Wax Lyrical - Full Score & Parts

wax lyrical (2023 rev. 2024)

2 alto saxophones

bass clarinet

violin

piano

conductor

45-60 min

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1. Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

2. Where knowledge is free

3. Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

4. ... by narrow domestic walls

— interlude 1 —

5. Where words come out from the depth of truth

6. Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

7. Tuning Dance

8. Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the desert sand of dead habit

— interlude 2 —

9. Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action

10. Conductor Resistance

11. Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

— interlude 3 —

12. Unison Dance

13. A Donkey Story

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Perhaps the most important thing to discuss are the extra-musical elements happening in Wax Lyrical. Movement 5 is only notated for the conductor, who will essentially take on the role of a magician, wizard, or sorceress of the ensemble, casting spells with the baton into the performers. It works best to pulse in 4/4, and mime conducting gestures à la Fantasia, it is very open ended but incentivizes exploring odd conducting planes. The closing structure mirrors the ending of movement 6, too. Movement 13, A Donkey Story, operates as a “talkin’ blues”; the violinist will speak one line for each indicated whole note, and typically play the fiddle while doing so. It is recommended that the violinist wears a cowboy hat, and speaks in a country accent as best they can in deadly seriousness.

* A Donkey Story is derived from Dewayne Noal’s speech, The Donkey....It’s Just His Nature.