Arctic Fire

(1st Movement of "Portraits of the North")

by
Robert Buckley

Ensemble: Concert Band

Grade: 4

Duration: 05:30

Year of Composition: 2014

Commissioned by: West Vancouver Youth Band (Douglas Macaulay, director)

Publisher: Hal Leonard

Year of Publication: 2014

Publisher Catalog Number: 04003738

Available: Yes

How to Acquire: Publisher, Purchase

Links:

Web Page

Sample Audio

Perusal Score 

Instrumentation

Piccolo
Flute 1,2
Oboe 1,2
Bassoon
B♭ Clarinet 1,2,3
B♭ Bass Clarinet
E♭ Alto Sax 1,2
B♭ Tenor Sax
E♭ Baritone Sax
B♭ Trumpet 1,2,3
F Horn 1,2,3,4
Trombone 1,2,3
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Percussion 1 (Crash Cymbals, Bass Drum, Hi-hat)
Percussion 2 (Suspended Cymbal, Tambourine)
Mallet Perc. 1 (Chimes, Bells, Wood Block)
Mallet Perc. 2 (Xylophone, Marimba)
Timpani

First movement of Symphony No. 1, Portraits of the North, commissioned by the West Vancouver Youth Band (Douglas Macaulay, director) to commemorate the band's 80th anniversary. The symphony is in three movements:

I. Arctic Fire
II. Land of the Midnight Sun
III. Iditarod


Program Notes:

The cinematic approach to the music of Arctic Fire portrays many different images of the north – the crimson sunlight glinting off the icebergs, the radiance of the Northern Lights, the blaze of the Red Twig Dogwood, the scarlet red sunsets, and the fiery spirit of the people who live there. The piece opens with a series of snapshots – powerful, sustained chords from the brass being echoed by very gentle chords from the woodwinds, creating the idea of sound disappearing into the wilderness. The music then takes us on a flight over the immense northern landscape during spring thaw. With grand panoramas, ice covered peaks, breathtaking colours, ice crashing into the ocean and signs of life emerging from the frozen ground, the music keeps transforming and building to the final set of musical snapshots.

(Robert Buckley)