The Snaring of the Sun
Stephen Roberts
For British Brass Band & 3 Percussion
Percussion 1: 4 Timpani, Large Suspended Cymbal
Percussion 2: Tam-tam, Side Drum, Triangle, Maracas, 4 Tom-toms, 2 Bongos, Wood Block, Suspended Cymbal
Percussion 3: Clash Cymbals, Glockenspiel, Orchestral Bass Drum, Jawbone (Vibraslap), Long Rain Stick*, Xylophone, Claves, Wind Chimes (*substitute with wind chimes if unavailable)
(The original score was for 4 percussion players, but adapted to accommodate the preferred instrumentation for contests with the marimba part being substituted by xylophone.)
Duration c. 12.00
The Snaring of the Sun was written for the National Youth Brass Band of New Zealand and their musical director Peter Adams who gave the first performances in January 2015. It was subsequently chosen as the 2nd section test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain held at the Centaur, Cheltenham in September 2015, where it received its first UK performances.
It is a celebration of youth, based on folklore common across Polynesia and tells the story of young Maui, who used his magic powers to capture the sun and stop it from crossing the sky too fast.
The legend goes that that long ago there was not enough light or heat in the world because the sun hurtled across the sky. Crops could not ripen, nor could fisherman bring in their catch. The demi-god Maui decided to use his magic powers to ensnare the sun by trekking to the crater in which the sun slept and ensnaring his beams with magical ropes. After a battle Maui got the sun to agree to travel more slowly, especially in summer so mankind could enjoy the benefits of his rays.
I have written the music as a series of descriptive scenes, rather like a film, using eclectic styles to capture the narrative. Because of this the piece follows the story quite literally. It starts with a sunrise that descends almost before it has begun and darkness falls leaving the word a desolate place. Maui appears with a forthright theme that jumps and twists to describe his prowess as an athlete. He talks tenderly to his mother who cannot dry her tapa cloth and decides to capture the sun and set things right. He sounds his battle cry or Hakka and invokes his magic powers as he treks off to the wilds in pursuit. Maui finds the sun sleeping in a crater far away and lassoes him with his magic ropes. There is a furious battle, but the sun is snared and in an ensuing quiet passage Maui persuades him to travel more slowly to give mankind heat and light. The sun rises again and this time shines in a life-affirming manner.
Stephen Roberts, 2015
Born in London, Stephen Roberts studied horn and piano at the Royal College of Music and gained a PhD in composition at the University of Birmingham. He has an unusually wide portfolio of compositions, including orchestral and chamber works for BBC Radio 3, music for brass and wind bands, educational pieces and commercial music for film, television and radio.
He has written extensively for brass with over 300 works to his credit and his acclaimed transcription of Holsts 'Planets Suite' was used as the British Open test piece in 2003, with 'Arabian Nights' being commissioned for the 2013 contest.
Other recent works for brass include a Euphonium Concerto, premiered by David Childs and recorded by Steven Mead. He has also received international critical acclaim for his scholarly reconstructions of unfinished works by Mozart, which have been recorded by the Orchestra of the Age of nlightenment and the Hanover Band.
For over twenty years Stephen Roberts was horn player with the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble, and he has performed with nearly all the UKs orchestras, from the London Symphony Orchestra to the BBC Big Band. He first became involved with brass bands during the 1980s as musical director of the Jones & Crossland Band and later the Desford Colliery Band amongst others. He has gained a considerable reputation as a successful conductor with plenty of prizes on the contesting circuit and resultant worldwide demand as an experienced adjudicator. He has also held posts as Associate Conductor and Composer in Residence with the English Symphony Orchestra, Professor of Horn at the Birmingham Conservatoire and Lecturer in Conducting at the University of Birmingham. Since 2002 he has been Professor of Orchestration and Arranging at the Royal Military School of Music, London.
2015 National testpiece Second Section
The Snaring of the Sun (Stephen Roberts)
Published by Tanglewind Music
Inspired by Polynesian folklore, The Snaring of the Sun tells of the Maori legend of demi-god Maui, who used his magic powers to capture the sun and stop it from crossing the sky too fast.
After trekking to the crater in which the sun slept and ensnaring its beams with magical ropes, Maui persuades the sun to agree to travel more slowly, especially in summer, so mankind can enjoy the benefits of its rays.
It was originally written in 2015 for the National Youth Band of New Zealand and is series of highly descriptive scenes which outline the story from the opening descending sunrise through to the trek to the volcano, the capture of the suns rays and the final triumphant arc of its new radiance.
