Description
This swashbuckling toe-tapper is part sea shanty, part maritime folk song with open string 5ths abound for the Violas and Cellos. Every voice gets something fun to play!
Program Notes
“Mariners Awake!” is a swashbuckling toe-tapper. Part sea-shanty, part maritime folk song, it instantly grabs the listener with its infectious rhythms. It is written at a level 3 in difficulty and is ideal for developing orchestras who wish to explore this exciting musical genre.
Violas and Cellos have many opportunities to play open string 5ths, which are a common feature of this style of music.
All parts are placed in the lower positions to allow Directors to focus on rhythmic accuracy, blend, and intonation. All sections of the ensemble are given interesting melodic material to play, either as primary melodies or interesting counter-melodies. “Mariners Awake!” includes a part for Treble Recorder, which is optional. It mainly doubles the first Violin part and, when included, gives the piece an even greater nautical feel. Flute can be substituted for Recorder.
Rehearsal Notes
1. Crisp rhythms are what will make this piece effective. All staccato markings should be performed as marked. Tenuto markings provide a stark contrast.
2. Observing the fp in M.70 will add to the dramatic effect of the piece.
3. The wave-like rising and falling in the Cellos at M.41 are best performed incorporating a hairpin crescendo–decrescendo in each measure.
