Desert Waters Wedding March

Program Notes

A wedding march, written for the wedding of my second cousin, Sasha Stearns, to Mike Mayer, on October 22, 2005. I wasn't able to attend the wedding, so this gave me a way to be a part of its joy from afar.

A wedding march is a tricky thing. You need to call the audience to attention first, when the couple appears, and Desert Waters begins with a 5 measure forte call-to-attention. You need something which is solemn and graceful, and yet upbeat and enthusiastic at the same time. Desert Waters attempts that with a major-keyed tune with wide skips in it, and that is slow without being (I hope) too slow. And you need something which appeals to a wide-ranging audience. Thus I have chosen an entirely tonal language, and have used familiar harmony throughout.

Performance Notes

I have tried to write this as a modular piece, with roughly half-minute sections that can be repeated or deleted as needed to get the wedding couple down the aisle and to the front in good time. Ideally, the couple should stand at the front for half a minute or so as the music finishes up, solemnifying the occasion. The piece is also suitable for concert performance.

Duration: about 3 minutes

Actual Notes

Two Mandolins (Plus Optional Ad Libitum Guitar)

Performance (as Computer Realization): 192 bit MP3 of computer playback (2.7 megs)

Score: PDF of first half.

Parts: Mandolin I, Mandolin II

For parts and the full score, please contact the composer.

Mandolin Orchestra

Performance (as Computer Realization): 192 bit MP3 of computer playback (4.0 megs)

Score: PDF of first half.

Parts: Mandolin I, Mandolin II, Mandola, Mandocello, Mandobass, Guitar

For parts and the full score, please contact the composer.

 

 

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Page last updated May 7, 2006