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Hannah Kendall's The Spark Catchers
Transcribed for Wind Ensemble: Expanding
Women Composer's Representation in the
Repertoire
Wood, F. Mack
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UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

 HANNAH KENDALL’S THE SPARK CATCHERS TRANSCRIBED FOR WIND
ENSEMBLE: EXPANDING WOMEN COMPOSER’S REPRESENTATION IN THE
                        REPERTOIRE

                                   By

                             F. Mack Wood

                   A LECTURE RECITAL ESSAY

                         Submitted to the Faculty
                       of the University of Miami
              in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
                  the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts

                         Coral Gables, Florida

                               May 2021

©2021
  F. Mack Wood
All Rights Reserved

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

               A lecture recital essay submitted in partial fulfillment of
                          the requirements for the degree of
                                 Doctor of Musical Arts

  HANNAH KENDALL’S THE SPARK CATCHERS TRANSCRIBED FOR WIND
 ENSEMBLE: EXPANDING WOMEN COMPOSER’S REPRESENTATION IN THE
                         REPERTOIRE

                                     F. Mack Wood

Approved:

________________                                     _________________
Robert M. Carnochan, D.M.A.                          J. Steven Moore, D.M.A.
Professor of Conducting                              Professor in Practice

________________                                     _________________
Jay C. Rees, M.M.                                    Guillermo Prado, Ph.D.
Professor of Music                                   Dean of the Graduate School

________________
Dorothy Hindman, D.M.A.
Associate Professor of Composition

WOOD, F. MACK                                            (D.M.A., Instrumental Performance)
                                                                                 (May 2021)

Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers Transcribed for Wind Ensemble:
Expanding Women Composers’ Representation in the Repertoire

Abstract of a dissertation at the University of Miami.

Lecture Recital essay supervised by Doctor Robert M. Carnochan.
No. of pages in text. (73)

   This project is a transcription of The Spark Catchers (2017) by Hannah Kendall,

originally scored for full orchestra, aimed at increasing representation of women

composers in the wind ensemble repertoire. I will provide background information for

Hannah Kendall and The Spark Catchers, discuss the transcription process, and provide a

formal analysis of Hannah Kendall’s piece. The analysis is intended to guide conductors

that program the transcribed version of The Spark Catchers through the form, structure,

and thematic elements. Following the discussion of the transcription and analysis, a brief

dialogue on the role model theory and how expanding the repertoire from women

composers in the wind ensemble repertoire could increase their interest to compose for

the medium.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

   I have been very fortunate in my life and career to be surrounded by a wonderful

support system. Traversing through graduate school would not have been possible

without the help, love, and support of many wonderful people.

   First, I would like to thank my teacher and mentor, Dr. Robert M. Carnochan. He has

been an incredible influence on my career and artistic development dating back to my

time as an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin. His

encouragement to always seek out high quality art and to attend conducting workshops

while I was a high school band director changed the course of my life. I likely would

have never considered leaving public education to attend graduate school without his

encouragement and support. I’m not sure I will every be able to say thank you enough as

I now have the opportunity to achieve a lifelong dream of earning a doctoral degree with

his guidance and support.

   Along with Dr. Carnochan, I want to thank my committee at the University of Miami,

Frost School of Music. Dr. J. Steven Moore has been a tremendous influence on how I

consider programming for ensembles and on the use of Laban gestures in my personal

conducting and in conducing courses I teach. Professor Jay C. Rees provided me

opportunities to work with and serve the Frost Band of the Hour and afforded me the

opportunity to study marching band arranging where I learned arranging techniques that

have greatly impacted my arrangements. Dr. Dorothy Hindman entrusted a first-year

doctoral student with the premiere of Fission for wind ensemble. I am beyond

appreciative of the opportunity to rehearse and perform your music and to have been

included on an album and album release. I am also very thankful to have worked with

                                           iii

fantastic graduate colleagues, Jeffrey Summers and Tina DiMeglio during my time at the

Frost School of Music.

   Prior to my time at the University of Miami, I was fortunate to work and study with

amazing human beings at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dr.

Damon S. Talley took a chance on me coming straight from teaching high school and his

guidance and mentorship continues to shape me today. Dr. Dennis Llinás and Dr. Kelvin

Jones were incredibly gracious and afforded me the opportunity to arrange music and

drill for the LSU marching band. Their guidance and grace impacted me and really taught

me how to provide opportunities for graduate students. I would also be remiss if I did not

take a moment and thank Dr. Cliff G. Croomes, not just for being a great colleague and

friend, but for encouraging me to take the jump into graduate school and for being a great

encouragement throughout both my masters and doctoral degrees. Along with Dr.

Croomes, I was blessed to work with several great graduate colleagues at LSU who I

need to thank here for their friendship, Mark Bonner, Chasse Duplantis, Gary English,

Joseph Meinweiser, Paul Scheffel, and Manuel Treviño.

   I am thankful to the friends and colleagues who have supported me along the way, but

there are a few that really stand out. From my time teaching high school I want to thank

Mr. Mark Poole, Mr. Adam Davis, and Mr. Jim Gist for their friendship and support as I

decided to leave Texas for graduate school, and I appreciate their continued friendship. I

am especially indebted to Dr. Scott Hanna from The University of Texas at Austin. He

was very influential in turning my academic career around early in my undergraduate

years and continued to be a great support and influence throughout my career.

                                            iv

Finally, and certainly most significantly, I would like to thank my family for

supporting me through this journey. Their love and support was felt across the country. I

need to also take a moment and thank the two biggest supporters and my personal heroes

throughout this journey, my wife Dr. Rachel E. Wood and my daughter Imogen Wood.

Without hesitation, they followed me from Dallas, to Louisiana, to Miami, and now to

Bloomington, Illinois. This journey would have been impossible without them and I will

be eternally grateful to them for their support.

                                              v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                                                                          Page

Chapter

   1   BACKGROUND ...........................................................................................               1

   2   OVERVIEW OF THE ORIGINAL COMPOSITION ..................................                                              4

   3   FORM AND ANALYSIS ...............................................................................                    6

   4   OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS ..................................                                             17

   5   STARTING THE TRANSCRIPTION ..........................................................                                20

   6   THE TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS ............................................................                               25

   7   ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS.............................................................                               44

   8   REPRESENTATION IN THE WIND ENSEMBLE REPERTOIRE .............                                                         46

Bibliography               ................................................................................................. 48

Appendix                   ................................................................................................. 49

                                                           vi

CHAPTER 1 – BACKGROUND

    Hannah Kendall (b. 1984) is a prolific composer from London, England. She studied

composition with Joe Dudell at the University of Exeter, where she earned a bachelor’s

degree. For her graduate studies, she obtained a master’s degree at the Royal College of

Music where she studied with Kenneth Hesketh, who has several works for wind

ensemble. Kendall is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Columbia University in New

York.1 Hannah Kendall has composed works for full orchestra, large ensemble, small

ensemble, solo piano, small vocal, choral, musical theater/opera and open score. Her

works are typically collaborations with other genres of art, especially poetry and

literature.2 The Spark Catchers is composed for full orchestra and aligns thematically

with a poem of the same title by Lemn Sissay (b. 1967). The piece was premiered in 2017

by Chineke! at the Royal Albert Hall, London as part of the BBC Proms.

    Kendall has written additional compositions for large ensemble, chamber ensemble,

vocal/choral ensembles and solo works. The Knife of Dawn, a one–man solo opera

written in 2016, received critical acclaim and helped propel her reputation as an exciting

young artist. According to Richard Fairman, “Hannah Kendall has responded with music

that is spare, as benefits the subject…The result is intricate and imaginative.”3 Stated in

her biography, “Hannah is deeply committed to contemporary culture as a whole and

often works collaboratively with artists from other art forms.”4 This is clearly evident in

The Spark Catchers as the piece is inspired by poetry.

        1
          www.hannahkendall.co.uk
        2
          Ibid.
        3
          Richard Fairman. “The Knife of Dawn, Roundhouse, London: Spare and Intricate.” The
Financial Times. October 9, 2016.
        4
          www.hannahkendall.co.uk

                                                 1

2

    Lemn Sissay (b. 1967, Higher End, Orrel, UK) is a poet, performer, and is currently

the Chancellor of the University of Manchester. He wrote the poem The Spark Catchers

for the London Olympics in 2012 in memory of the Matchgirl’s Strike of 1888.5 From my

perspective, Sissay’s poetry and Kendall’s music both capture concepts and ideals from

their societies; each composition invokes ideals of social justice and/or equality.

According to historian Lowell J. Satre, the working conditions in the match and

matchbox factory in London were inhumane. The young and old women who worked in

this factory were exposed to poisonous chemicals, staggeringly hot working conditions,

and for long hours received very little compensation for their toil. Workers that

complained or acted out against the working conditions were met with opposition by

local law enforcement and coerced back into the hazardous working conditions or

imprisoned. An earlier strike took place in 1871, but historians tend to focus more on the

strike from 1888. The impact of this latter strike had drastic implications on the

unionization of labor in London.6

    Both the poem and the piece focus on the thematic elements of the strike using terms

like “Sparks and Strikes, The Molten Madness, Beneath the Stars in the Silver Sheen and

The Matchgirls March.”7 From the work’s program notes, these words are direct

quotations from the poem and influence the mood and texture of the music. A quotation

of the poem by Sissay, shown here, expands on the conditions leading to the strike:

         5
            Lemn Sissay, “Spark Catchers: The Matchgirl Festival,” Lemn Sissay: My Name is Why (blog),
August 29, 2019, http://blog.lemnsissay.com/2013/07/05/spark-catchers-the-matchgirls-
festival/#sthash.FmxPiy6c.dpbs.
          6
            Lowell J. Satre, “After the Match Girls’ Strike: Bryant and May in the 1890s,” Victorian Studies
26, no. 1 (Fall 1982): 7–31.
          7
            Hannah Kendall, The Spark Catchers, score (2017) Works, www.hannahkendall.co.uk.

3

                           “The greatest threat to their lives was
                          The sulfureous spite filled spit of diablo
                              The molten madness of a spark
                    They became spark catchers and on the word “strike”8

    The remainder of Sissay’s poem can be accessed online at

www.proleterianpoetry.com. Specific connections between the poem and the composition

are discussed in the next section.

        8
          Lemn Sissay, “The Spark Catchers.” Proletarian Poetry.com. https://tinyurl.com/y7d6wvas
(accessed October 20, 2019).

CHAPTER 2 – OVERVIEW OF THE ORIGINAL COMPOSITION

   The Spark Catchers is a ten–minute composition for full orchestra and percussion.

The complete instrumentation includes piccolo, flute 1–2, oboe 1–2, clarinet 1–2 (clarinet

2 doubles on bass clarinet), bassoon 1–2, horn 1–4, trumpet 1–2, trombone 1–3, tuba,

harp, full strings, and percussion (triangle, clash cymbals, tambourine, and glockenspiel).

The transcription instrumentation includes piccolo, flute 1–2, oboe 1–2, clarinet 1–3, bass

clarinet, bassoon 1–2, contrabassoon, soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, horn

1–4, trumpet 1–2, trombone 1–2, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, double bass, harp and

percussion (glockenspiel, vibraphone, crotales, triangle, crash cymbals, and tambourine).

The program notes from the composer connect the music to the poem:

       “Lemn Sissay’s incredibly evocative poem, The Spark Catchers, is the
       inspiration behind this work. I was drawn to its wonderful dynamism,
       vibrancy, and drive. Specific words and phrases from the text have
       established the structure of the work and informed the contrasting musical
       characteristics created within the piece’s main components.

       The opening ‘Sparks and Strikes’ section immediately creates vigour and
       liveliness, with the piccolo and violins setting–up a swelling rhythmic drive,
       interjected by strong strikes from the rest of the ensemble. This momentum
       continues into ‘The Molten Madness’, maintaining the initial kinetic
       energy, whilst also producing a darker and brooding atmosphere introduced
       in the bass lines. A broad and soaring melodic line in the french horns and
       first violins overlays the material, moving into a majestic episode led by the
       full string section, accentuated by valiant calls in the woodwind, brass and
       percussion; culminating in a sudden pause. A lighter variation of the
       opening rhythmic material in the clarinets, harp, and strings follows,
       creating a feeling of suspense. The texture builds–up through a jazzy figure
       led by the brass, leading to powerful and surging interplay between the
       flutes, oboes and violins.

       The lighter, clearer, and crystalline ‘Beneath the Stars/In the Silver Sheen’
       section follows. Quiet and still, it is distinguished by its gleaming delicacy
       through long interweaving lines, high pitch range and thin textures. An
       illuminating strike, underpinned by the glockenspiel and harp, signifies the
       climax of this section. Subsequently, the opening zest comes back again

                                             4

5

          through dance–like material which culminates in ‘The Matchgirls March’
          with its forceful and punchy chords.

          The Spark Catchers ends with a coda–like section, which carries over the power of
          the ‘March’, whilst also incorporating variations on musical motives from ‘Sparks
          and Strikes’ and ‘The Molten Madness’; finally concluding on a sparkling
          flourish.”9

          As Kendall states in the program notes, the piece is composed into four primary

sections: “Sparks and Strikes,” “The Molten Madness,” “Beneath the Stars/In the Silver

Sheen,” and “The Matchgirls March.” There are also subsections within each section:

“Majestic” at rehearsal letter C and “With Suspense” at rehearsal letter D are both

subsections of “The Molten Madness”; “Illuminated, clear, phosphorescent” at rehearsal

letter J, “Dance-like” at K, and “Break it down!” at L are subsections of “Beneath the

Stars/In the Silver Sheen”; in particular, “Dance-like” and “Break it Down!” both serve

as transitions into the final section, “The Matchgirls March.” Each section has different

textures and creates different moods. The next chapter will provide an analysis of the

form and important motivic elements throughout The Spark Catchers.

9
    www.hannahkendall.co.uk

CHAPTER 3 – FORM AND ANALYSIS

   The Spark Catchers is constructed in sections inspired by the poem, as shown in the

table below:

 Section                                 Measures   Primary or         Primary
                                                    Subsection         Function
 Opening                                  1—42       Primary          Expositional
 The Molten Madness                      43—165      Primary          Expositional
 Majestic                                 62—72     Subsection        Transitional
 With Suspense                           73—165     Subsection       Developmental
 Beneath the Stars/In the Silver Sheen   166—229     Primary          Expositional
 Illuminated, clear, phosphorescent      197—229    Subsection       Developmental
 Dance-like                              230—250    Subsection       Developmental
 Break it Down!                          251—272    Subsection        Transitional
 Matchgirls March                        273—397     Primary          Expositional

Below are the primary motives from The Spark Catchers discussed throughout this

chapter:

Motive 1 – The Sixteenth Note Motive:

Motive 2 – The Tritone:

                                             6

7

Motive 3 – The Quintuplet:

Motive 4 – The C to B Resolution:

*Illustration in written pitch for B–flat trumpet.

    Each section and subsection of The Spark Catchers begins with a timbral modulation.

Texture and color are integral to the moods of this work, as opposed to key or harmonic

center. The slower, transparent section of The Spark Catchers, “Beneath the Stars/In the

Silver Sheen,” resolves harmonically on B–natural, but texture and color are still the

primary factors. Syncopation is used throughout the entire piece, creating a feeling of

instability, typically with the use of duple rhythmic values. Syncopation is also

implemented in “Beneath the Stars/In the Silver Sheen” to obscure the harmonic

movement in the background music. From the onset of the piece, stark dynamic contrast

is also used in conjunction with the primary motives to support the color and texture

8

changes throughout the piece. The marked dynamic contrasts contribute to the timbral

modulations and are used consistently throughout The Spark Catchers to convey mood

and change.

   An interval of a tritone is the opening motive of The Spark Catchers, clearly heard in

the bassoon 2 and horn 3 parts with an E moving to a B–flat in measure 1. Both of these

pitches are also inverted in the oboe 2 and clarinet 1 parts. The tritone is one of the

defining tonal motives throughout the opening of the piece. In measure 8, the tritone

shifts from E and B–flat to D and G–sharp until the music lands on B–natural at rehearsal

letter A. This B–natural foreshadows the importance of the note in the middle section of

The Spark Catchers; however, at rehearsal letter A the B–natural is still obscured by the

creation of a tritone with the use of F natural in the trumpet and soprano saxophone parts.

The syncopation in the first fourteen measures obscures the straight sixteenth notes in the

piccolo, clarinet 1, and soprano saxophone parts. However at rehearsal letter A, the

sixteenth note motive is no longer hidden underneath the syncopation, but is supported

with running sixteenth note interjections in the clarinet and trumpet parts and with

sustained pitches in the horn and euphonium parts. These sustained pitches and sixteenth

note figures are some of the primary motivic materials in this piece and occur throughout.

The running sixteenth motive connects the opening fourteen measures to the next section

at rehearsal letter A, but the color shifts with the adjustment from syncopation to

sustained notes and sixteenth note interjections. This color shift is used in later sections

and is also used inversely later in the piece.

   Rehearsal letter B “The Molten Madness” is the second texture shift in the piece. The

time signature remains in 2/4 but the tempo decreases from 120 beats per minute to 60

9

beats per minute. In chapter 7, more discussion is provided about additional

considerations with the tempo and the rhythmic values, but in this section the sixteenth

note motive shifts to a thirty–second note motive. This shift musically connects the

opening section of the piece to “The Molten Madness.” The texture change begins in

measure 44 with the ominous sounding entrance of the low reed and low brass voices.

The full texture, set in the low reed and low brass voices, works in conflict with the

thirty–second note motive and the upper woodwind and horn music from measures 55–

61. These ideas converge at rehearsal letter C “Majestic.” This section is the first arrival

of The Spark Catchers and is also the first moment there is a full ensemble moment with

some rhythmic stability.

*Figure 3.1 – the first convergence of motivic ideas and the first moment without the running sixteenth (or
thirty–second) note motive.

    The second subsection of “The Molten Madness,” “With Suspense” at rehearsal letter

D, has a return to the sixteenth note motive from the previous sections. The sixteenth

motive from measures 74–93 slowly deconstructs as shown below in Figure 3.2:

10

   *Figure 3.2 – deconstruction of the sixteenth note motive.

The deconstruction of the sixteenth note motive is paired with a skeleton figure of the

low reed and low brass melody from “The Molten Madness” in measures 47–53. There is

also a return to the tritone in this section with the relationship between B–flat and E–

natural in the syncopated parts beginning in measure 96.

   The tritone relationship between B–flat and E–natural continues through rehearsal

letter F measures 109–142. This section is the second occasion where the music is briefly

void of the sixteenth note motive. The primary motivic material alternates between a

timbral and stylistic recapitulation of the low reed and low brass music from measures

62–72 and the sustained pitches from the same section. The sixteenth motive returns in

measure 122 in the clarinet 3, bass clarinet, euphonium, and vibraphone parts. This

motive deconstructs leading into rehearsal letter, similar to measures 74–93. G.

Underneath the deconstruction of the sixteenth note motive the sustained pitches

showcase two tritones, the E–natural and B–flat tritone, with a D–sharp and A–natural

tritone. These stacked tritones from measures 139–142 foreshadow the instability of the

music as all of the musical motives from the opening through measure 142 deconstruct

until measure 165. The music shifts into the slower and transparent section of The Spark

Catchers.

11

   The third expositional section of the piece, labeled “Beneath the Stars/In the Silver

Sheen,” is the slower and more transparent section of The Spark Catchers. The harmonic

structure throughout this section spanning from measures 166–196 places an emphasis on

the C to B resolution. While the majority of this piece does not have a tonal center, this

section contains some tonal center around B–natural. Shown below in Figure 3.3 is the

first C to B resolution in the trumpet 2 part.

   *Figure 3.3 – illustration in written pitch for B–flat trumpet.

The harmonic resolutions occur consistently through measure 182 and shift from a

downward resolution from C–natural to an upward resolution from B–flat. This ascent

eventually resolves up to F Major at rehearsal letter J, “Illuminated, clear,

phosphorescent.” While The Spark Catchers is not a tone poem, using an F Major chord

for the first time at measure 197 when the music carries the labels “Illuminated” and

“clear,” one could argue that this moment is thematic. The euphonium continues the C to

B resolutions through measure 209 and the tonality begins to ascend to B. This ascent

ends up resolving on the F Major chord that started this section at measure 197 with the

addition of the third in the bassoon 2 part in measure 227. It is worth noting that stacking

an F and B–natural creates a tritone, the harmonic material discussed earlier in this

section; so, the harmonic clarity and obscurity throughout this section is centered

between B–natural and F Major.

12

    Arriving at the next subsection, rehearsal letter K, “Dance-like,” the B–flat and E–

natural tritone returns from earlier in the piece. The sixteenth note motive also returns,

but the notes are in a less repetitive order as shown below in Figure 3.4:

    *Figure 3.4 – the return of the B–flat and E tritone and the sixteenth note motive with more intervallic
motion from measures 230–234 shown in the piccolo, flute 1–2, oboe 1–2, and clarinet 1–3 parts.

This return is an instant timbral shift emulating the sound palettes from the opening of the

piece. In measure 248 there is a return to the more repetitive sixteenth note motive from

the opening of the piece, but the pitches are lowered and alternate between B–natural and

C which is harmonically reminiscent of the transparent music at rehearsal letters I and J.

    Immediately following rehearsal letter K is the next subsection at letter L, “Break it

Down!” The tritone between E–natural and B–flat is stacked throughout the entire

ensemble, minus the clarinet and saxophone sections. Shown below in Figure 3.5 is the

13

music from measures 251–253 showcasing the sixteenth note motive and the stacked

tritone across the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon parts:

    *Figure 3.5 – the tritone in the flute, oboe, bass clarinet, and bassoon parts with the sixteenth note
motive in the clarinet 1–3 parts.

    Impacts accentuate the tritone with interjections from the sixteenth note motive in the

remainder of this section, spanning through measure 272. The only instances of

compound meter in The Spark Catchers, in this case 5/8, occur in measures 262, 268, and

270. These three bars create a little more rhythmic ambiguity as the music works to the

final section of the piece, “The Matchgirls March.”

    The final expositional section of The Spark Catchers is “The Matchgirls March”

which spans measures 273 to the final measure of the piece at 397. There is an instant

tempo change to 160 beats per minute on the first beat of this section. This tempo shift is

also paired with the stacked tritone from the previous section, and sustains for two entire

14

measures. In previous statements of this tritone the note duration is typically an eighth–

note or a quarter–note, so the sustained tritone here is worth noting. This harmonic entity

has been prevalent throughout the piece in shorter duration, so having it sustain at the

start of the final expositional section of the piece is certainly an arrival point.

    “The Matchgirls March” is a recapitulation of motivic ideas presented throughout the

piece: the continuation of the tritone, the quintuplets from the opening, the sixteenth note

motive, the deconstructed low brass motive from “The Molten Madness,” and finally the

B–natural that concludes the piece from the music at letters I and J. The figures below

show instances where each of these motives return throughout this section:

    *Figure 3.6 – the tritone in measure s 273–274 in the piccolo, flute 1–2, and oboe 1–2 parts.

15

    *Figure 3.7 – the return of the quintuplet in measure 279 in all four horn parts.

    *Figure 3.8 – the return of the sixteenth note motive in the soprano and alto saxophone parts.

    *Figure 3.9 – the final note of the piece, B–natural, in the piccolo, flute1–2, oboe 1–2, clarinet 1–3,
soprano and alto saxophone parts.

16

   The ascent to the B–natural that concludes this piece solidifies the importance of the

same pitch from rehearsal letters I and J. Looking at the sixteenth note passage leading up

to the B–natural, the first and third notes create a tritone, the second and fourth notes

create a perfect fifth and the fourth note to the B–natural creates a major third.

Thematically, the upward inflection emulates the human voice when posing a question.

With the resolute nature of the B–natural from rehearsal letters I and J, concluding the

piece on an upward inflection is a choice worth reflection. Does the end of The Spark

Catchers create a question with the use of the ascending line? Or does the conclusion of

the piece end with an upward inflection to create a moment of unsettlement? The

importance of the tritones and the treatment of the B–natural resolutions throughout this

piece may influence the interpretation of the final three measures.

   The motives discussed throughout this chapter are what were found to be the

connective tissue of The Spark Catchers. The first attempt at analysis was purely a

harmonic analysis, and it was not a successful venture; however, upon further analysis,

these motives continued to appear. It was imperative to recognize each motive so when

transcribing the piece for wind ensemble, appropriate instrumentation would be used.

Chapters 4–6 will provide more insight into the transcription process and why certain

instrumentation decisions were made.

CHAPTER 4      – OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS
   The transcription process involved four primary steps to ensure that all parts were

considered and that the thematic structure of the music remained consistent with the

composer’s original intent. In my opinion, it is imperative to preserve the original mood

and timbre, to the extent possible, while refashioning string parts as wind parts. While

wind instruments cannot directly emulate the timbre of strings, the intent is to maintain

the texture and mood of the original music. In order to achieve this, it is also necessary to

expand the percussion section to create sounds that may not be possible for wind

instruments to emulate.

   The first step is to listen to the original orchestral music and be aurally familiar with

the sound palettes throughout the piece. The original version of The Spark Catchers was

carefully heard in every possible venue. The software program Audio Timeliner was

utilized to listen to specific segments of the piece. Audio Timeliner was a beneficial

resource when trying to hear the different thematic sections throughout the composition.

To my ear, The Spark Catchers already exhibited many sound qualities common in a

modern wind ensemble composition. So, to complete the first step, the blank score

document was created. For a transcription project, setting the wind ensemble score to

mirror the orchestral score was beneficial; meaning, each page of each score has the exact

same musical material. This aided in the review of the final product as every page

contained the same music between the original and transcribed scores. Following this

step, the original wind, harp and percussion music was entered into Sibelius.

   After entering the original wind, double bass, harp, and percussion into the

transcription score, the second step was to locate the original string music that doubled

                                             17

18

with wind instruments. Then a determination was made to either keep the original scoring

for winds or write the string parts into additional wind voices. The overall

instrumentation of the ensemble was the main determining factor as to whether additional

voices were added. This step was also a primary determining factor in which wind

instruments would be added that were not included in Kendall’s original score.

   The third step was determining which instruments to set the remaining music for

strings that was not doubled in the original wind or percussion parts. This process was the

most time consuming as it created the need to rewrite some of the original wind music or

to expand different wind sections. For example, there are two soprano clarinet parts with

the clarinet 2 doubling on bass clarinet in the original orchestral version, but there was a

need for two additional soprano clarinet parts to cover the string music. The orchestral

score does not include saxophone or euphonium parts, but these instruments were added

into the transcription to help manage the string parts and to bring a more complete wind

ensemble texture to the work. Bowed crotales and vibraphone were also added to support

the harp voice in the wind ensemble version.

   The final step was to ensure the parts and scores were clear and legible for the

rehearsal process. Each part was exported through Sibelius and formatted individually for

the highest level of clarity. The first reading session took place on Tuesday, February 4th,

2020 in Fillmore Hall at the University of Miami. During these sessions the performers

were asked to circle any discrepancies in their parts, whether cosmetic or notational. Any

errors were immediately corrected with new parts distributed by the next rehearsal on

Thursday, February 6th, 2020. It was also beneficial to have my teacher, Dr. Robert

Carnochan, and graduate colleagues Jeffrey Summers and Tina DiMeglio point out

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inconsistencies in the score that needed correction. Any and all issues were resolved

immediately in preparation for the performance. The Spark Catchers for wind ensemble

was premiered on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 4:00 pm in Gusman Hall at the University of

Miami.

CHAPTER 5        – STARTING THE TRANSCRIPTION
    Deciding which instruments to select to treat the string music took quite a bit of trial

and error. The initial plan to transfer the string parts to the flute and clarinet parts was

short lived. Kendall scored for flute and clarinet throughout the piece, so the decision was

made to keep those parts as originally scored. Following this decision, the majority of the

original wind music was maintained throughout the transcription. The issue of setting the

strings still remained, so the only choice was to add instruments. Saxophone is not a

common instrument in orchestral writing but is common in wind ensemble writing. The

first thought was to use alto saxophone 1–2, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone;

however, after looking at the tessitura relationships between the violin 1 and violin 2

parts, the decision was made to go with soprano saxophone opposed to alto saxophone 1.

This relationship is evident from the very beginning of the piece as indicated in the figure

below:

    *Figure 5.1 – the Violin 1–2 tessitura relationship

    The relationship of the octaves between the violin 1 and 2 parts was set between

soprano saxophone and alto saxophone. With this motive originally set in the piccolo

part, the decision was made to take the music in the second violin part and transfer it to

the first clarinet part. This decision allowed the alto saxophone to shift to a different part

                                                    20

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and double with the second oboe part, which I considered to help with woodwind

projection in the opening of the piece. This is shown below in Figure 5.2:

   *Figure 5.2 – Soprano and alto saxophone parts from the opening of the transcribed score.

   Setting the violin 2 music in the first clarinet part created a new issue, with original

music composed for a first clarinet part, the need to expand the clarinet section arose.

   *Figure 5.3 – Original music score for clarinet

   Figure 5.4 below displays the transcribed setting for the expanded soprano clarinet

section:

   *Figure 5.4

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   The original music for viola, cello and double bass in the opening of The Spark

Catchers is doubled between the brass and double bass. These were the primary

contributing factors to expanding the clarinet section and the addition of the saxophone

section. The original woodwind section, without strings, could be covered by the brass in

the wind ensemble setting. Once the decisions were settled on the wind instrumentation,

harp and percussion remained. Throughout the process of setting the wind

instrumentation, the thought of having predominantly metallic percussion was at the

forefront. Kendall scored the opening with harp and glockenspiel together. The harp

music was in octaves and the glockenspiel doubled the lower octave of the harp music,

shown below in Figure 5.5:

   *Figure 5.5

   The decision to add vibraphone and crotales to the opening in percussion was made to

support the original music Kendall composed for glockenspiel and harp. The addition of

vibraphone, in octaves with the harp, and crotales doubling with the glockenspiel created

this support. The expanded scoring is shown below in Figure 5.6:

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   *Figure 5.6

   These scoring decisions were all crafted to support the textures from the original

composition. Considering the sonic loss of a full orchestral string section, expansion was

needed in the woodwind sections to provide enough musicians on stage to contribute to

the full wind ensemble texture. While it is common to have a double bass with a wind

ensemble, one player is not a substitute for an entire section. Considerations to double the

bass music in low brass and low reed voices also had to be made. With the expansion of

the soprano clarinet section to three parts, the decision was also made from a personnel

standpoint to double each soprano clarinet part. Doubling the soprano clarinet parts ended

up being a great asset to the woodwind texture throughout the transcription. The decision

was also made to add euphonium to the low brass. This did not have as much effect on

the opening of the piece; however, once the music becomes transparent at rehearsal letter

I, the use of the euphonium to round out the higher woodwind textures really helped

balance the overall texture of the ensemble. Euphonium also provides an opportunity to

cover cello music without the brassy edge that a trombone can produce at times. These

scoring decisions remained throughout the opening until rehearsal letter A. Once the

opening instrumentation was determined, decisions still needed to be made to which

instruments would cover string parts and at what moments would original wind parts

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need adjustment, but the overall texture of the transcription was representative of the

original composition. Following the opening fourteen measures of The Spark Catchers, I

was confident in the instrumentation choices for the transcription and was able to move

forward at a quicker pace. The time frame from the first listening to the piece to setting

the first fourteen measures to the final instrumentation was a six–month duration; one of

which was spent wrestling with instrumentation and voicing decisions. Once the opening

of The Spark Catchers was finalized, it took six weeks to finish the first draft of the

transcription. Spending the time to really listen to the piece and sonically understand the

original music took a fair amount of time at the onset of the project, but time was saved

once the opening was completed. Kendall’s original wind writing transferred well across

the transcription, and from there setting the string music or making minor adjustments for

the scoring to transfer more effectively for wind ensemble became the primary objective.

CHAPTER 6 – THE TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS

   At rehearsal letter A, the music shifts to a more transparent texture, so there was no

longer a significant need to double parts. The original wind writing was retained in the

piccolo, flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets and harp. The original clarinet writing

remained between the clarinet 1 and 2 parts; however, the clarinet 3 part doubled the

oboe 1 part for support and color. The initial concern was the b–flat in the oboe 1 part

sounding too thin, so the clarinet 3 was added to provide more stability to that timbre.

The clarinet still supports the reedy texture but also does not overpower the texture of the

oboe. This section is also where the euphonium texture becomes more prevalent. The

original cello part, now written in the euphonium part, supports the music in the horn

section from measure 16 to measure 24, both shown below in Figures 6.1 and 6.2:

   *Figure 6.1 – the original cello music from mms. 16–24

   *Figure 6.2 – the euphonium part covering the original cello music

                                                 25

26

   The addition of tenor and baritone saxophones in measure 32 are the only voice

additions until “The Molten Madness” at rehearsal letter B. The two saxophones are

covering the music from the double bass voice. The original score calls for six bassists

and the music in m. 34 is split. These two factors were what led to the use of both tenor

and baritone saxophones. With the other instruments playing in a higher tessitura, the

tenor and baritone saxophones projected the bass music well.

   “The Molten Madness” at rehearsal letter B, measure 43, is the first text reference to

the poem in the score and is a timbral change from the previous section. The most notable

change is the tempo adjustment to half the opening tempo, from 120 beats per minute to

60 beats per minute; however, the sixteenth note motives transform into thirty–second

note motives, so the music still has a driving rhythmic feel. Originally, the thirty–second

note motive was scored for clarinet 1–2, trumpet 1–2, violin 1 (only for two measures),

and violin 2, which is divided between upper and lower parts. The original music

remained in the clarinet 1–2 and trumpet 1–2 parts. Both of the violin 2 parts were

transcribed for the soprano and alto saxophones. The violin 1 part is covered in the

original music by the clarinet 1–2 parts, so the decision was made to not provide an

additional voice to cover the original violin 1 part. The original trombone music was

moved to tenor saxophone, which compliments the bassoon 2 part. This decision was

made to allow the low brass section to be a cohesive section with the music originally

composed in the cello and double bass voices. The switch from tenor trombone to tenor

saxophone was one of the few changes to the original wind writing. Having the full low

brass section texture covering the low string music was the determining priority in this

section.

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   Rehearsal letter C, titled “Majestic,” returns to a more unison, full ensemble motivic

concept. While the original clarinet 1–2 parts contain the original music also doubled in

the violin 1–2 parts, the addition of the clarinet 3 and dedicated bass clarinet parts

provide more support for these voices. Figures 6.3, 6.4, and 6.5 display the original violin

1–2 music, the original clarinet 1–2 music, and the setting of those parts in the expanded

clarinet section below:

   *Figure 6.3 – original violin 1–2 music

   *Figure 6.4 – original clarinet 1–2 music

   *Figure 6.5 – expanded clarinet section with original violin 1–2 and clarinet 1–2 music

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   The same musical material was also set in the alto, tenor and baritone saxophones to

provide more depth to the overall woodwind texture. From the original score, the low

brass section also contains this same musical material. The only adjustment made in the

transcription was the addition of the euphonium part to complete the low brass family

texture.

   The percussion section was expanded at rehearsal letter C to support the original harp

and glockenspiel music. With the expansion of the woodwind section and the use of the

full low brass family, the harp music is at risk of being covered in this particular section.

The use of the harp music is to support the articulation from the upper woodwind and

upper brass voices as shown in Figures 6.6 and 6.7:

   *Figure 6.6 – original harp music

   *Figure 6.7 – original horn and trumpet music

   As shown in the figures above, the harp music articulates at the beginning of each

sustain in the upper brass. The flute 1–2 and oboe 1–2 parts also have the sustained parts

but are not referenced in the figures. The percussive nature of this harp music called for

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more support, so crotales and vibraphone were added. An initial concern was whether or

not the metallic percussion would overpower the intent of the articulation support, but

overall, the addition helped create more articulation definition throughout this section.

The sustained music referenced in Figure 5.7 is almost identical in both the orchestral and

wind ensemble scores. The only difference is the addition of the same music one octave

lower in both the flute 2 and oboe 2 parts to match the octave relationship in the trumpet

1–2 parts.

   Rehearsal letter D, titled “with suspense” is the first instance where percussion is

replacing a string voice. Violin 2 doubles the clarinet 1 music with a sixteenth motive,

which is the primary musical motive of this section. Vibraphone was selected to replace

the violin 2 voice from measures 74–81. This motive was also placed in the bassoon 1

part to support the chalumeau range of the clarinet 1 part. In my opinion, modern wind

ensemble music utilizes more percussion than the standard band repertoire. So, the

decision to use vibraphone was partly made to bring that texture to The Spark Catchers,

while also keeping the original texture at the forefront. The use of glockenspiel would

have provided a texture that was too bright and would overpower the articulation in the

clarinet 1 and added bassoon 1 parts. Adding the vibraphone with medium mallets

provided a supporting texture to the clarinet and bassoon, while also providing some

metallic percussion color. One consideration for the addition of the vibraphone was the

end of this motive in measure 81. In the original violin 2 music, the duration of the

sixteenth note motive spans the entire measure as shown below in Figure 6.8:

   *Figure 6.8 – the original violin 2 sixteenth motive from measures 74–82

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   Shown below in Figure 6.9, the vibraphone clearly stops the motive on the second

sixteenth note of count two in measure 81:

   *Figure 6.9

   This decision was made in consideration for the resonance of the vibraphone. The

ending of the sixteenth note motive, based on the original writing calls for a less resonant

release than what a vibraphone typically creates. Thus, the motive was concluded two

sixteenth notes early in the vibraphone; however, the original score has the bass clarinet

(switched from clarinet 2) with the final two sixteenth notes. These notes were set in the

bass clarinet, bassoon 2 and contrabassoon parts to provide more support to the end of the

phrase while still maintaining a drier, and reedier release. From measure 83 to 93, the

harp becomes the dominant texture. To support this texture shift, the original music

remained in the bass clarinet, the viola music was placed in the flute 1 part, the violin 2

music was set in the bassoon 1 part and the violin 1 music became oboe 1 music.

Essentially, the string music was flipped in range. The flute covered the viola music as

the violin 1–2 parts were too rhythmically comparable to the harp part, and a concern

was the tessitura similarities between the flute and the harp. Having the bassoon 1 cover

the violin 2 music created a texture similarity with the bass clarinet and the oboe 1 part

with the violin 1 music provided a more successful sound palette for the harp to become

the primary voice. There was an initial concern that flipping the string ranges might

31

create too much of a timbre change from the original work, but with harp becoming the

priority, this change ended up working effectively.

   From rehearsal letter E to rehearsal letter I (measures 94–165), the sixteenth note

motive referenced in Figures 6.8 and 6.9 above is interspersed throughout. For the

duration of this section, the original wind music was transferred into the transcription.

The strings were covered by the expanded clarinet section, the saxophone section, and the

euphonium. Specific changes from the original score; the addition of the vibraphone

assisted the support of the “jazzy” style referenced in the original cello and double bass

parts. “Jazzy” is also referenced in the original bassoon 1–2, horn 1–3, trombone 1–2, and

score. The mellow and metallic tone from the vibraphone throughout rehearsal letter E

added needed depth to the wind texture. From measures 117–122, the crotales were

added to support the original piccolo and trumpet music. The crotales create a defined,

bright, and metallic start to the notes that complement the texture of the piccolo and the

trumpet in this section. The vibraphone returns to the sixteenth note motive from

measures 122–141. In the wind ensemble transcription, the vibraphone supports the

clarinet 3, bass clarinet and euphonium voices.

   The euphonium voice covers the original cello music while the vibraphone is in

support. Euphonium continues to cover the original cello music from rehearsal letter G,

measure 143 until rehearsal letter I, measure 166. The original wind and string music is

doubled throughout this section. Originally, the string music was going to be set in the

saxophones, but considering the original texture, the original wind music was left to stand

alone, with the exception of the tenor saxophone covering the sustained pitch from the

viola from measure 158–166. While this section of music is comprised of 71 measures of

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music, the transcription process throughout was not as tedious as the opening of The

Spark Catchers or the section following at rehearsal letter I. As stated earlier, the original

wind writing was transferred to the transcription and the string music set in the expanded

clarinet, saxophone, euphonium, vibraphone, and crotales parts. While this section is a

significant portion of the piece, the transcription process throughout was relatively

similar.

   “Beneath the Stars/In the Silver Sheen” from rehearsal letter I, measures 166–230, is

the slower and more transparent section of The Spark Catchers. This particular section of

music created a unique opportunity, compared to the rest of the piece to really showcase

timbres unique to the wind ensemble. To achieve the transparent sound from the original,

more instrumentation decisions were made. The original string music was set in the

saxophone section with violin 1 in soprano saxophone, violin 2 in alto saxophone, viola

in tenor saxophone, and cello in baritone saxophone. The first thought was to distribute

the original string music equally between the expanded soprano clarinets and saxophone

family; however, looking at the range relationship between the original string parts, the

decision was made to remain with the saxophone family. The original string music is

shown below in Figure 6.11:

33

    *Figure 6.11 – original string music from measures 169–175

    The predominant thought was how the saxophone family preserved the original string

timbre and texture in relationship to the other wind instruments as closely as possible.

The saxophone family is a natural quartet, and in this section, that was the final deciding

factor.

    Initially, the double bass was going to be used to cover any original bass music;

however, upon closer review there is not any original double bass music throughout this

section. With the absence of any bass voice throughout this section, the concern arose

that the music could sound too thin in a wind ensemble setting. The original music is

without bass clarinet, bassoon, trombone, tuba or double bass, which creates a transparent

musical atmosphere, but could also risk sounding incomplete. The absence of the bass

voice created the need to find the musical destination of this section. Harmonically, the

music throughout this entire section is moving to resolve on a concert B–natural, so the

instrumentation decisions made were to support the B–natural. The first decision made

was to add bowed vibraphone and bowed crotales in support of the first B–natural arrival

in measure 173. Measures 178 and 180 are the two additional instances of added bowed

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percussion throughout rehearsal letter I. Other concert B–naturals occur in a passing

manner during this section, but the bowed percussion was set to the notes where the

motive was more resolute. The original glockenspiel music aided the decision to use

bowed metallic percussion. That particular instrument combination also ended up having

a complimentary timbre to the flute, oboe, and especially the metallic straight muted

trumpet music.

   Rehearsal letter J, measures 197–229, titled “Illuminated, clear, phosphorescent,” is a

continuation of the transparent section. Instrumentation decisions from rehearsal letter I,

bowed metallic percussion and string parts in the saxophone family, continue throughout

this section as well. Bowed vibraphone and crotales continue to support the arrival to

concert B–natural through measure 207. In the original score, the addition of the bassoon

1–2 parts adds more depth to the woodwind texture in this section, however the part

writing for the brass family is sparse. There is original music in the horn 1 part from

measures 208–214 and measure 223–224. The addition of euphonium throughout this

section was made to add more depth to the wind ensemble timbre. The first entrance of

the euphonium in measure 197 is on a concert F, which is also the same pitch in a lower

octave from the alto and tenor saxophone parts. Introducing the euphonium into this

section on the concert F occurred so the first entrance was not intrusive to the current

texture. This provided the opportunity for the euphonium to join and enhance the

ensemble timbre without tonal distraction. From count 3 of measure 199 through measure

209 the euphonium doubles the bassoon 2 music, which is also set an octave higher in the

oboe 2 part. These measures are the conclusion of the harmonic search for B–natural

from rehearsal letter I. The use of euphonium in these measures is purely support and

35

tone enhancement. Starting in measure 214 and spanning until measure 229, the

euphonium part continues to operate in a supportive role, however the doubling moves

between parts instead of doubling a single part. In measures 214–215 the euphonium

doubles the bassoon 2 part to help the crescendo underneath their A–natural; however, in

measure 216, the euphonium voice shifts to double with the G–sharp in the flute 2 part.

Starting on the upbeat of count 3 in measure 216, the euphonium shifts to an A–natural

which doubles the bassoon 1 part. This note sustains through the first eighth–note of

measure 220 in the euphonium part; however, bassoon 1 passes this pitch to bassoon 2 on

the upbeat of count 2 in measure 218. The initial decision was to have the euphonium

rearticulate the A–natural when the second bassoon enters, but the overlapping of the

bassoon 1 and 2 parts led to the decision to keep the note sustained in euphonium.

Kendall’s original writing, shown below in Figure 6.12, has the bassoon 1 part sustaining

through the entrance of the bassoon 2 part, so the articulation does not seem as imperative

as the sustain of the A–natural.

    *Figure 6.12 – the third measure of this figure is measure 216. The overlapping between bassoon 1–2
parts occurs in the fifth bar of this figure.

    On the second count of measure 220, the euphonium shifts back to support the

bassoon 1 voice on an E–natural. This E–natural resolves up to a F–natural in measure

36

223. The bassoon 1 releases the F after the first count of measure 224, but the euphonium

sustains through measure 229 to support the soprano and alto saxophone voices,

originally the string parts. The addition of euphonium throughout this section was

primarily a supportive role to the transparent texture of this section. This timbre was in

addition to the original music and, aside from the bowed percussion, the only actual voice

that was created beyond what Hannah Kendall composed. The primary hope was by

adding the euphonium, the overall texture of this section would round out and provide

support to the voices that Kendall created. While the euphonium addition was not

included in the original composition, it was added to support the voices Kendall

composed in a wind ensemble setting.

   The tempo accelerates back to 120 beats per minute in measure 225; however, the

next rehearsal marker, rehearsal letter K, measures 230–250, titled “Dance–like,” is

where the texture shifts back, similarly, to the opening of the piece. The double bass

returns in measure 230 and that music is set in the double bass part of the transcription.

String parts throughout this section were set in the saxophone family, similarly to the

previous section; however, the soprano and alto saxophones alternated between the violin

1–2 parts to stay within more comfortable ranges. Initially, the soprano saxophone was

going to continue to cover the violin 1 music, but the soprano saxophone was either going

to be set in an extremely high or low register for the instrument, so the decision to

alternate with the alto saxophone was made. The original string music was set in a mid–

range for the violins, so it was imperative to keep that same range relationship in the

saxophones. Both the soprano and alto saxophones cover the violin 1 music from the

upbeat of count 2 in measure 231 through measure 234. In measure 235, the soprano