The Creation Of This Work Was Commissioned By:
Marc Blanchette, Mt. St. Charles Academy, Woonsockett, RI
Scott King, New Fairfield High School, New Fairfield, CT
Stephen Rochford, Irvine Valley College, Irvine, CA
With Additional Funding From The
University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA
Percussion (3 - 8 Players)
Timpani
Bells
Xylophone
Perc. 1 – Dumbek or other goblet-shaped drum
Perc. 2 – Riqq (small tambourine)
Perc. 3 – Tar (large hand drum) - 2 Tom Tom sub OK
Perc. 4 – 2 players – a) Tam Tam & Crash Cymbals, b) Suspended
Cymbal
This work may be performed with only 2 or 3 present from the following:
Bassoon 1, 2, Baritone Sax, Bass Trombone, Tuba, String Bass.
----
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea.
From America,
the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates
For each of you we have appointed a law and a way.
And if God had willed He would have made you one people.
But He has willed it otherwise that He may put you to the test in what
He has given you.
So vie with one another in good works. Unto God will ye be brought back,
And He will inform you about that wherein ye differed.
Quran,
V:51
Salaam America
Salaam, is Arabic for Peace.
It is to the hope for peace, tolerance and freedom that I dedicate this
work.
In July of 2004, I had the opportunity to celebrate Independence Day in
eastern Africa, at the Embassy of the United States of America in Dar
es Salaam ("Haven of Peace"), Tanzania. This celebration, held in
the new compound built after the destruction of the old one by a
terrorist bomb in 1998, united people of many different cultures and
religions, all celebrating the ideas of freedom and democracy. On
this day, people from Africa, the U. S., Asia, India, Pakistan, the
Middle East - Christian, Hindu, Moslem and Traditional - ate, danced
and celebrated the ideals that are the foundation of hopes and
aspirations around the world – a better life determined and directed by
the people. It was one of my proudest days as a citizen of the
United States of America.
To commemorate this event, I present Salaam America, fusing American
traditions with Arabic rhythms and scales.
The eastern part of Tanzania (especially Zanzibar) is now predominantly
Islamic and has a unique blend of African roots with Arabic influences
– especially in the music. These musical characteristics have
been blended here with the incomparable America the Beautiful.
The opening is a low, sighing drone, with melismatic solos based on the
saba maqam (scale), traded between oboe, trumpet and alto saxophone.
The saba maqam is often associated with lamenting, with tragedy (Touma,
p. 44). Fragments of the America melody, also based on the saba
scale, are heard high above, like bells, a distant ringing of
freedom. These tones are, however, tinged with great sadness at
the violence and lack of tolerance characterizing many of the current
interactions between Islam and Christendom (what most Moslems use to
speak of the West). Saba is still used in the Coptic (Egyptian
Christianity) hymnody for the Prayer of Reconciliation.1 This
introductory section has great freedom in time, each soloist blending
with and responding to the others but not feeling obliged to be
lock-step in congruity.
The middle section is a little faster, in strict time, using an 8-beat
Arabic wazn (beat pattern, also called uzul, iqa’at) called masmudi
kabir. Arabic percussion instruments are heard for the first
time: the dumbek (a goblet-shaped hand drum), tar (large frame drum –
very similar to an Irish bodhrain), and riqq, a small tambourine. The
melody of America is clearly heard in this section. This middle
section accelerates and crescendos into the final section, in a lively
7 beat wazn (dawr hindi) in a grouping of (3 + 2 + 2). This grows
in intensity with counterpoint on the maqam sikah (also spelled sika),
which is associated with love (Touma, p. 44). The Coptic
tradition give sika the attributes as “the divine, holy, grandeur, that
of the heavens” and is applied to hymns of the Virgin Mary.1 This
section, very lively and happy, slows to a brief cadenza near the end
where the soloists return, improvising in a final flourish of freedom
before the ensemble finishes with a brief and uplifting coda,
celebrating the hope of freedom in this troubled region of the world (
and throughout the entire world).
1 This information was taken from a discussion thread on
www.coptichymns.net that occurred on and around September 20,
2004. The authors are identified only by pseudonyms and sources
were not cited.
Insights Offered To The Conductor
Instrumentation: This work may be performed with only 2 or 3 present
from the following: Bassoon 1, 2, Baritone Sax, Bass Trombone, Tuba,
String Bass.
Percussion: A Dumbek is not expensive and can be purchased on line or
other places (I bought mine at a Middle Eastern grocery store).
Other names or similar drums include the dumbec, doumbec, doumbek,
Arabic tabla (not the Indian two-drum set), darabuka, tombak and
zarb. There are numerous on-line tutorials and sources for books
showing how to hold and play. Basically, the drum is tucked under
the left arm, resting on the left thigh, and played with both
hands. The player needs to be seated, have one leg over a stool,
or have a shoulder strap to play standing.
A Riqq is a small tambourine and is played held vertically, with the
head facing the viewer. On-line sources of instruments and
performance technique are available.
The Tar is held the same as the riqq. Substitution of two tom
toms is acceptable. On-line sources on instruments and
performance technique are available.
Introducing The Work To Your Ensemble
Introductory lessons are included that address maqams (the scales) and
temporal elements in Arabic music. Using them before introducing
the composition is recommended. Concepts covered in those lessons
are not duplicated here.
Shaping the Composition
The beginning should have a timeless quality. Be gentle with your
marking of time. Choose alto sax or trumpet as soloist at the
beginning. They should play the rhythms as they naturally roll
out of the instrument. If, at times, they get a beat or two
behind, that is OK. The second instrument entering (sax or
trumpet) should have the feeling that they are responding to the first
soloist - as if the first plays a line and the second, lagging just a
bit behind, is echoing, emulating but adding an extra layer of depth
and emotion.
M. 44 – keep the tonguing gentle. The tendency will be to make
the sixteenth notes very short. Staccati, when desired, are
clearly marked by the composer.
m. 52 – the 8-beat wazn masmudi kabir appears in 52, 53. This is
the pattern upon which the embellished rhythms through m. 83 appear.
m. 72 – the harmonization of “America” with a minor chord may be a
little startling at first. The primary reason is to enable the
subsequent lines “and crown thy good with brotherhood” to be the
prominent feature.
m. 83 – 89 is a bridge with two deceptive cadences, delaying the
resolution to the new key at 92. The two measures leading to m.
90 should accelerate and lead into the lively 7/8 at 92.
m. 92 – 129 is very happy, filled with joy. Please take notice of
the articulations of the eighth – 2 sixteenths – eighth groupings.
m. 130 – 134 conclude a deceptive cadence that begins at measure
124. The effect should be a questioning pause.
m. 135 – improvised cadenza with oboe (or clarinet), sax and
trumpet. Rhythmic ideas should be similar to the beginning
section but with a little more urgency, some quicker notes. Feel
free to extend the scale into a higher register.
m. 136 – a three measure accelerando and crescendo into the concluding
measures. The conclusion should lift the audience out of their
seats with joy and vibrancy.
References and Materials for Further Inquiry
Touma, Habib Hassan. Schwartz, Laurie, trans. The Music of the
Arabs. Portland: Amadeus, 1996.
Excellent general reference. Includes a very
complete glossary of terms, an extensive discography
and a diverse bibliography.
Online resources available at the time of composition.
www.maqamworld.com
Extensive site outlining all the important ajnas
(trichords, tetrachords and pentachords), maqams
(complete scales), and maqam theory. Each maqam has
numerous sound clips available.
www.yousifsheronick.com/
Shows how to hold the dumbek, tar and riqq.
The link to World Rhythms is a good source for
Arabic rhythms and embellishment.