KEOMNE

Wind Ensemble
2 Flutes, 2nd doubles alto flute
Oboe
2 Bassoons
3 Clarinets in B Flat
Bass Clarinet
Contrabass Clarinet (E Flat Contra-alto part included)
2 Alto Saxophones
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

3 Trumpets in B Flat
4 Horns in F
2 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba

String Bass
Piano
Timpani (32", 29", 26", 23" w/gauges)
Percussion
1 - Vibraphone
2 - Metal Wind Chimes

Grade 3

≈ 3 minutes

February 2023 by the University of Arkansas 4:00 Concert Band
Andrew Cox, conductor

The exigence for Keomne is a tad complicated. The word itself has no linguistic origin, and lends itself to the idyllic peace of childhood nostalgia. It describes the desire to be in a place no longer accessible; the street you grew up on, a treehouse in your backyard, or a time period; the year 2008. It is not synonymous with nostalgia itself; rather, Keomne is more an escape or stillness in the midst of our present chaos than a return home, as nostalgia suggests. It is as large as a daydream, as small as a deep breath.
The first sketches of Keomne were drafted in a period of longing and reflection at early morning hours. The piano and addition of metal wind chimes are included as relics in the house of a grandmother or old friend. The key of G major invites the ensemble to reach for a profound resonance.
The image on the cover is of Hoyt Grove Park in Stillwater, OK, in April; a quiet plain with frisbee golf and a run-down baseball field. I have often visited there for inspiration of this piece.
Also, it's pronounced "key - awm - nay".

Performance notes:

Scattered in the piece are "empty air" notes, or the act of blowing through the instrument to imitate the sound of a breeze. Encourage musicians to frontload on breaths; therefore, crescendos are well bolstered and air is not running out by the end of the hairpins.

Metal wind chimes, similar to those found decorating a garden, pitched in D major pentatonic should be acquired for performance. If possible, 2 sets can be placed on either side of the performance venue for an antiphonal effect.

Adaptations for the wind chime part is available in the vibraphone part, where the player is invited to improvise. This segment is strictly to be played on the 5 pentatonic tones of D major. The molto ad lib at m. 36 encourages a faster pace to match the breeze noises in the ensemble.

Several cues for color instruments are written for ensembles with limited instrumentation.

Metronome markings are rough guidelines; my emphasis is instead on the quality of motion: "freely" to "yearning" to "relax"