Duration: ca. 7′
Instrumentation: clarinet choir
Score
Commissioned by Useon Bryan Choi for the UIUC Clairnet Choir
During my time at the University of Illinois, I worked at Walgreens on the northwest corner of Neil and Kirby in Champaign, IL. This was a busy intersection, situated at the entrance to the university campus, so I gave the title Northwest corner to this clarinet choir piece full of driving rhythms, sometimes jagged and halting, and sometimes running as smoothly as designed.
The clarinet choir as an ensemble is one of particular interest to me, in no small part due to my studies at the University of Florida under Mitchell Estrin. The many members of the clarinet family, large and small, together form a wonderful sound, powerful and full as an organ, allowing for convincing transcriptions of orchestral works (such as those made in the mid-century for the historic UIUC choir under Harvey Hermann) as well as original pieces written with the clarinets in mind.
PERFORMANCE HISTORY
April 26, 2014 – Pasadena, CA
Margaret Thornhill, conductor
Los Angele Clarinet Choir
November 2010 – Gainesville, FL
First Presbytarian Church
Mitchell Estrin, conductor
University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble
November 2010 – Gainesville, FL
University of Florida
Mitchell Estrin, conductor
University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble
April 2010 – Urbana, IL (world premiere)
Kyle Rowan, conductor
University of Illinois Clarinet Choir