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Mitchell,
A very enjoyable piece! The overall character was clearly defined, yet you had some really good ways of keeping my interest with changes. Some thoughts:
- I especially enjoyed the syncopations/polyrhythms--kept it flowing.
- I thought your use of meter changes, especially in treating the same melodic material differently, provided the kind of effective variety I've already mentioned (it also fit the modal, dance-like character of the piece).
- I would have to agree that my first thought was, "Haven't I heard this melody before--kind of?" Then I saw the reference to Scarborough Fair--of course. Similarity isn't a problem in this folk-like style where so much can sound similar even accidentally. Nonetheless, I was glad when you introduced some very spicy dissonance around ms. 90 and at 216. This made it "your own" and disrupted the kind of lull-me-to-sleep harmonic stasis that would have been an easy trap to fall into.
- I think you are most to be commended for your contrapuntal writing. Vertically, the sections themselves hold together tightly, and there's a lot of interesting interplay that stretches your themes by setting them in new ways. Horizontally, your counterpoint provided a very effective way of "gluing" the sections together; you would sometimes have a solo instrument continue on an old motive while introducing a new theme that fits and spinning off from there.
- While I've just mentioned your section connections, let me say that the stops seem to me entirely appropriate--even desirable--for this kind of piece. As I said above, monotony is a danger here (especially--let's be honest--with a brass ensemble!), so startling stops/starts play to your advantage.
You may have noticed I offer no criticism above. That's because, in a cursory listening, I have none to offer. This piece "works," and works wonderfully. Bravo.
Brooks
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