David and Lynne asked to write a piece they could tour in Spain.
I have been taken lately with the musical influence of the Arab world
on the West, especially on Sephardic Jews and Mozarabic Christian
chant. The scales, with their augmented-second gaps, are
refreshing and the rhythms, with vibrant groupings of two and three,
are intoxicating to me.
I write this as the world is torn by conflicts between the descendents
of Abraham. Jews, Christians and Moslems seem locked in perpetual
conflict. This conflict percolates into Africa where starvation,
rape, and genocide are seen in many countries and where children carry
guns.
It is in this context that I offer Peace Dance. I pray that the
world will find common ground in compassion and humanity.
I. Dancing a lament for children suffering from the ravages of war.
This section is based on fragments from a song from the Moroccan
Sephardic Jewish celebration of Yom Kippur, the “Day of
Atonement.” It is calling to make preparations (and reparations)
for past misdeeds and a summons for our dedication that the future to
be more enlightened and refined.
II. Plea for peace is taken from Catholic liturgy, from the Liber
Usualis, and the Mass to beg for Peace. The groupings of two and
three notes in plainsong naturally led to section III (peace dance),
which is the Alleluia from this Mass placed in its natural groups that
fit wonderfully into an Arab-like rhythmic cycle of 8 + 7 + 9 + 11
beats.
IV. A communion of all peoples. The extended coda recaps
much of the previous material. The chant is based on the
Communion from the Mass and blends all three influences - Christian,
Moslem, and Jewish, into one final flourish.
The work is to be performed without break. The section titles are
only to indicate a change in mood.
Craig Thomas Naylor
Fredericksburg, Virginia
September 16, 2006