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Dance of the Arable Land

When writing this piece I used only four different notes, created from a keyboard cluster so it doesn’t lend itself to any particular key. The composition uses A D E G# and I found it interesting how you could harmonically create a composition using only these notes. The ending transitions up a fourth using D G A C# for a more elevated finale. It begins with a Scherzando “playful dance” which incorporates plucked and bowed strings. The middle section develops a rubato singing style where each instrument takes turns with the suspended harmonies. When the dance theme reappears, it is in the transposed version, with a final phrase incorporating plucked strings and a little “gliss pizz” to end. The dance I have in mind is focused on the prairie arable land. Arable land is a tilled and workable soil used for growing crops and acts as pasture for animals. Critical in global food production for human and livestock, it ensures a stable food supply. The land dances between spring, summer and fall through a portrait of ever-changing crops at different heights, colours and stages of life. When the long prairie winter approaches, it slows the growing season, allowing the producers to reflect and plan for the exciting moment in spring when the arable land begins to grow again.