Product Description
Far to the westernmost regions of Russia, and then farther still, there is a place known as the
Dancing Forest of Kaliningrad. It is a mysterious, otherworldly place where trees grow in tangles,
knots, and other unfathomable shapes, a place described by local psychics as a point of conflict where great positive and negative forces collide. Due to its remarkable air of mystery, the forest has woven its way into the legends and folklore of the region. My personal favorite legend about it goes as follows: "The Prussian prince Barty used to hunt in these forests. Chasing a Roe deer one day, he
heard a wonderful tune, and as he came to a field, he saw a beautiful girl playing a lyre. She was a Christian and her name was Predislava. The prince proposed to her but she replied that she would marry only a man of her faith. Prince Barty agreed to become a Christian as long as she could prove the power of her invisible God was more powerful than the surrounding trees. Predislava played her lyre. Birds grew silent, and the trees started dancing. The prince then took a bracelet from his hand and gave it to her as a token of their betrothal. On this very spot, many years later, there grew the Dancing Forest."
This piece is my homage to the Dancing Forest of Kaliningrad and all its associated legends. Premiered by the Santa Teresa High School Concert Band in May 2019, the work is scored for a concert band of intermediate size and skill level and is designed to help introduce high school musicians to modal music and unconventional key signatures. Furthermore, the piece is inspired by multiple rhythmic and harmonic elements of rock and folk music in an attempt to help bridge the gap between popular music and contemporary wind ensemble repertoire. Enjoy!
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.