Healing Songs
Instrumentation: English horn, tubular bells, and timpani
revised in 2019 for alto saxophone, vibraphone, and timpani
Duration: 10 min.
Year: 2018
Movements:
I. Paean
II. Meditation
III. Tarantella
Program Note:
Various cultures throughout history have developed traditions, practices, and legends around the use of music to heal. Each movement of Healing Songs represents one such practice:
Paean is modeled after a genre of ancient Greek hymn in supplication to a deity. The meter, mode, and affect of this movement reflect the ancient Greek tradition.
Meditation depicts a generalization of a variety of meditation techniques. The movement fixates on a piercing bell sound, allowing the chaos and tumult of the environment to gradually fade into a focused, relaxed unison.
Tarantella originates from Italian legend of an illness known as “tarantism.” Victims would reportedly enter fits of wild dancing which could last for several days. Musicians would be called to cure the diseased dancer by providing musical accompaniment, adapting to the unpredictable movements of the dancer. This would continue until the afflicted person got better or—more often—died of exhaustion.
Jonathan Snead 