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Concerto for Hammond Organ, Orchestra, Vocal Quartet, and Chorus

Nabors, Brian R
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1554212818814569

Abstract Details

2019, DMA, University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music: Composition.
I had reached a crossroads in my artistic journey as a composer where I began to contemplate how my work would be a reflection of the times I lived. I sought to establish a firm purpose as an artist, unafraid to make bold statements that would inspire others to create change for the greater good. My goal was to create a culturally enriching work that takes a hard look at the current state of American society in the 21st century. The creation of the work is cultivated by the long history the nation has experienced on the course to realizing its ideals of freedom and equality for all its citizens. It is a deep reflection of the triumphs as well as the many impediments that have shaped our current outlook on the future of American life. I chose to look inward to create this work, exploring all the various cultural and musical attributes that American society has had on my compositional aesthetic. This led me to the selection of the Hammond organ as the catalyst for this piece. Musically and stylistically, it is one of the most culturally affluent and consistent musical instruments in American music. It bridges the gap between several musical genres; gospel, jazz, RnB, rock/soul, and many others. Within these styles exists many culturally unique sound worlds, cultivated by a rich variety of perspectives. The piece is divided into 3 movements: a rhapsody, threnody, and gospel praise break. The first movement, Rhapsody is an exploration of American sound. It is a celebration of the many cultural influences that make the United States such a unique place. In a nutshell, it is everything we continue to strive for; fluid cultural integration. I send the soloist and orchestra through a whirlwind of genres. There’s Latin flavor, modern jazz, hard rock, all thrown into a contemporary sound block. The second movement, Invocation presents a lot of hard truths that concern the well-being of our nation’s people. Unfortunately, even in this current day and age, America is no stranger to tragedy. I wanted this movement to be a moment where we pay homage to all of the innocent people taken by the hands of oppression, but most importantly reexamine our core values if we are to live in a nation where everyone regardless of who you are, or where you come from, can prosper. Finally, we have the third movement, Finale that is essentially one large gospel praise break between the organ and orchestra. This movement is lightning fast, bringing about the sound world of the African-American church, where echoes of praise ring out amongst the musicians. The choir and soloists return after the fast material reigns in these themes of hope. The piece ends on a dramatic high with the organ in front of the pack, leading the charge, pressing toward the mark of what we hope to be a bright future not only for our country, but eventually extended to the world.
Douglas Knehans, D.M.A. (Committee Chair)
Michael Fiday, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Mara (Margaret) Helmuth, D.M.A. (Committee Member)
141 p.
Music
Concerto; Hammond Organ; Gospel

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Nabors, B. R. (2019). Concerto for Hammond Organ, Orchestra, Vocal Quartet, and Chorus [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1554212818814569

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Nabors, Brian. Concerto for Hammond Organ, Orchestra, Vocal Quartet, and Chorus. 2019. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1554212818814569.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Nabors, Brian. "Concerto for Hammond Organ, Orchestra, Vocal Quartet, and Chorus." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1554212818814569

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1554212818814569
279
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This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.