SD1022: Harpy Ever After

Harpy Ever After
Stephen Dunstone
 

Cover imageHarpy Ever After
A Swinging Blues for flexible harp ensemble up to six parts

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This book is supplied as a score and set of 7 parts

 

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Artist Profile and catalogue of works - Stephen Dunstone

Audio Sample

About this work & Performance Notes

Harpy Ever After

Harpy Ever After is an ensemble with up to six different parts of varying difficulty, built on a repeating twelve-bar blues sequence. Each part (or "motif") is therefore only twelve bars long, but recurs regularly throughout the piece. Individual players may want to stay with one motif, or may want play several during the course of the piece, depending on inclination and skill, so in addition to including separate parts for the individual motifs ("First Tune", "Chord Harmony" etc.), I have also created a part called "All Motifs", in which I've laid out all the six different motifs and given instructions for which should be played in each of the eight verses. As long as the balance between the parts is maintained, players can switch between motifs as the overseer of the group (or a democratic process) sees fit. And if you haven't got enough players to cope with all the motifs, leave something out - just experiment to see what works for you.


The six motifs are:-

A: "First Tune"
B: "Chord Harmony"
C: "Chromatic Melody"
D: "Walking Bass"
E: "Funky Tune"
F: "Supergroove"

I've said that they're all simply a variously repeating twelve-bar motif, but in fact motif F ("Supergroove"), which appears for the first time in verse 5, does play different material in verses 6, 7 and 8. I'm assuming that the most advanced players will be the Supergroovers: they will have to be fairly nifty with lever or pedal slides (NB the crucial expression is "nifty" rather than "staggeringly virtuosic" as the part isn't that difficult...).

Lever or pedal changes are necessary during playing in all except the "First Tune" and the "Funky Tune" (and the "Chord Harmony" if the alternative chord is used in the 12th bar), and will be variously required for anyone switching to another motif between verses. Lever or pedal slides are only required in the"Chromatic Melody" and "Supergroove".

Library Information

Title: Harpy Ever After
Composer: Stephen Dunstone
Instrumentation: Up to 6 Lever or Pedal Harps
Level: Mixed Ability
Format: A4 stapled score and set of 6 A4 parts + All Motifs
Weight: 175gm
ISMN: 979-0-57046-359-6
Our Ref: SD1022
Publisher: Creighton's Collection
Printer/Distributor: Creighton's Collection
Edition/Year: 2019
Origin: UK

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