(2=picc).2.2(2=bcl).2./2.2.2.0./timp.1perc./strings

Other Version: 2^nd movt., Fantasia for Piano Trio (2007)

Date: 2006, revised 2010

Duration: 24:40

Introduzione – 6:30
Fantasia – 10:00
Rondo – 8:10

Notes:

My starting point for composing the Sinfonia Concertante was to acknowledge the anniversary of the births of two great composers, Mozart and Shostakovitch, in 2006. I decided I would play with the differences between the elegant and refined music of the 18^th century Mozart and the more emotional and intense music of the 20^th century Shostakovitch. As I developed my composition, I decided not to quote or imitate the music of Mozart and Shostakovitch but to emphasize the idea of contrast. Using melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, textual and instrumental as well as emotional and stylistic differences, I would explore this idea of contrast.

The first movement, Introduzione, has a strong Latin American element (especially from Argentina) with aggressive rhythms. The movement starts with an orchestral introduction featuring the compound rhythm of a 3/4 bar followed by a 5/8 bar building into a dramatic solo cadenza for the three soloists. The contrasting second section is in a playful and simpler 6/8 time while the more intense third section includes elements of the Spanish fandango.

The second movement, Fantasia, starts with the pianist plucking and strumming inside the piano creating a mysterious and atmospheric mood which is then continued by the orchestra. The following neo-romantic section features the solo cello and violin in an expressive melodic passage while the piano plays a more ornamental and supporting role. The music progresses to a playful scherzo section based on an Icelandic rhythm. When I started working on the Sinfonia Concertante last spring (2006), I heard a lecture by the Icelandic composer, Tryggvi Baldvinsson and discovered that Icelandic folk melody commonly uses the complex rhythmic pattern of 4 plus 3 plus 4 plus 2. I was intrigued and went home and composed the melody which ended up in the Fantasia. The movement ends with an atmospheric and dramatic cadenza for the three soloists ending with the solo cello imitating a seagull call.

The third movement, Rondo, begins with music influenced by 20^th century French styles (including Ravel), and features both graceful and virtuosic playing from the soloists. The contrasting middle section starts with a mysterious mood with Latin American elements building towards a dramatic piano climax with cascades of notes showing a jazzy influence. The Rondo ends as it began, gracefully.

Commissioning

Sinfonia Concertante for Piano Trio and Orchestra was commissioned by the Gryphon Trio and Orchestras Mississauga, supported by a Canada Council for the Arts Composer Residency Grant. The first performance was on November 25, 2006, at the Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, with the Gryphon Trio, the Mississauga Symphony, and conductor John Barnum.

Water and Light

Instrumentation:

2(2=picc).2.2(2=bcl).2./4.3.3.1./timp.2perc.pn./strings

Date: 2007
Duration: 16:00

Mist and Rainbows – 6:20
Moonlight – 4:20
Dawn – 5:20

Notes:

Water and Light, Fireworks at the Falls seeks to explore the interaction between the water and light of Niagara Falls at different times during a summer day and night using orchestral music and fireworks in harmony (though this music can be performed without fireworks). The music and the fireworks seek to represent this interaction using specific programmatic (more closely descriptive) elements as well as more abstract (poetic) forms of expression. My intent was to create a framework in which music and visuals converge into a “form” or new “whole” that, as in opera and ballet, is more than the mere juxtaposition of art forms.

Water and Light consists of three continuous parts starting in the afternoon with Mist and Rainbows, celebrating the ever present mist above the Falls and its famous rainbows viewed from a distance. The second part, Moonlight, starts mysteriously as the spectator enjoys the calm of Victoria Park away from the Falls at night. As the spectator comes into the sight of the Falls, the music and fireworks grow in intensity as the power of the Falls at night illuminated by the moon becomes apparent. Once again, the spectator leaves for more calm. The third part, Dawn, starts very quietly and grows in intensity as the sun rises above the beautiful sight of the Falls. As day breaks, the musical material from the first movement returns before going into the final coda section celebrating the majesty of the Falls during a bright summer day.

Go to Articles and Interviews in the main menu for an article about Water and Light.

Commissioning and First Performances

Water and Light, Fireworks at the Falls was commissioned by the Niagara Symphony with the Assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts. The world premiere performance took place on the evening of July 1, 2006 at Victoria Park, Niagara Falls with fireworks to celebrate Canada Day. Water and Light was also performed in the afternoon of July 1 without fireworks at St. Catharines Market Square.

Acknowledgements

The composer would like to acknowledge and thank the following individuals:

Daniel Swift, music director and conductor of the Niagara Symphony, who instigated this project and worked diligently to make it a reality. As well, his enthusiasm, support and encouragement were a source of inspiration for the composer.

Sarah Wood, Niagara Parks Commission Event and Public Relations Manager, for helping to develop this project.

David Whysall, of David Whysall International Fireworks, for supporting this project and working with the composer in developing the artistic plan for Water and Light.

Chris Meyer, fellow composer, pianist and friend, who helped with the development of the piano part.

A Festive Overture

Instrumentation:

2(2=picc).2(2=ehn).2.2./2.2.0.0./timp.1perc./strings

(alternate part combining timpani and percussion for 1 player)

Other Versions: Orchestra and Septet

Date : 2005

Duration: 7:10

Notes:

Festive Overture is based on, and inspired by, a short overture that I wrote for a young people’s theatre project called A Storyteller’s Bag. Based on three Ojibway stories, this project was developed by Peggy Hills McGuire, music director of The Chamber Music Society of Mississauga (and principal second violinist of the Mississauga Symphony). Besides the overture, I wrote the music to the story called The Star Lily.

After I was commissioned to compose a symphonic overture for the Mississauga Symphony, I had the idea of lengthening The Storyteller’s Bag Overture from three to seven minutes and expanding the instrumentation from seven musicians (clarinet, string quintet and percussion) to a full orchestra. After discussing this idea with the music director of the Mississauga Symphony, John Barnum, I began the process of transforming The Storyteller’s Bag Overture into what would become the Festive Overture. This resulting Overture changed a simple three-part ternary form into a more developed and complex sonata allegro form, allowing for several variations of the introductory material and the first or main theme (heard first by unison strings). The second theme (first heard by the solo clarinet) also received a second and varied appearance. Since the original idea of both overtures was to capture some of the joyful enthusiasm and wonder of youth, I was very pleased when the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra asked to co-sponsor the commissioning of the Festive Overture.

Commissioning and First Performances:

Festive Overture was co-commissioned by the Mississauga Symphonic Association and the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The Mississauga Symphony, John Barnum music director and conductor, gave their premiere on March 27, 2004 at the Hammerston Hall, Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, Ontario. The Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Glenn Mallory music director and conductor, gave their premiere on May 22, 2004, at the Great Hall, Hamilton Place, Hamilton, Ontario. This was part of a special 40^th Anniversary Concert celebrating the foundation of the orchestra and Glenn Mallory’s directorship. The Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra received funding for the commission as part of an Ontario Trillium Grant project.

Travels with Mozart

Instrumentation:

2(2=picc).2(2=ehn).2.2./2.2.0.0./timp.1perc./strings

(alternate part combining timpani and percussion for 1 player)

The Tarantella (Finale) can be performed as a separate concert piece.

Other Version: Wind Ensemble (14 players)

Date: 2005

Duration: 15:36

Theme “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen”
Variation I, London- Symphony no.1
Variation II, Munich- Minuet
Variation III, Mannheim- The Mannheim Orchestra
Variation IV, Rome- Allegri’s Miserere
Variation V, Prague- Furiant
Variation VI, Vienna- TheTurkish Influence
Variation VII, Paris- Gavotte
Finale, Naples- Tarantella

Notes:

Travels with Mozart: Variations on a Theme from “The Magic Flute” seeks to explore the ways in which exposure to a variety of cultures can positively affect an artist and his music. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is an excellent example of a composer who came in to contact with diverse cultural influences in the second half of the eighteenth century. Leopold Mozart knew that raising his prodigiously gifted son in provincial Salzburg would limit his musical development (and future employment). Leopold introduced his son Wolfgang to a lifestyle of travel which would see Wolfgang tour nine countries and visit over two hundred European cities. Wolfgang spent one third of his lifetime traveling, experiencing a great variety of cultures, music and musicians. Mozart was also eager to learn about and be influenced by cultures outside of Europe. The Turkish influence on Mozart’s music is well known through such compositions as the opera The Abduction from the Seraglio, the Piano Sonata in A Major, K330, (with the famous Rondo alla Turca) and the Violin Concerto #5. Beda Hubner, librarian at St. Peter’s in Salzburg wrote in his diary on November 29, 1765:

There is a strong rumour that the Mozart family will again not long remain here, but will soon visit the whole of Scandinavia and the whole of Russia, and perhaps even travel to China, which would be a far greater journey and bigger undertaking still….

Obviously, the Mozart family did not have this experience, but it is interesting to consider that they apparently thought about making these trips.

Like Mozart, Royer has been profoundly influenced by exposure to a diversity of cultures, music and musicians through travel, recordings and living in multicultural cities such as Toronto and Los Angeles. In Travels with Mozart: Variations on a Theme from “The Magic Flute”, Royer references and pays tribute to a variety of cultural influences from North and South America to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Each variation is titled after a city in which Mozart spent a fair amount of time and is based on a musical element or idea that was present in that city during Mozart’s time.

Variation No. 1 – London: Mozart’s Symphony No. 1

Mozart wrote his first symphony in London at age 8 or 9 influenced by J.C. Bach and C.F. Abel.

Variation No. 2 – Munich: Minuet

Mozart wrote numerous minuets during his life and composed some excellent examples of this genre in Munich.

Variation No. 3 – Mannheim: The Mannheim Orchestra

The Mannheim orchestra was famous for its technical expertise including dramatic dynamic changes and the crescendo. The orchestra was also one of the first groups to include clarinets and overall, greatly influenced Mozart.

Variation No. 4 – Rome: Allegri’s Miserere

Allegri’s Miserere was only allowed to be performed in the Sistine Chapel. Mozart heard this music and remarkably, was able to write down the music from memory.

Variation No. 5 – Prague: Furiant

The Furiant is a common Czech dance that emerged as a form late in Mozart’s life. The minuet from Mozart’s symphony no. 40 uses rhythms similar to ones found in a Furiant.

Since the rhythm of a Furiant is similar to some common Latin American rhythms, Royer added other Latin American elements including the use of conga drums.

Variation No. 6 – Vienna: The Turkish Influence

Turkish military music was popular in Vienna (and other European cities) and was a well known influence in Mozart’s music. Royer wrote this variation in the style of Turkish classical music of the Ottoman era.

Variation No. 7 – Paris: Gavotte

The Gavotte was a popular French dance. Mozart wrote a couple of Gavottes including one for a Paris performance. Royer combined the Gavotte with elements of Gamelan music from Bali.

Finale – Naples: Tarantella

A popular Neapolitan dance named after the tarantula spider, its origin predates Mozart’s time. Included in this variation is a quote from Beethoven’s Variations for cello and piano based on the same Mozart theme as Royer’s composition. Mozart met Beethoven as a young man and was impressed by him.

The Commissioning of Travels with Mozart

For the 250th anniversary of the birth of Mozart in 2006, Canadian composer Ronald Royer was commissioned to compose by a group of five orchestras, with performances in three countries, Travels with Mozart: Variations on a Theme from the Magic Flute for chamber orchestra. The five orchestras were: Jyvaskyla Sinfonia (Finland), Patrick Gallois, conductor; Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (Canada), Michael Newnham, conductor; Scarborough Philharmonic (Canada), John Barnum, conductor; International Symphony Orchestra of Sarnia/Port Huron (Canada/U.S.A.), Jerome Summers, conductor; and Toronto Sinfonietta (Canada), Matthew Jaskiewicz, conductor. Sinfonia Mississauga (Canada), John Barnum conductor, also supported and performed Travels with Mozart.

In 2004, the Jyvaskyla Sinfonia co-commissioned (with Orchestras Mississauga) Ronald Royer to compose Dances with Time, which was the first time a Canadian composer’s music was performed by this excellent professional chamber orchestra. Due to the success of this event, music director Patrick Gallois and the Jyvaskyla Sinfonia commissioned Mr. Royer to compose a new work to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth. In Canada, the Peterborough Symphony and conductor Michael Newnham took the lead in developing this project, inviting other orchestras to take part in commissioning and performing this new work. The International Symphony gave the United States premiere.

This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Laidlaw Foundation (based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

In 2016, Ronald Royer arranged Travels with Mozart for a 14 player wind ensemble for the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra’s Canadian Panorama concert and recording.

The Bobsled

Instrumentation:

3(3=picc).2.2.bcl.2./4.3.3.1./timp.3perc.hp./strings

Date: 2005

Duration: 7:00

Notes:

“The Bobsled” is in three continuous parts: 1) Preparation; 2) The Race; 3) Victory.

The music is based on the following description of a bobsled race:

1) Preparation: The driver of the Canadian Olympic Team starts his preparation for the race two hours before the start by walking the course for an hour and then warming up with the rest of the crew. He is eagerly awaiting the race and is in high spirits. Ten minutes before the race, he mentally visualizes the race; he has memorized every detail of the race course. When the four man team is in place for their turn, a green light goes on and they have sixty seconds to start. They take off their warm-up clothes and put their bobsled in the starting position. With one forward push and a pull back of the bobsled, they start the race.

2) Race: The four men push-start the bobsled as quickly as possible and jump in. There is a very fast acceleration as the bobsled will reach a speed close to 145 km in less than 30 seconds. The driver is in front and has to expertly guide the bobsled by using ropes connected to polished steel runners. The driver struggles with the violently shaking bobsled to keep it on the perfect racing line for straight ways and turns. At times, the driver is totally focused on guiding the bobsled and tunes out the noise of the ride. The bobsled hits a hole in the ice in one of the curves and the driver fights to maintain control. After succeeding in this fight, the driver again is in tune with the bobsled with the finish line quickly approaching. Passing the finish, the brakeman engages a metal claw which digs into the ice to quickly stop the bobsled.

3) Victory: The four man team jumps out of the bobsled, celebrating the victory of qualifying for an Olympic race. There is discussion of how to improve, but they also enjoy the thrill of a successful bobsled run.

Musically, “The Bobsled” uses two main themes throughout the composition. The first theme, representing the thrill of bobsledding and the desire to do it well, is heard during the beginning of the piece. The second theme is first heard when the music slows and two solo clarinets are featured. This theme represents the intense concentration and the love of the sport needed to successfully drive a bobsled. For the race, an unusual orchestral instrument is used—the “ocean drum” which sounds similar to a bobsled running on ice. When the bobsled hits the hole in the ice, the first theme is inverted to represent the challenge at hand. Throughout the race, the two themes are surrounded by downward pushing musical materials for obvious reasons.

The composer would like to acknowledge and thank Greg Haydenluck, driver of both two and four man bobsled races for the Canadian Olympic Bobsled Team (from 1984 to 1992), for his help and advice on bobsledding.

Commissioning and First Performance

“The Bobsled” was commissioned by and is dedicated to John Barnum and the Mississauga Symphony and was made possible as part of a Canada Council for the Arts composer residency grant.

First performance: December 17, 2005, Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, Mississauga Symphony, John Barnum conductor.