JAMES SCLATER: 40 Years of Music,
to be celebrated at
Friends, colleagues, and students
perform Sclater’s
compositions. Reception in
Anderson Hall afterward.
From The Continuo – Reviews of the works of James Sclater
The Jackson Choral
Society, the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and Oratorio
Chorus, William Warfield (narrator), Kimberly Griffing-Porter
(soprano), and Paul York (cello) at Mara Hall, April 28, 1996.
James Sclater's "Witness to Matters Human
and Divine" completed the program, and featured narration by the noted
baritone William Warfield, interspersed with solo passages by cellist Paul York
and by soprano Kimberley Griffing-Porter, as well as
choral sections. The narration - from the Agee/Walker book - was supplemented
visually with projected images from the book, which dealt with the lives and
times of several families of
The Christmas Gift,
an Opera by James Sclater, at
"The Christmas Gift" played to a full house each night. Sclater based the 1981 work on Raymond Alden's story
"Why the Chimes Rang", and added a sequence, Scene 2, to fill out the
story line. In many ways this was the most memorable scene, involving the very
human side of three priests and their bishop. It also demonstrated Sclater's talent at humor. The very considerable resources
of the MC Music Dept were much in evidence - at least 60 names, including the
MC Chamber Choir, were on the program. Chandler
Thompson was Director; Richard Joiner, Conductor; and Carol Joy Sparkman,
Pianist. The principal roles were two brothers Thomas and Pedro (sung by Carla
Parker and Annadaire Ingram); three priests Frs.
Angelo, Manuel, and Sebastian (sung by Sam Bass, David Moore, & Michael
Alfred), and the Bishop, sung by Philip Hill. This was a well-balanced
performance of a delightful work.
James Sclater, Clarinet, and Angela Willoughby, Piano, at Fondren Presbyterian Church,
There is
no other way to say it; this was chamber music at its very best. The program
opened with Gerald Finzi's Bagatelles for Clarinet
and Piano, composed between 1938 and 1943. There were four movements: Prelude,
Romance, Forlana, and Fughetta.
The balance between instruments was good, and there was lots of contrast, both
in dynamics and tempo. This was tonal music, and quite accessible. Next was a
group of three Lieder by Mozart, originally for voice but arranged by Sclater for clarinet and piano. They were Das Veilchen, Ridente
la Calma, and Un Moto di Gioia, and, as a group were
charming.
The
Hindemith Sonata for Clarinet and Piano was next, with its four movements: Maessig bewegt, Lebhaft, Sehr Langsam,
and Kleines Rondo, gemaechlich.
The last was especially vigorous, and all were quite pleasant. As with
all composers some pieces work out better than others,
and this is one of the better, at least in my view.
The
program closed with Sclater's own Six Folksong
Studies, Set II, composed in 1993. Tambourin was
fast, Scarborough Fair slow, and A Cornish Jigg
lively in 6/8 time. All were delightfully appealing. This was particular
interesting, because when a composer writes for his own instrument, one expects
something special. I was not disappointed.
The music
was as demanding of the piano as of the clarinet, as befits chamber music's
shared emphasis on all performers, and in this presentation Sclater
and
Lyricas (James Sclater,
Clarinet, and Angela Willoughby, Piano) at Fondren
Presbyterian Church,
Lyricas opened the program with Sclater's Romanian Whirling Dance, done with precision and
a high level of excitement. The balance between instruments was good over wide
pitch and dynamic ranges. This was followed by Castelnuovo-Tedesco's
Lullaby, and the Rondo-Allegro from von Weber's Grand
Duo Concertante, played with vitality. A series of Sclater's pieces, for piano, termed Celebration Walzes and honoring various of his
friends was next. These were delicate and charming. Then the duo played Sclater's A Quiet Song for
Jeff McLelland and the Capital Brass at Covenant Presbyterian
Church, Performing a Commissioned Work by James Sclater,
The
response of the convention participants to James Sclater's
"Images of Southern Religion" was immediate and enthusiastic. The
work, commissioned by the convention* and scored for organ and brass quintet,
showcased Sclater's imaginative, creative impulses
and triggered memories of revivals, church meetings, and other religious
activities that are an important part of the collective memory of the southern
experience. Sclater's images filled the spaces of
Covenant Presbyterian Church in a stunning, exhilarating, and, at times,
thoughtful manner.
For this
premiere performance organist Jeff McLelland teamed
with Jackson's Capital Brass (Robert Cheesman and
Wayne Linehan, trumpets; Mimi Draut
Linehan, horn; Ken Lyon, trombone; Tex Chapman, tuba;
and Sherwood Berthold, percussion) to create a
musical tapestry which presented six vibrant images relating to southern
religion. Each image became a contrasting movement of a larger suite. The movements are entitled: I. Gathering of
the Saints and Sinners, II. Invoking the Image of an Angry
God,
'Gathering
of the Saints and Sinners' begins with a quasi fanfare in the organ built on
thirds, which are interrupted by occasional perfect fourths. These recall the
most often heard harmonization of hymn melodies that southern churches enjoyed.
When an alto or tenor was asked to harmonize with the soprano melody, thirds
such as these or sixths usually resulted. Supporting these thirds are
major/minor triads that eventually become complete major/minor seventh chords -
Sclater apparently likes the ambiguity created when
both the major and minor third of triads sound simultaneously or in close
proximity. When the brass appears, it becomes quite apparent that the "sinners"
have arrived, playing in a style reminiscent of
As in the
first movement, the second begins with a statement by the organ alone, and,
like the initial figure in the first movement, it has a fanfare-like quality.
An extremely chromatic, almost complete tone row, is
heard forte in the pedals, and the pedal part dominates the opening measures.
This pedal part provides a link from the first movement to the second as the
chromatic figure found in the pedals in the initial movement is expanded into a
much larger pedal passage in the first measures and is developed throughout the
movement. Sclater alternates the upward and downward
motion of the chromatic passages creating a sense of hesitancy, as well as
angularity, in the act of invoking the "angry God." Perhaps those
"saints and sinners" are coming uneasily before the Old Testament God
of fire and brimstone, the type of deity that was, and continues to be, so much
a part of southern religious heritage. Before the horn solo, an eerie,
undulating figure, in perfect fourths, is heard on the organ (This figure will
be heard later in the brass ensemble.). The horn solo outlines perfect fourths,
each a half-step apart. The fourths give way to a descending minor second, the
classic sighing figure. From these basic ideas Sclater
weaves the second image of the musical tapestry. The economy of the musical
materials is quite remarkable. Each section of the movement is shaped
dramatically both dynamically and through the interplay of instruments as
various parts of the basic ideas are worked out. McLelland
effectively brings all of the elements, fourths, half-steps, and the chromatic
passage, together in the final organ statement.
In the
third movement Sclater offers us a macabre
scherzo-like march to remind us of the effect of the tent preacher. The
insistent rhythmic and harmonic accents portray strong gestures made by these
preachers, while the angular pedal solo helps us recall their rapid vocal
inflections. One moment of humor occurs when the opening phrase to Bach's
"Toccata in d Minor" is quoted. Every person knows the melodrama,
quite often fear, associated with this passage. Another moment of levity
transpires at the end, as an expended preacher audibly sighs from exhaustion
(sighs from the brass). McLelland has to be praised
for his pedal work, as does Capital Brass for keeping this movement so securely
under control.
The
luscious, sweet "Love Offering" comes from the organ alone. It
reminds me of a Bach chorale prelude with lots of chromatic passing tones -
those passing tones that found their way into so many piano accompaniments to
hymns in southern churches. In spite of Sclater's
complex harmonic scheme, this offering is quite calm in large part due to the
easy "gospel" rhythms of the compound meter. So many unschooled
church musicians played in compound meter even when simple meter was required.
A
slithering motive in the trombone begins the fifth movement, 'Handling the
Serpents.' The organ then begins a nervous chromatic figure that alternates
perfect fifths and perfect fourths. This motive continues almost throughout the
movement. That's the test of faith for these handlers - there is always the
possibility that one can be bitten. Toward the end of the first section we hear
the rattle of the rattlesnake. A hymn tune that could have come from 'The
Sacred Harp' hymnal, played by the brass and almost completely pentatonic,
provides a contrasting middle section. One almost envisions a Salvation Army
marching band playing this hymn. Is anyone bitten? The tambourine accents (rattlesnake)
suggest a venomous strike, as do forte accents in the brass. We do not know -
there is no panic. This scherzo diabolique ends with
the same slithering motive in which it began.
Kudos to all performers in keeping this movement rhythmically controlled.
Since the organ does not provide accents in the normal sense, all performers
have to rely on an overall and intense feeling of rhythmic and harmonic shape
to keep the forces together.
'Call and
Response' brings the entire suite to a rousing conclusion. One imagines that he
hears snippets of hymn tunes amid all the bounding energy found in this joyful,
celebratory movement. Is it "alleluia" at the end of Lasst uns erfreuen
or portions of Lobe den Herren, or both or neither,
that is/are embedded in Sclater's energetic finale?
Perfect fourths abound, creating a striding, open texture - one that beckons.
Organ and brass ensemble keep exciting momentum as they alternate calling and
responding. This is the least chromatic of the movements, as the fourths
finally conquer the chromatic figure that had dominated earlier movements.
McLelland and Capital Brass have to be commended highly for
holding together such a difficult piece. Sclater's work, while excellent idiomatic writing for the instruments, creates
many potential pitfalls, which the performers overcame wonderfully. The
performance was exciting and insightful, never dull or pedantic. The entire
work provides much contrast, yet Sclater's creative
ability to sustain and develop within a limited economy of musical materials
makes the work an organic whole. Hopefully, future performances of this work by
many artists will be forthcoming.
- Timothy Coker
Angela Willoughby,
Music of James Sclater, at
This was the
premiere of Sclater's Variations and Toccata on a
Theme by Paganini, commissioned by the MS Music
Teachers Association, and performed at their annual convention. In his
instrumental incarnation, Sclater is a clarinetist.
As a composer, he has written for all sorts of musical genre, including voice.
Here he proved his versatility in two ways: first by writing a work for piano,
that was so pianistic that one might think him a concert pianist; second,
by exhausting all the
possibilities of treatment
of this familiar theme, in
fifteen different variations, the last a brilliant toccata.
The Mississippi
College Chorale, and Singers, and the Jackson Choral Society, with Soprano Dana
Rice and Mezzo-soprano Viola Dacus at Mississippi
College’s Swor Auditorium, April 26, 2004. Music of
James Sclater
The
program began with Sclater's reflective "Remembrance",
recalling evenings the young Sclater and his father
had spent together on the porch. Sclater's text was
at the same time prose and poetry, ideal for setting to music. The remarkable
unity of this work leads me to suspect that in the composing process much of
the text and music were conceived of simultaneously. The sounds from the
orchestra, conducted by James Meaders, were varied
and rich, often referring to events in the text (such as "motor
cars"). Dana Rice, soprano, was simply glorious.
The larger work - premiered in this
performance - was Sclater's "Lux
Aeterna" (Psalms of Light). There was an
orchestral prologue "And Darkness gave way to Light", with a flute
solo by Sybil Cheesman. Six psalms then followed. As
with "Remembrance" I wondered to what extent the music and texts were
thought of at the same time. The same unity was here, even in the two psalms
written by Sclater's daughter Patricia. After the
Prologue the psalms were "Come, Lead Us Gently" (text by Patricia S.)
for chorus and orchestra - a perfect union of text and music; "Prayer to
the Light" for mezzo-soprano and orchestra - with wonderful extended melismas on the word "Flourish", sung impeccably
by Viola Dacus; "Psalm to the Light of
Lights" (text by Patricia S.) for chorus and orchestra - a big piece with
orchestral interludes; "Psalm: My Darkness Is No Challenge" for
unaccompanied chorus - with some very effective antiphonal passages; "Lux Aeterna", for
mezzo-soprano and orchestra - here Viola Dacus evoked
the sense of mystery that permeated the text and music; and, in closing,
"Praise to the Light of Lights" for chorus and orchestra - including
an extended litany of the form "Praise to the light that...". Each
statement of the litany (more than 20 in all) had a different treatment - some
syncopated, some melismatic - that was reminiscent of
a theme and variations. The last line "Alleluia to the Eternal Light of
God" was a fitting summary of the work.
The
orchestra - drawn from the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra – and the chorus -
were clearly very much into the works and their performance showed it with a
collective enthusiasm for the music. Patricia Sclater's
two texts were powerful, and I hope she and her father will collaborate again.
I especially thank Director/Conductor James Meaders
for putting all this together and making it work. It was all together a
profound experience.
Light Upon Silver,
by James Sclater, with Nell Adams, Edward Dacus, Viola Dacus, James Meaders, and Dana Rice, vocal soloists, and Carol-Joy Sparkman
and Angela Willoughby, pianists, at Mississippi College’s Jean Pittman Williams
Recital Hall (in the Aven Building), October 3rd, 2006
This was
the dedication of the newly renovated recital hall, made possible by a gift
from Jean Pittman Williams, an alumna of the college, It opened with a brief
piano duet, "School Days", played by Mrs. Williams and her
Granddaughter Anna Kate Williams, a charming beginning. First, about the
hall - it is somewhat more intimate than the one in Swor, well lighted, and,
most important, has excellent acoustics. While the two side aisles are
carpeted, every other surface (except the seats and the stage, which was
curtained) was relatively hard. The room is not particularly reverberant, but
was perfect for the music of the evening, as well as for the spoken remarks; no
one used (or needed) a microphone.
Sclater's
work was based on black and white photos his father - Arthur L. Sclater - took over a period of 30 years. These were of
family, friends, work, and surroundings of
Sclater had
composed something similar before, in 1996 there was a performance of
"Matters Human and Divine", a series of vocal/choral settings of
passages by Joseph Agee ("Let Us All Praise Famous Men") with
projected images. The other aspect, the music itself, revealed the composers
imagination. It is a daunting task to do 25 relatively short pieces and have
each one sound unique, but Sclater carried that off
handily, both in the vocal line as well as in the accompaniment. Again, there
is a precursor in his music, his 2002 Variations and Toccata for piano. For me
the most poignant image was the last one, of a man at his retirement party,
whose facial expression clearly said "I wonder who needs me now?"**
All reviews except
*The Southeastern Regional Convention of the American Guild of
Organists,
**I look forward to hearing more from Sclater, and do not expect him to retire from making music,
via composition, clarinet, or piano; it is in his blood. One should also
remember Franz Liszt, who continued composing and performing into the last year
of his life, when he was 74.
- Glenn A. Gentry