EDGE OF THE SACRED RAINFOREST
by brittany j. green

Grade 4 | 4:00 | © 2016

Go on a journey with this turbulent work for concert band. Juxtaposing aggression and intensity with delicacy and color, this piece will not only take the listener on a quest to the edge, but the players as well. Edge of the Sacred Rainforest is a programmatic work. Written in C minor, the piece features mixed meters, aggressive rhythms, lush harmonies, and delicate melody lines - all of which aid in creating the dark, damp mood of the piece. The piece is in ABA form, representing the beginning, middle, and eerily familiar end sections of the forest the listener encounters on this daring and mysterious journey. The piece begins at the entrance of the rainforest where dark, lush chords in the middle voices and a delicate flute solo set a mysterious, foggy mood. As the A section continues, the first clarinet and oboe join the flute to create a solemn trio as the listener enters further into the rainforest and admires its beauty. Suddenly, the high and low brass, along with percussion, abrasively interject creating a mood of uncertainty and danger. Marked by a sudden meter change to 5/8, the adventure through the forest accelerates as the piece begins to transition into the B section. The piece intensifies as the stress pattern bounces back and forth between 3+2 and 2+3 until finally the B section arrives with a daring melody in the low brass and low reeds. In the thick of the forest, the piece moves back into 4/4 and an eighth note ostinato is established in the low brass. The woodwinds temporarily take over in a call and response conversation between the saxophones and upper woodwinds until the melody goes back to the low brass. A dark and fierce percussion feature, then, transitions the listener to the final edge of the rainforest as the A section reemerges. As the listener reaches the end of the rainforest, the A section returns, reestablishing the piece’s original mood and creating a sense of déjà vu. Much like in the beginning, the brass and percussion suddenly break this mood, creating a sense of urgency as the listener finally leave the forest and the piece ends.

Recorded in 2021 by the Indiana University Concert Band and Dr. Jason Nam.