Chamber Music
The Trickster (2015)
Un Panier de Larmes [translation - a basket of tears] (2013)
clarinet, violin, piano
Duration: ~ 14 minutes.Pemiere: Livewire Festival, UMBC. October 27, 2013
Strata - Nathan Williams, clarinet; James Stern, violin; Audrey Andrist, pianoProgram Notes
Un Panier de larmes is a set of five short movements, each reflecting a single and deeply personal state of emotion characterized by the act of crying - possibly our most profound physical reaction to events in our lives. The movements are: larmes de soie (tears of silk) - vague, flowing, atonal, indefinite rhythmically; larmes de fer (tears of iron) - hard,
substantial, forceful; larmes de sang (tears of blood) - static, as if transfixed, a sense of tragedy with hope; larmes de diamants (tears of diamonds) - brilliant, sharp edged and harsh, not a girl's best friend; larmes d'or (tears of gold) - warm, lustrous, shimmering, a sense of fulfillment.I am grateful to the Strata Trio for the opportunity to write this piece for them to premiere in October, 2013.
FIVE (2011)
Saxophone Quartet, Drums/Percussion
Duration: ~ 14 minutes.Program Notes
FIVE is a three-movement composition for saxophone quartet and drums/percussion. The origins for this piece came from two sources – my long-time plan to write a sax quartet as a complement to my other saxophone solo pieces and my interest in exploring the extraordinary sounds and techniques of both the drum kit and the quints – a set of tenor drums normally only used in marching bands and line-drum ensembles. The piece is about exuberant and powerful playing exploiting the dexterity and power of four saxophones with the drum kit and vibraphone. The three movements are entitled: Frantic, Languid, Out-of-Line. I am grateful to Chris Ozley, a percussionist and graduate composition student at UT Austin for his assistance with setup and notation for the quints.
Premiere: Porto, July 25, 2012
Speeches for Dr. Frankenstein (2011)
Soprano solo, harp, celeste, chamber strings
Duration: ~ 25 minutes.Program Notes
Speeches for Dr. Frankenstein is a setting of Margaret Atwood's poem by the same name in her early publication: The Animals in That Country. This work includes are re-scoring of poems I, IV, VII, X that were originally for soprano and computer generated tape (1980).
Pemiere: Toronto Music Gallery, May 24, 2013
Selected Compositions first stanza only from B. Pennycook. Pamela Jordan, soprano.
Club Life- acoustic version (2010)
Instrumentation: Alto/Soprano Sax, Tenor/Baritone Sax, Piano
Commissioned by Dale Stammen and the Quark's Trio, Seattle WA.
Durtion: 18'Program Notes
Club Life is a celebration of the great jazz saxophonists and the powerful, muscular playing we have all learned to admire. It is constructed like a jazz piece – AA – solo, solo, solo – A' where each player gets their "turn". It is fully notated and not an improvisatory piece.
The Quark's Trio (The Banff Center for the Arts Studio A)
Three Pieces for Saxophone and Piano (1980, rev. 2009)
soprano/alto sax, piano
duration: 7'Program Notes
Three Pieces for Saxophone was commissioned by Canadian saxophonist, Paul Brodie. It was originally scored for saxophone and tape which I have adapted for saxophone and piano. This work was premiered by Paul Brodie in Toronto in 1981 and has been performed numerous times by several players including the composer. It has been broadcast on CBC radio and performed in Europe, Canada and the US. This version has been performed in Washington and at various saxophone festivals.
Score (pdf)
parts available from the composer.
Wir Leben durch die Lieb' allein (2008)
picc/fl/afl, cl/bcl, pno, vln, vc (Pierrot Ensemble)
Program Notes
The title of this quintet (2008) is a quote from Mozart's opera. the Magic Flute (Atc 1, Scene 7 - Pamino and Papageno) which in English means "we live for love alone".This piece is a reconsideration of my earlier work, Praescio VI commissioned by Toronto flautist, Christine Little and scored for solo flute and computer system thus the flute retains a prominent role here. There are also fleeting references to the Priests' chorus from Act II, Scene 8 - O Isis and Osiris. These moments are in memory of my father - a Free Mason. Though my father never revealed any of the secret undertakings of the Masonic Lodge, I do recall his dressing in white tie and tails for important meetings. I admire many of the noble sentiments of the Free-Masons and try to
impart some of the mystery and ceremony in this work.Premiere: University of Texas New Music Ensemble. October, 9, 2010, Bates Recital Hall. Conducted by Bruce Pennycook.
Score (pdf)
Live Performance. The University of Texas New Music Ensemble. Bruce Pennycook, conductor.
Redwood Quintet (2006)
Instrumentation: Brass Quintet
Composed for Stephen Ruppenthal and the Redwood Brass Quintet.Program Notes
The Redwood Quintet was composed in 2006 for the Redwood Brass Quintet in Redwood City, CA. The piece consists for four movements of increasing length and complexity: 1. Moving Times is a study in changing tempi and, to a large extent, first-species counterpoint where all five voices have identical rhythms within the shifting pace. 2. N.O. Broken is an accompanied trombone solo in the dirge funeral march style of New Orleans. It was written following a visit to New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina. 3. Parade is an up-tempo response to the second movement – a kind of celebration after the devastation. 4. Chase is a kind of old-fashioned "chase" style in 6/8 meter that explores changing colors on repeated notes and rapid interchanges of motivic materials.
Premiere: June, 2010, Buffalo. Meridien Brass Ensemble.
Score (pdf)
Contact Bruce Pennycook for instrumental parts.Movements:
1. Moving Times
2. N.O. Broken
3. Parade
4. Chase
March 8, 2010. Jessen Auditorium, UT Austin
City Limits Brass Quintet (UT graduate student ensemble)
Chris Heldt - Trumpet, Jesse Cook - Trumpet, Kevin Miescke - Horn, Joe Brown - Trombone, James Saliers - Tuba
Frontenac Axis (2000)
Instrumentation: fl, ob, cl/bcl
Durtion: 9'Program Notes
Frontenac Axiswas commissioned by Musica Nova, Sherbrooke Quebec with the assistance of the Quebec Arts Council. The original version included a computer component written in Supercollider 2 which is no longer viable. This version is for acoustic trio. The title is the geological name for the pre-cambrian shield that crosses the St. Lawrence river joining the Canadian shield with the Adirondack Mountains resulting in the extraordinarily beautiful section of the St. Lawrence River called the Thousand Islands.
Score (pdf)
Contact Bruce Pennycook for instrumental parts.
August Suite (1976)
Instrumentation: guitar
Durtion: 9'Program Notes
August Suite is a set of six short character pieces for guitar. It was premiered in Toronto by guitarist, Norbert Kraft.
Score (pdf)
Contact Bruce Pennycook for instrumental parts.
Three Miniatures for Harp, Flute and Clarinet (1974)
Instrumentation: fl, cl, hrp
Durtion: 6'Program Notes
Club Life is a celebration of the great jazz saxophonists and the powerful, muscular playing we have all learned to admire. It is constructed like a jazz piece – AA – solo, solo, solo – A' where each player gets their "turn". It is fully notated and not an improvisatory piece.
Score (pdf)
Contact Bruce Pennycook for instrumental parts.