American Quilt Sketches
for Woodwind Quintet
Title: American Quilt Sketches
Instrumentation: flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon
Date of Composition: 2011
Duration: 13 minutes
1. Five Pointed Star
2. Log Cabin
3. Sunbonnet Sue
4. Double Wedding Rings
5. Wild Goose Chase
Available for purchase at JW Pepper and Sheet Music Plus. See below for details.
* This work appears on the commercial recording Wild Swans: Music of Nancy Bachmann, performed by clarinetist Diane Maltester and Friends
Program Note
Although, not a quilter myself, I have long been an appreciator of the art form. My favorite excuse to visit county fairs is to see what our modern local quilters have been creating. Traditional quilting, like chamber music, is a cooperative, communal activity and the clean crisp lines delineating the sewn patterns brought woodwind sonorities to my mind.
This suite celebrates the remarkable needlecraft of our American foremothers. They took scraps, rags and remnants of otherwise worn out garments and household fabrics to stitch together useful (often life saving) “blankets” that were also beautiful works of art. These early quilters favored certain shapes and designs that I have used for my musical inspiration. In these five pieces I have tried to honor the physical shapes of the patterns as well as emotions evoked by their use.
The Five Pointed Star was often the strong central piece in a quilt. Smaller stars would appear in multiples on a dark background, evoking the night sky. Frequently the quilt colors were red, white and blue, bringing to mind the American flag and a good, old fashioned Fourth of July celebration. This big opening movement carries a sense of the strength and pride of our pioneering foremothers, as well as a pensive appreciation of the powerful natural surroundings of open plains and sprawling farmlands. The 5/8 and 5/4 time signatures; pointedly disjunct eighth note patterns in upper winds and in longer note values in lower instruments; the five part rondo form - all do homage to the physical structure of the the quilt pattern. The “A” section depicts sparkling skies and “big, bright stars at night” In the transition the star gazer relaxes and imagines the fun of a Fourth of July celebration as the “B” section unfolds: marching bands, children running around, friends gathering... “A” section returns. This time the motive is mellow and pensive, flute still “twinkles.” The “B” section recaps the summertime festivities, closing with a triumphant, big star, “A” statement.
The Log Cabin quilt design was staggered, long, thin rectangles; what one would see looking at the inside wall of a log cabin. The layered, overlapping sustained notes depict the shape of the quilt pattern pieces, while the horn solo expresses the feelings of a peaceful, loving home. The family grows, interactive and as mutually supportive as the very logs that shelter them. Finally the horn melody reappears in canon as each family member of the ensemble expresses the theme of home and hearth.
The Sunbonnet Sue design is all bonnet, skirt and apron. She’s just cute! I imagined a little girl playfully enjoying the sunshine of a bright spring day.
The Double Wedding Rings, with its interconnected circles, was a difficult pattern to render in cloth. It was often used in the special quilt made for a wedding gift. I have chosen a rather circular melodic motive, frequently in duet, to depict the happy married couple. The layered accompaniment pattern is reminiscent of the the log cabin motive, and the overall feeling is one of peaceful domestic bliss.
The Flying Geese pattern was simple triangles of fabric combined in many different ways. Sometimes the pattern that emerged was quite symmetrical, other times the “geese” seemed to chase each other all over the quilt. The “triangles” are depicted by triple rhythmic pattern and the melodic shape of both the A and B motives. This movement suggests flight, as I hope to give wings to the memory of those remarkable, inventive pioneer women who took fabric scraps and quilted their history into true art!
American Quilt Sketches