Fragmentary piece for (at least) trumpet and tenor saxophone. The archive contains parts for these instruments with the annotation “page 2.”
Bitter Glory, A
“A Bitter Glory” was a theatrical piece Hemphill was developing toward the end of his life. One movement bears the title “Opening Song” and appears in the archive as a two-page score for soprano or alto vocalist, with un-orchestrated accompaniment. This movement was later arranged for saxophone sextet and recorded as “A Bitter Glory” by the Julius Hemphill Sextet on the album At Dr. King’s Table (1997). There are seven notebooks in the Hemphill Papers with material related to “A Bitter Glory,” largely instrumental parts used in performance–reeds/woodwinds (soprano and alto saxophone, clarinet, flute), brass (trumpet, French horn, trombone), cello, and bass. There is an archival recording of this piece at its premiere performance in the collection of Baikida Carroll.
From Marty Ehrlich: A Bitter Glory was a music-theater collaboration between Julius Hemphill and librettist Dalt Wonk. It was co-commissioned by the Walker Arts Center (Minneapolis) and the American Music Theater Festival (Philadelphia) with funding from the Meet the Composer/Reader’s Digest Commissioning Program. It premiered as a work-in-progress on December 7, 1994, at Ted Mann Concert Hall, on the University of Minnesota campus.
Vocalists: Peter Steward, Herbert Scott, Bruce Henry, Faye Washington, Thomasina Taylor
Instrumentalists: Andy Laster, Sam Furnace, John Clark, Baikida Carroll, Stephen Swell, Randall Davidson, Mark Helias
Found on: At Dr. King’s Table.
Bimbo: The Elephant
Music Manuscript Notebook 5 (MMN5), contains this fragmentary score for clarinet, trumpet, alto saxophone, bass, and drums; a Xerox copy is included in the dedicated archive folder. The notebook also contains an ordered list of compositions with circus-themed titles, including this one.
From Marty Ehrlich: I call this grouping of pieces the “Circus Suite.”
Big Foot
Composition for saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone), with score and parts in Hemphill’s hand.
From Marty Ehrlich: The Julius Hemphill Papers contains a live recording of the work from April 23, 1977. This concert was held at CASA in University City, MO. The Julius Hemphill Saxophone Sextet recorded this work posthumously on At Dr. King’s Table (1997).
Big Drum Speaks, The
This composition is part of the suite “Drunk on God,” recorded on the album Julius Hemphill Big Band (1988), where it is titled “Cosmic Country Boy.” The archival folder includes parts in holograph for two guitars and bass, with chord symbols in a different hand. See also the folder for “Drunk on God.”
Found on: Julius Hemphill Big Band.