Journey to the Centre of Earth, Peter Graham. Brass Band

JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH
Symphonic Scenes for Brass and Percussion
Peter Graham

Extra Study Score (B5 size) is available

2005 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Jules Verne, and the event inspired Peter Graham to write a musical tribute to the author described as the "father of science fiction."

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is one of Verne's best known works. The novel takes the form of a sequence of diary entries by Axel, nephew of Professor Otto Lidenbrock. The pair follow coded instructions in a old document guiding them to Iceland where, together with their guide Hans, they enter the open crater of an extinct volcano Snæfells and pursue a trail to the centre of the earth. There follows "hair-breadth 'scapes and ventures perilous" as the intrepid explorers encounter a vast interior world.

Peter Graham has taken some of the key scenes from the book and set them as a sequence of symphonic extracts.

The subtitles are:

1. Snæfells
2. Descent
3. The Wonders of the Terrestrial Depths
4. The Day of Rest
5. Lost in the Labyrinth
6. The Whispering Gallery
7. Rescue from the Abyss
8. Battle of the Antediluvian Creatures and Ascent
9. Homecoming

Journey to the Centre of the Earth was premiered by the Black Dyke Band as their contest winning own choice test at the 2005 European Championships in Holland.

COMPOSERS NOTE
The French novelist Jules Verne (1828-1905) created a unique blend of science and adventure in his series of novels known as Voyages Extraordinaires. Written in 1864, Journey to the Centre of the Earth is on the surface an adventure story but as the commentator Diana Mitchell has observed on a deeper level can be seen as mans journey into himself, always probing deeper for what lies at the centre. The novel takes the form of a sequence of diary entries by Axel, nephew of Professor Otto Lidenbrock. The pair follow coded instructions in a old document guiding them to Iceland where, together with their guide Hans, they enter the open crater of an extinct volcano Snæfells and pursue a trail to the centre of the earth. There follows hair-breadth scapes and ventures perilous as the intrepid explorers encounter a vast interior world.  This music presents scenes from the novel in a rough chronological order. The work opens on the dark and brooding Summit of Snæfells and follows the adventurers as they descend into the bowels of the earth. En route they encounter the Wonders of the Terrestrial Depths (an electrically illuminated sky), a dream sequence during which Axel witnesses a Battle of Antediluvian Creatures before the final Ascent and Homecoming. The key scene of the book (and the music) reflects on Axels despair as he becomes separated from his companions and is Lost in the Labyrinth. His subsequent rescue is due to an acoustic phenomenon whereby he hears the voices of his friends in The Whispering Gallery.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth is dedicated to Ryan and Megan, who love the story!

Peter Graham
Cheshire March 2005