BerkWorks

Compositions

Stacey Berk's compositions are available through Cocobolo Music Press. Contact Stacey at stacey@berkworks.com for more information and/or if you are thinking of commissioning a work!

LARGE ENSEMBLE WORKS

Alice in Wonderland (orchestra, duration 19:00)

This delightful ballet was commissioned in 2007 by the Point Dance Ensemble, Pamela Luedtke, Artistic Director. It was performed with the Point Dance Ensemble dancers and the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra at Sentry Theater in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, December, 2007.

I. Alice
II. Caterpillar
III. Cheshire Cat
IV. Mad Hatter's Tea Party
V. Cards and Queen of Hearts
VI. Finale

Program Notes: In the opening of “Alice in Wonderland” we meet the delightful young Alice. She dances by herself until she falls asleep. The white rabbit enters and Alice follows the white rabbit down a hole. After falling and landing, Alice meets and dances with the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat. Next she meets the Mad Hatter, March hare, and Dormouse having a Tea Party. The unusual party concludes and we see the Cards and the Queen of Hearts. The entire party dances until Alice angers the Queen and sets off a chase. Alice awakens wondering about her unusual dream….or was it?
Avian Suite (orchestra, duration 15:00)

Kimberly Helton and The Polaris Wind Quintet commissioned Avian Suite for woodwind quintet and premiered it in February 2011. The Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra commissioned the re-orchestration.

Listen to Avian Suite:

Program Notes: In Avian Suite, the colorful timbres and techniques available in the instruments of the orchestra are utilized to capture characteristics of five contrasting birds.

The open intervals and melodic embellishments of Eagle lend a Native American feel to the introduction. This carries the listener to the magnificent open plains where the music gradually swells into a soaring theme before returning to rest at the end.

Chickadee is the most literal translation of birdsong in the suite, with "chick-a-dee-dee-dees" and "phoe-bes" used as motivic material. In addition, the movement attempts to capture the perky, inquisitive nature of the little bird.

Owl is a shift into a dark forest, with creepy night noises in the strings, winds and percussion, and the bassoon and cello taking the lead with a spooky octatonic melody.

Swan characterizes the beauty of the majestic bird as it sweeps through the water.

Hummingbird is a rondo that uses the ensemble to emulate a tiny bird that zooms in and out of sight as it hovers and zips around with its lightning-quick wings.
Fanfare Jubilee (wind ensemble, grade 4, duration 5:10)

Dedicated to Kenneth M. Snoeck by his present and former students and by the Lake Park High School Band Boosters Association. Premiered May 19, 2004 at Lake Park High School, Illinois.

Listen to Fanfare Jubilee:

Program Notes: I was so honored to have been asked to compose a piece for Mr. Snoeck on the occasion of his retirement from Lake Park. His dedication to excellence was been an inspiring example to me and to all the other students who had been under his direction.

While I was conceiving ideas for this work, the concept that kept recurring in my thoughts was “pride,” for that is what Mr. Snoeck helped instill in his students. He taught that excellence comes only with countless hours of hard work, and with this hard work comes a satisfaction that cannot be obtained by any other means.

“Pride” therefore became the principal motive of Fanfare Jubilee. I devised a recurring melodic theme using pitches for the letters P-R-I-D-E (C, D, F, C, C#) and used odd and mixed meters to commemorate the hundreds of students who learned to march in 7/8 time! The upbeat and energetic character of the piece emulates the feeling of pride and enthusiasm.

Instrumentation of Fanfare Jubilee:
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1-2
Bassoon 1-2
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2-3
Bb Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1-2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Horn 1-3
Horn 2-4
Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2-3
Trombone 1-2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani/shaker
Percussion 1 – Xylophone, Bass drum, Glockenspiel
Percussion 2 – Glockenspiel, Cowbell, Tambourine, Crash cymbals
Percussion 3 – Suspended cymbal, Snare drum
Flight (Solo Oboe and Wind Ensemble, duration 12:30)

Premiere performance: October 21, 2011, with oboist Nancy Ambrose King and the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Wind Ensemble, Brendan Caldwell, conductor.

Program Notes: Written in memory of my father, Flight reflects his delight in aviation as well as some joyous memories I have of him. The first movement, Sailplane, is reminiscent of a sailplane flight we shared as my very first flight. It was a lovely, soaring experience, and I can still envision the colorful farm fields below and the sound of the wind keeping the plane aloft. The second movement, Joyride, was a local flight "lesson" my siblings and I purchased for my dad upon his retirement from teaching. His laughter and excitement in describing the flight still brings a smile to my face. A slower, hymn-like section is included in this movement as both an expression of the wonder of flying as well as a nod to my father's habit of whistling hymns as he did chores around the house.

Novae (concert band, grade 4, duration 6:08)

Commissioned by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Jack Stamp, Conductor of University Bands. Recorded on "IUP Bands 2000" available from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Listen to Novae:

Program Notes: A nova explosion occurs when a small, old dwarf star siphons gases off from a larger, younger neighboring star. As the gases form on the dwarf star’s surface, intense hydrogen pressure builds. When the heat and pressure reach a climax, the outer layers of hydrogen are blown off the star in a brilliant explosion. The effects of the explosion gradually fade and the siphoning process begins anew.

Novae was composed as a programmatic work for symphonic concert band. This ensemble has both the power and the delicacy necessary to convey the sonic impression of the explosion of a star in deep space. The form of Novae is based on the arch form suggested by the process of a nova. The work begins with a piccolo solo that represents the faint glow of a star in the distance, then builds to a climax with the explosion, and gradually fades once again to a glimmer. The harmonic language is based on two different five-note scales, each representing one of the two stars in the binary system.

Instrumentation of Novae:

Piccolo
Flute 1 (2 parts)
Flute 2 (2 parts)
Oboe 1
Oboe 2
Bassoon
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2 (2 parts)
Bb Clarinet 3 (2 parts)
Bb Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
F Horn 3
F Horn 4
Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Percussion:

Timpani (4)

I:
Vibraphone with soft yarn mallets
Large crash cymbals

II:
Glockenspiel
Suspended cymbal with soft mallets and drum sticks

III:
Triangle
5 Temple blocks
4 Tom-toms

IV:
Bass drum with soft and hard mallets
Metal wind chimes

Phrygian Festival Overture (concert band, grade 3, duration 5:20)

Commissioned by the Westfield Community School 8th Grade Band, Algonquin, Illinois; Anthony Gnutek, director. This work was premiered at the Illinois Music Educators Convention in 2006

Listen to Phrygian Festival Overture:

Program Notes: Phrygian Festival Overture was commissioned in honor of the 10-year anniversary of Westfield Community School in Algonquin, Illinois. To connect the composition with the occasion, I selected the pitch motive D-E-C-A to refer to the Greek word for “ten”. This motive is interwoven melodically and harmonically into several sections of the work. The main scalar pattern used within the work is that of the Phrygian scale (for example, EFGABCD). The modal scales used give the work a refreshing dissonance and lend the work an ancient Middle-Eastern feel.

Instrumentation of Phrygian Festival Overture:
Piccolo
Flutes 1 & 2
Oboe
Bassoon
Clarinet in Bb 1, 2, 3
Bb Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1 & 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet in Bb 1, 2, 3
Horn in F 1 & 2
Trombone 1, 2, 3
Baritone/Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion 1 – Glockenspiel, Chimes
Percussion 2 – Crash Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal
Percussion 3 – Tam-tam, Snare Drum

Portraits of the Odyssey (wind ensemble, grade 5, duration 16:00)

Premiered by the U.S. Air Force Band of the West and played on tour throughout the southwest U.S.

I. Cyclops (a one-eyed, man-eating giant who is blinded by Odysseus)
II. Circe's Cottage (where men feast jovially before they are transformed into pigs)
III. Halls of Hades (the Land of the Dead)
IV. Sirens (Sea Nymphs whose singing enchants men to their deaths)
V. Scylla & Charybdis (a six-headed monster and a deadly whirlpool by which ships must try to pass)
VI. Calypso's Lament (a beautiful island goddess whose love for Odysseus is unrequited)
VII. Ithaca (Odysseus' home, where he battles the townsmen to regain his castle and wife)

Listen to excerpts from Portraits of the Odyssey:

Instrumentation of Portraits of the Odyssey:

Flute I/Piccolo
Flute II/ (Piccolo optional)
Oboe I
Oboe II
Bassoon I
Bassoon II
Bb Clarinet I
Bb Clarinet II
Bb Clarinet III
Bb Bass Clarinet
Eb Alto Saxophone I
Eb Alto Saxophone II
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritoni Saxophone
F Horns I & III
F Horns II & IV
Bb Trumpet I
Bb Trumpet II
Bb Trumpet III
Trombone I
Trombone II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Percussion:
I:
Timpani (4)
Cymbal
“D” Crotale

II:
Finger cymbals
Bass drum
Bell tree
Suspended cymbal
Triangle beater
Gong or Tamtam

III:
Snare drum/Tenor drum
Anvil
Woodblock
Bamboo wind chimes
Guiro
Egg (shaker)
Crash cymbals
Metal wind chimes

IV:
Vibraphone (with bow)
Glockenspiel
Xylophone

Reflections (orchestra, duration 8:00)

Commissioned by the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra for its 70th anniversary, this celebratory work will be premiered October 2018.

Program Notes: Reflections celebrates the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, its musicians and staff and the Stevens Point area community that has supported the orchestra through the years. Commissioned by the CWSO in honor of its 70th anniversary, the work is both an homage to symphonic literature and a look forward to the future of the orchestra.

Reflections is reflective in that it looks back to the form and techniques of earlier master works. In traditional sonata form, it alternates between an energetic, celebratory theme and a gentle tonal melody, both loosely based on a 4-note ascending melody. This motive, derived from the first four notes of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", hints at a few other orchestral pieces that also use these ascending pitches, and some harmonies and techniques in Reflections are reminiscent of earlier works.

Another way the work is reflective is through the use of metallic percussion instruments and bright wind and string timbres to reflect melodic fragments in a mirror-like fashion around the ensemble. These fragments are used as an introduction to the piece and they are interspersed between the themes as transitionary material. The pitches of the fragments and thematic material are sometimes inverted and slightly altered to emulate how images alter when seen at different angles in mirrors. Mirrors also amplify light, and this is demonstrated in the stacking of the melodic fragments to create bright orchestral crescendos. The frequently changing time signatures and some pointillistic techniques give the musicians a fun challenge and create an energetic and celebratory feel to celebrate the orchestra's 70 years of music making.

DOUBLE WIND QUINTET AND LARGE CHAMBER WORKS

Alice in Wonderland (fl, ob, clar, bsn, hn, tpt, vln, cello, perc - duration 25:00)

This ballet was commissioned in 2007 by the Point Dance Ensemble, Pamela Luedtke, Artistic Director. It was performed with the Point Dance Ensemble dancers and chamber ensemble at Sentry Theater in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, March, 2007. This chamber version was the original instrumentation, then it was re-scored for full orchestra to be performed later the same year.

I. Alice
II. Caterpillar
III. Cheshire Cat
IV. Mad Hatter's Tea Party
V. Cards and Queen of Hearts
VI. Finale

Program Notes: In the opening of “Alice in Wonderland” we meet the delightful young Alice. She dances by herself until she falls asleep. The white rabbit enters and Alice follows the white rabbit down a hole. After falling and landing, Alice shrinks and grows, then swims in her own tears with a mouse. She meets and dances with the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat. Next she meets the Mad Hatter, March hare, and Dormouse having a Tea Party. The unusual party concludes and we see the Cards and the Queen of Hearts. The entire party dances until Alice angers the Queen and sets off a chase. Alice awakens wondering about her unusual dream….or was it?

Doodling Through History (2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bsn, 2 hn, duration 18:30)

Premiered by the U.S. Air Force Band of the West Chamber Players and performed many times. A super fun romp through history, using Yankee Doodle as the theme! This piece requires the instrumentalists to *gasp* sing and narrate! One of the musicians acts as a professor, teaching the audience about the different time periods of music history, and each instrumentalist introduces one time period. Make it even more fun with props and costumes!

I. Primitive: Neanderdandy
II. Middle Ages: Dandy Chant
III. Renaissance: Monsieur Yanquis and Yankeefa Doodlela
IV. Baroque: Dandyberg Concerto
V. Classical: Eine Kleine Talkmusic and Marriage of Dandigaro
VI. Late Classical/Early Romantic: Ode to (Yankee Doodle) Boy
VII. Romantic: Ride of the Valkyankees and Trisdandy and Isolde
VIII. Early 20th Century: Rite of Doodling
IX. Jazz/Swing: Doodle Mood
X. Late 20th/Early 21st Century: Avant Doodle
XI. Finale: Doodlereviewdle

Listen to an excerpt of Doodling Through History:

Portraits of the Odyssey (2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bsn, 2 hn; duration 16:00)

Premiered by the U.S. Air Force Band of the West Chamber Players, and played on tour through much of the U.S. This was the original instrumentation. It was re-scored to be performed with wind ensemble.

I. Cyclops (a one-eyed, man-eating giant who is blinded by Odysseus)
II. Circe's Cottage (where men feast jovially before they are transformed into pigs)
III. Halls of Hades (the Land of the Dead)
IV. Sirens (Sea Nymphs whose singing enchants men to their deaths)
V. Scylla & Charybdis (a six-headed monster and a deadly whirlpool by which ships must try to pass)
VI. Calypso's Lament (a beautiful island goddess whose love for Odysseus is unrequited)
VII. Ithaca (Odysseus' home, where he battles the townsmen to regain his castle and wife)

Instrumentation of Portraits of the Odyssey (chamber version):
Flute 1/Piccolo/Alto Flute
Flute 2/Triangle
Oboe 1/Woodblock with soft mallets
Oboe 2/English Horn
Bb Clarinet 1/Bamboo Wind chimes
Bb Clarinet 2/Bb Bass Clarinet
Bassoon 1/Finger Cymbals
Bassoon 2/Egg (shaker)
Horn 1/Bell Tree
Horn 2/Cymbal with stick

Summer Scenes (2 fl (picc), 2 ob, Bb cl, Bb bass Cl, 2 bsn, 2 hn, vibraphone, marimba; duration 11:30)

Commissioned in 2003 by the U.S. Band of Mid-America; Lieutenant Colonel Steven Grimo, Commander.

I. June: Carousel at the Fair
II. July: Sailboats on a Blue Lake
III. August: Evening Thunderstorm

Listen to Summer Scenes:

SMALL CHAMBER AND SOLO WORKS

Avian Suite(Woodwind Quintet, duration 12:00)

Kimberly Helton and The Polaris Wind Quintet commissioned Avian Suite and premiered it in February 2011.

Listen to excerpts from Avian Suite:

Program Notes: In Avian Suite, the colorful timbres and techniques available in the instruments of the quintet are utilized to capture characteristics of five contrasting birds.

In Eagle, the open intervals and melodic embellishments lend a Native American feel to the introduction. This carries the listener to the magnificent open plains where the music gradually swells into a soaring theme before returning to rest at the end.

Chickadee is the most literal translation of birdsong in the suite, with "chick-a-dee-dee-dees" and "phoe-bes" used as motivic material. In addition, the movement attempts to capture the perky, inquisitive nature of the little bird.

Owl is a shift into a dark forest, with creepy night noises and the bassoon taking the lead with a spooky octatonic melody.

Swan characterizes the beauty of the majestic bird as it sweeps through the water.

Hummingbird is a rondo that uses the quintet to emulate a tiny bird that zooms in and out of sight as it hovers and zips around with its lightning-quick wings.

Corncopian Fanfare: Fanfare for Plenty o' Horns (horn octet, duration 1:50)

Commissioned by Patrick Miles and the UWSP Horn Studio for the 2006 Midwest Horn Workshop. This commission was funded in part by the Xi Omicron chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and the Alpha Alpha chapter of Delta Omicron.

Program Notes: Cornucopian Fanfare begins as a noble call-and-response fanfare, which then shifts into a joyous multimeter romp. Finally, the fanfare and romp are interspersed into an energetic conclusion. The eight horn parts are divided into 2 choirs (Horns 1-4 and 5-8). A performance suggestion is to spread the 8 horns in balconies behind or around the audience.

Little Child (soprano and harp or piano, duration 5:00)

A beautiful and touching lullaby. Soprano range Ab3-Bb5. Premiered with Susan Bender and Michael Keller performing, April, 2006.

Listen to an excerpt of Little Child:

Words and music by Stacey Berk:

Little Child, my little child,
Sweet little child.
Little nose and little toes,
Sweet little smile.

Rest your head upon my shoulder.
How I love to hold you,
Hold you in my arms, safe from harm,
My little child.

Close your eyes, my sleepy child,
Dear little child.
Go to sleep and dream sweet dreams
A little while.

You’re growing faster than a flower,
Day by day and hour by hour.
Our time is precious here, my little dear,
My little child.

Life will bring some sadness,
Life will bring some tears,
But little child, remember,
I’ll love you through the years.

And I wish for you the joy of friendship,
I wish for you the joy of love.
I pray you’ll learn the joy in giving,
And always know the joy in living,
living out your dreams.
Sweet dreams.

You little know I love you so,
My little child.
Too soon you’ll grow, and then you’ll go
Away my child.

And I pray for you that when you’ve grown
You will someday know
The Joy, The JOY
Of your very own, your very own

Little child, sweet little child.
Little child.

Myths for Solo Oboe (duration 8:00)

Composed in 1995, Myths is written in the same style as Benjamin Britten's Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, also using characters from Ovid's text, but with a few more modern performance techniques to describe the stories of the characters.

I. Echo: an nymph whose spurned love for Narcissus diminished her to a mere voice
II. Tisiphone: one of the Furies, who carried Grief, Dread, Terror and Madness to the homes of mortals
III. Cyparissus: a young boy whose grief for his slain deer transformed him into a cypress tree
IV. Arachne: a girl who defeated the goddess Minerva in a spinning contest and was turned into a spider

Listen to an excerpt of Myths:

Program Notes: "Myths for Solo Oboe" was composed to help expand the repertoire of solo oboe literature, and it honors the most famous of that literature—Benjamin Britten’s "Six Metamorphoses after Ovid". Like the characters of Britten’s work, the characters of Myths can be found in Ovid’s poem Metamorphoses, and their tales or personalities are programmatically composed for each movement. Echo uses dynamics and imitative counterpoint to emulate the dialogue between Echo and Narcissus. The second movement, Tisiphone, utilizes extended performance techniques to demonstrate some horrific capabilities of the oboe. The leaps and sudden dynamic shifts portray the madness and terror associated with the character. In Cyparissus the plaintive beauty of grief is explored through the use of a “crying” motive, which gradually comes to represent a drooping cypress tree. Just as Arachne is a spinning contest between Arachne and the goddess Minerva, it is also a technical challenge for the performer. The spinning wheel theme is interspersed with Minerva’s screams of outrage to form an energetic finale. The four movements combine to demonstrate a broad spectrum of the oboe’s capabilities and personalities.

To Daffodils (medium voice and English horn, duration 3:00)

Wistful setting of Robert Herrick's famous poem of the same name.

Tzango! (saxophone quartet, duration 3:30) [Available from Roncorp Publications]

Dedicated to the Drake University chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota. It's a tango for sax quartet with a little jazz thrown in for good measure! This fun work will delight audiences and performers alike.

Valley Song I (tenor and piano, duration 1:20)

Lovely setting of Carl Sandberg's "Valley Song" from Cornhuskers, 1918.

Listen to an excerpt of Valley Song I:

Valley Song II (tenor and piano, duration 3:15)

Another setting of a Carl Sandburg "Valley Song", this one from Smoke and Steel, 1922.

Listen to an excerpt of Valley Song II:

HUMOROUS DOUBLE REED WORKS

A Moon and a Mountain Away (for double reed quartet and narrator, duration 17:00)

Commissioned by Wizards! Double Reed Consort with text by Therese Weaver

A Moon and a Mountain Away is a charming original children's tale for double reed quartet and narrator. The hero, Simon, enters the enchanted forest to share adventures with Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf, Hansel and Gretel, and the witch. The ensemble plays the themes as well as amusing sound effects for this fun tale.

Listen to A Moon and a Mountain Away:

Recording: Wizards! Double Reed Consort with Marty Ronish on Boombox Classroom radio program. Used by permission.

Fanfare for the Common Mandrel (2 ob, EH, 2 bsn)

Silly combination of Copland, Mickey Mouse, and others! Another big audience pleaser.

Listen to an excerpt of Fanfare for the Common Mandrel:

Hungarian Wraps a Reed (2 ob, EH, bsn)

A great encore piece! It's Liszt's famous Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 arranged for double reed quartet. Lots of fun!

Ladder Jive (2 ob, EH, 2 bsn)

This super fun piece for double reed quintet was commissioned by the Midwest Double Reed Society for the 2008 Midwest Double Reed Festival. "Ladder Jive" is a fun, fast jazz-style swing piece, arranged from themes in Rossini's "La Scala di Seta" (The Silken Ladder).

Listen to an excerpt of Ladder Jive:

Oboi, Oboi! (2 ob, 2 EH)

Fun pastiche of songs. Each instrument gets a turn, then they all play their themes simultaneously! Performed often as a crowd pleaser!

Pasticcio Dandy (2 oboes, English horn)

Commissioned by the Madera Trio. This fun piece was composed for educational concerts, to introduce the music periods to audiences of all ages. It is "history rewritten the Yankee Doodle way"!

I. Renaissance - di Lasso - Matona, mia cara
II. Baroque - Handel - Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah
III. Early Classical - Mozart - Marriage of Figaro
IV. Late Classical/Early Romantic- Beethoven - Symphony no. 5
V. Early 20th century - Copland - Hoe-Down from Rodeo
VI. Jazz - Gershwin - I Got Rhythm
VII. Late 20th/Early 21st century - Berk - Honks and Squawks Across the Prairie

The Reed-Makin' Blues (2 ob, EH, 2 bsn)

This super fun piece for double reed quintet was commissioned by the Midwest Double Reed Society for the 2008 Midwest Double Reed Festival. "Swingin' the Spring" is freely arranged as a swing-style version of themes from Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring". See how many quotes you can find!

Listen to an excerpt of The Reed-Makin' Blues:

Swingin' the Spring (ob, 2 EH, 2 bsn)

This super fun piece for double reed quintet was commissioned by the Midwest Double Reed Society for the 2008 Midwest Double Reed Festival. "Ladder Jive" is a fun, fast jazz-style swing piece, arranged from themes in Rossini's "La Scala di Seta" (The Silken Ladder).

Listen to an excerpt of Swingin' the Spring: