| Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's | 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| Composition Year | 1985 ca. |
Contents |
No files submitted.
| Work Title | Psalm 66 Improvisations |
|---|---|
| Alternative. Title | |
| Composer | Drehmer, Earl Richard |
| I-Catalogue NumberI-Cat. No. | None [force assignment] |
| Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's | 4 pieces |
| Year/Date of CompositionY/D of Comp. | 1985 ca. |
| First Performance. | 1985 |
| First Publication. | 2023 |
| Average DurationAvg. Duration | 33.8 minutes |
| Composer Time PeriodComp. Period | Modern |
| Piece Style | Modern |
| Instrumentation | vocal sounds, soprano recorder, flute, trumpet, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar with digital delay, electric bass, viola |
| Extra Information | improvised live plus some later 4-track tape manipulation |
My brothers Bob Drehmer and Dan Drehmer, and two friends, Paul Harrington and John Spiro, got together with me to have an improv session after meditating on the words of Psalm 66. I played the piano, my brothers played electric bass and acoustic guitar, one friend played electric guitar, and the other friend played flute. I also brought out other instruments for us to occasionally improvise on: trumpet; viola; and recorder; and we used our voices and other sounds we could make, with no stated restrictions or directions. We also used a digital delay device at times. Each improv has its own character, from serious to silly -- representing the quirky personalities of each of us. We made no plan but just started out and then stopped when we were done with each improv.
In no way can this music be directly correlated with the words of the Psalm. We just chose to praise God in our own unconventional manner after being inspired by the word of God. In fact, there is no such thing as a true "tone poem". No music can exactly describe its purported poem. All of the music is the fanciful thought of the composer. Just as Richard Strauss was "inspired" by the story of Till Eulenspiegel and J.S. Bach was "inspired" by the Ordinary of the Mass, so we were "inspired" by this Psalm.
Here are some quotes from the Psalm: "Shout joyfully to God, all the earth"; "sound His praise abroad"; "Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was exalted with my tongue."
