Product Description
The tune BUNESSAN is a traditional Gaelic melody first
printed in 1888 as the setting of Mary MacDonald's carol "Child in the
Manger." The tune was named after Mary's birthplace on the Isle of Mull
off Scotland's western coast. BUNESSAN is commonly associated with hymns
celebrating new beginnings: the aforementioned "Child in the Manger,"
then the 1931 creation-celebrating hymn "Morning Has Broken," and the
more recent but lesser-known 1982 hymn "Baptized in Water." The title of this piece, "A Hymn of Beginnings,"
recognizes that association.
Sacred bassoon solos arent common and those that exist tend
to be quite pedestrian. With a new bassoonist in our church orchestra whose
talents go well beyond the pedestrian it seemed opportune to try something new
and thus, "A Hymn of Beginnings" took shape. The music has a conventional feel
but with a palpable dash of the unfamiliar, achieved through subdued bi-tonal
coloring, matching the major-key melody with a minor-key harmonization that
moves by descending thirds. Still, it remains quite accessible to the casual
listener with its familiar melody and obvious tonality.
"A Hymn of Beginnings" is suitable for intermediate level
and above musicians and works well at any time of the church year with its
contemplative yet varied moods. Its association with new beginnings makes it
particularly suited to Christmas, Easter, baptismal services, weddings, and
others.
Find more music at https://wheatmyermusic.com/portfolio/ and my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WheatMyerMusic/
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.