Angel of Mercy

Wind Ensemble
2015

17 min.

Grade 6

Buy Score and Parts

Listen Now

The St. Olaf Band

The St. Olaf Band, Timothy Mahr, cond. Winter Tour Home Concert – 13 February 2016

Preview Score

Instrumentation

Picc Fl-2 Ob-2 E♭Cl B♭Cl-3 BCl CbCl Bsn-2 Cbsn SSx ASx TSx BSx | Hn-4 B♭Tpt-2 Ct-2 Trb-2 BTrb Euph Tuba | DB Pno Timp Perc-6

Details

Piccolo
Flute (2)
Oboe (2)
Clarinet in E♭
Clarinet in B♭ (3)
Bass Clarinet in B♭
Contralto Clarinet in E♭
Contrabass Clarinet in B♭
Bassoon (2)
Contrabassoon
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Horn in F (4)
Trumpet in B♭ (2)
Cornet in B♭ (2)
Trombone (2)
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Double Bass
Piano
Timpani
Required Percussion (6 players)
- Vibraphone
- Marimba
- Orchestra Bells (2)
- Anvil (3)
- Crotales
- Wood Block (lg.)
- Crash Cymbals (2)
- Tam-tam
- Xylophone
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal (2 lg.)
- Tom-toms (sm., med.)
- Bongo (low, high)
- Bass Drum
- Bell Plate

About part assignments

For wind ensembles and concertos, please use one player per part. For symphonies and concert pieces, more players may be used as desired. David’s full statement.

Commissioned by

Supported by the Miles Johnson Endowment and created expressly in observance of the 125th anniversary of the St. Olaf Band

Premiere

6 February 2016 by the St. Olaf Band, Dr. Timothy Mahr, conductor, at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY

Program Note

I have been playing and singing the Bach 371 Four-Part Chorales for more than 25 years. Although they have a Christian/Lutheran context, they are primarily, and for me most importantly, just music, glorious and powerful in themselves.

After all these years I have come to feel that singing the Chorales is an act of prayer, and to date I have sung through the entire book ,all four voices, of each Chorale some 23 times. These ancient melodies are the voice of peace, and over the years, they have formed a peaceful center in me.

Angel of Mercy is a prayer for peace in our troubled time. Three Chorale melodies are the foundation for this music: “O Fear, Disquiet, and Apprehension,” “Oh, How Blest Are Ye,” and “I Leave All Things to God’s Direction.” This piece was commissioned by Timothy Mahr and the St. Olaf Band in honor of the band’s 125th anniversary. It is dedicated to them with profound gratitude and respect.

Program note by David Maslanka (December 2015)

Maslanka Weekly highlights excellent performances of David Maslanka’s music from around the web. This week, we feature performances of three of David’s works inspired specifically to help us as listeners and performers around the world create peace in our communities: Peace, Angel of Mercy, and Hymn for World Peace.