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Suite in seven movements For Brass Band, Soloists & Percussion "Our Hidden Language" by Jacob Vilhelm Larsen Commissioned by conductor Dr. David Thornton and the Brighouse & Rastrick Band for Brass In Concert 2018 Duration, c. 23 min. © Copyright Jacob Vilhelm Larsen – October 2018 [email protected] Suite in seven movements for brass band & percussion "OUR HIDDEN LANGUAGE" was commissioned by conductor Dr. David Thornton and the Brighouse & Rastrick Band with funds provided by the Danish Art Council (STATENS KUNSTFOND) for the Brass In Concert championships 2018, held at The Sage Gateshead, on November 18th 2018. "The suite links directly or indirectly to music related dance and different styles of dances from ballet to jazz”. 1st INTRODUCTION: “The Firebird Suite” by the musical mastermind Igor Stravinsky had me captured from the very first time I listened as a young boy. The introduction of “Our Hidden Languages” opens with the same 6 notes as “The Firebird” and the whole introduction has Stravinsky inspired rhythms and motives throughout and is ment to set the scene for the whole suite which is based on the variety of styles and moods from dances – from ballet to jazz. 2nd CASSINI`S LAST DANCE: Is an homage to the NASA spacecraft, Cassini. The Cassini-Huygens mission ended its sojourn at Saturn on September 15th 2017, with a plunge in the atmosphere of the ringed planet. The mission began in 1997 when Cassini was launched on a trip to Saturn to look for evidence of water and capture the first close-up views of the planet. The spacecraft arrived in 2004, and probed its mysteries for 13 years. The music honors the achievements of the Cassini-Huygens mission, a mission lasting 20 years. 3rd BALLERINA: Solo for brass band & Bb Cornet. “The life of a ballerina is… sacrifice... loneliness… late hours… The life of a ballerina is… joy… succeeding… being something… The life of a ballerina is… from an early age… taking your body to the limit… But most of all, the life of a ballerina is… short…” 4th NORWEGIAN DANCE – FANITULLEN: Solo for euphonium. The music is deeply inspired by Norwegian folk music and especially the Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt. Fanitullen is Norwegian folklore about a man playing the violin so people danced and went mad. He is often portrayed as the devil. 5th WASHBOARD WATKINS: Solo for trombone and a little solo group of cornet, euphonium, eb bass & washboard. The music is happy and smiling and a good foot tapper. 6th BERCEUSE: The theme in the Berceuse is again inspired by “The firebird” by Stravinsky and is simply a variation on the 6 opening tones. The Berceuse is ment to link the suite from start to end the last movement 7th FIREBIRD INVENTION & FINALE: continues on small variations on the opening tones. Jacob Vilhelm Larsen October 20th, 2018