Chamber | Joseph Sowa

A Field Guide to Natural History

. . . Cloudburst. Springtime pokes its head through the daisies. A sodden quandary of mud puzzles. Foxfire and fern frost. Ruins of flora. Fire flies sparks spidering toward stars. Thorns thistles brambles and briers. Heaving and dearth. Night flocks of angels trumpet. Rainbows end.

Instrumentation: saxophone, double bass, piano and percussion
Duration: 25 minutes
Premiere: 7 June 2011 by Eric Hansen, David Kjar, Scott Holden, and Ron Brough
Performance History: complete performance list
Transcriptions: night flocks of angels trumpet for violin and piano
Score and Ordering:

Perusal Score: FREE	Download Now
Hard Copy Score and Parts: $90
PDF Score and Parts: $75

“A Field Guide to Natural History” was commissioned in 2010 by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition

Ginger

“Because ginger had to be imported from Asia, it remained a relatively expensive spice. Nevertheless, it was still in great demand. … [Eventually] it became so popular in Europe that it was included in every table setting, like salt and pepper.” — The Healing Power of Herbs and Spices

Instrumentation: string quartet
Duration: 12 minutes
Premiere: 6 December 2014 by the Lydian Quartet
Score and Ordering:

Perusal Score: FREE	Download Now
Hard Copy Score and Parts: $75
PDF Score and Parts: $60

Gorre and Daphetid

Over 30 years, John Whitby Allen constructed what some consider the greatest model railroad ever made, the “Gorre and Daphetid.” Ten days after Allen died from a heart attack in 1973, his house caught fire, destroying his life’s work.

Instrumentation: piano trio
Duration: 4 minutes
Recording: read by the New York Piano Trio
Performance History: Dance premiere, 31 March and 1 April 2011
Press: ‘New Works New Voices’ highlights BYU Contemporary Dance group. Amber Foote, Daily Herald (March 2011)
Score and Ordering:

Monet’s Gardens

“It turns out we never made it to Monet’s gardens. We missed the train we needed by about 10 minutes. So after going to church, getting out money at the ATM, and doing our best to make it happen, it fell through.

“We were all hungry so we decided to go to the Tulleries to eat lunch. Little did we know that the Tour de France route went right past there, so when we got out of the subway, we were in the middle of the crowd.” — Journal entry, 26 July 2009

Instrumentation: saxophone quartet
Duration: 7 minutes
Recording: read by US Coast Guard Saxophone Quartet
Score and Ordering:

Perusal Score: FREE	Download Now
Hard Copy Score and Parts: $60
PDF Score and Parts: $35

I AM

“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” — Robin Williams

Instrumentation: fl. (= picc.), ob., cl., bsn., hn., tpt., tbn., 2 perc., pno. (= cel.), str.: 2.1.1.1
Duration: 8 minutes
Premiere: 5 November 2008 by the Musical North Chamber Ensemble, Live Ivanov, cond.
Ordering: Please use my contact form or email inquiries [at] josephsowa.com to order this work.

“I AM” was part of the “Fall Collection” project, supported by a Laycock Grant for Creative Collaboration in the Arts

Interstate Pastoral

A three movement pastoral written in three states.

Instrumentation: flute, clarinet, and bassoon
Duration: 8 minutes
Premiere: 14 July 2011 by the ITCH Ensemble
Score and Ordering:

Perusal Score: FREE	Download Now
Hard Copy Score and Parts: $60
PDF Score and Parts: $35

Project Type: Chamber