Seid
(1995/96) for Brass Band (Noteservice) (dur: 15:30)
Commissioned as a test piece for the European BB Championship 1996.
Version for Concert Band available made in 2019.
commissioned by Frode Amundsen/Borge Musikkorps.
[PUBLISHER: Norsk Noteservice AS]
Instrumentation:
Piccolo
Flute 1-2
Oboe 1-2
Solo Clarinet in Bb (one player)
Clarinet in Bb 1
Clarinet in Bb 2
Clarinet in Bb 3
Bass Clarinet in Bb
Contrabass Clarinet in Bb (optional)
Bassoon 1-2 (Bsn. 2: optional)
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone 1-2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet in Bb 1-2-3-4
Cornet in Bb 1-2
Horn in F 1-2-3-4
Trombone 1-2-3 (Tbn. 3 is optional)
Bass Trombone
Euphonium 1-2
Tuba 1-2
Double Bass
Timpani:
also Tam-tam (share with mallets)
Mallets: Xylophone, Vibraphone,Tubular bells, Tam-tam, Bass drum (share with perc. 1)
Percussion 1 (left):
5 Tom-toms (different sizes), Snare drum, Bass drum, Suspended cymbal (deep)
Percussion 2 (right):
5 Temple blocks, Wood block, Deep tom-tom, Triangle,
2 Suspended cymbal (medium and high), A2 cymbal, Tambourine
Commssioned by EBBA/NMF for the European Brass Band Championship 1996.
Quote from the score:
“SEID was a divination ceremony practised by the Vikings which could be used to reveal knowledge of the future. During the ceremony, women sang incatations and the Seeress (Völva) passed into a kind of trance.
In other arctic cultures similar ceremonies took place during which the Medicine man (Sage), or Shaman, would beat a drum covered with magic runes, and he too would pass into a trance, reaching the deepest part of his own sub-conciousness - a journey beyond time and space....”
The piece is in one movement, but there are different sections in it:
Part 1: important material beeing exposed:
Allegro risoluto: Begins with Tom-toms and Timps, but very soon the horn-section has an important melodic line.
Deciso e brillante: muted band, caracteristic material heard in top cornets.
Poco piu mosso: Trombones are important here.
Ritard. poco a poco al Lentando: this is a bridge that calm down everything.
Lento: Cornet-solo followed by a short passage based on chords.
Feroce ma sostenuto: a short bridge with some big chords coming in.
Lento: Euphonium-solo, then the cornet section.
Energico: a short bridge.
Lento: baritones followed by euph.´s
Part 2: further development:
Feroce: a short bridge.
Allegro con brio - Poco meno mosso - Meno mosso - Poco lento: Fast section with melodic material often as duets. The music gradually loose energy and the Eb bass takes over the scene:
Cadenza: Eb bass and some accompainment.
Allegro mod. e feroce, Distinto: This section is a bit “wild”, but the bass-riff is based on previous material and the drumming refer to the very opening.
Maestoso ma brillante: Based on the second section of the piece.
This section is like a great finale, but it does not end the piece, because an
Epilogue: Lento mesto follows.
In 2009 I wrote an alternative ending by using some of the main material and the energy opening part. This, in a way, changes the whole experience of the work as a whole.
The music is not programmatic. It is a piece of music that can be heard without knowing the title. When I called the piece Seid I wanted to focus on what inspired me by the time I wrote the piece.
The use of Tom-toms in the beginning is inspired by the fact that even the god Odin (known from Scandinavian mythology) used a drum when he practised seid.
In every shamanistic religion, the “journey” is very important. During the trance, they can see things that no other man can see.
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Version B (in the same brass band score): Commissioned by Frode Amundsen and Oslo Brass Band for the Norwegian Championship 2010.
“SEID” for Brass Band (1995)
SEID var en spådom sermoni praktisert blant vikingene som ble brukt til å spå om fremtiden. Under sermonien ble det sunget besvergningssanger av kvinner og seersken (Volva) falt i transe.
I andre arktiske kulturer finner vi liknende sermonier, der medisinmannen (vismannen) eller sjamanen slo på en tromme dekt av magiske runetegn og på den måten kom i transe. Slik kunne også han nå de dypeste sider av sin egen underbevissthet - en reise hinsides tid og rom.
Disse ordene står i partiturets informasjonsside. Ordforklaringen sier noe om inspirasjonskilden eller utgangspunktet mitt for å skrive dette verket. Jeg skriver ikke programmusikk, men tittelen kan gi lytteren assosiasjoner til noe som gjør det “enklere” å forholde seg til musikken.
For dem som måtte være interessert, så er ordet seid f.eks. nevnt i Snorre´s Ynglingesaga og i sagaen om Harald Hårfagre eller man kan slå opp i leksikon eller annen relevant litteratur.
Verket er i en sammenhengende sats, men inneholder ulike deler:
DEL 1: viktig materiale presenteres:
Allegro risoluto: Begynner med Tomtoms and Timps, men horngruppa presenterer snart en viktig melodisk linje.
Deciso e brillante: alle spiller med mute og et ganske heftig riff høres i øverste del av kornettgruppen.
Poco piu mosso: Trombonene er viktige her.
Ritard. poco a poco al Lentando: en overgang som roer det hele ned.
Lento: Kornett-solo etterfulgt av en kort akkord-passage.
Feroce ma sostenuto: en kort overgang der man etterhvert hører noen store akkorder.
Lento: Eufonium-solo, deretter tematisk materiale i kornettgruppen.
Energico: en kort overgang.
Lento: baritone-duett etterfulgt av en euph. duett.
Del 2: videre utvikling:
Feroce: en kort overgang.
Allegro con brio - Poco meno mosso - Meno mosso - Poco lento: Hurtig del der det tematiske materiale ofte presenteres som duetter. Musikkens energi avtar gradvis
og gir plass for Eb-bass:
Cadenza: Eb bass og litt akkomp.
Allegro mod. e feroce, Distinto: Denne delen er litt “vill”. Tuba-riffet er hentet fra et tidligere tema spilt av kornetter og trommingen referer til åpningen av stykket.
Maestoso ma brillante: Baserer seg på andre del i stykket (kornett-riff).
Denne delen er som en slags stor finale, men stykket slutter ikke her, fordi en
Epilog: Lento mesto følger til slutt.
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I "Seid - versjon B" (fra 2009) kommer "Lento mesto" før tubakadensen og en ny kort, intens slutt, basert på åpningsdelens materiale, er lagt til.
2019: Versjon for Concert Band bestilt av Frode Amundsen/Borge Musikkorps