Sweetwater Seas
Concert Band - Digital Sheet Music

Concert Band - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1080951

By Premiered by the Marquette (MI) City Band. By James Bicigo. Contest,Festival. Score and parts. 252 pages. Polar Publications #685139. Published by Polar Publications (A0.1080951).

This is a work of five 2 minute movements representing each of the Great Lakes. They are presented from smallest to largest. Each movement, while separate, connects to the others, as the lakes connect to each other. Each movement’s title gives the current name of the lake, an indigenous name of the lake, and the translation or meaning of the indigenous name. In each movement, I try to musically capture the character of the lake described by the name given to it by the various indigenous people who inhabited its coastlines. Erie, as named by the Iroquois people is called Long Tail, Ontario, Lake of Shining Water as named by the Wyandotte nation, as is Huron (A European name for the Wyandotte people), appropriately called Sweetwater Sea. The Ojibwe people call Lake Michigan the Grand Sea, and Superior the Great Sea. When I created this music, I kept in mind my vision of these lakes as well. I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior, and lived near Michigan, Huron, and Erie for a good part of my adult life. I have traveled to Lake Ontario and spent time there as well. These lakes were a formative part of my life, as they are for all who are fortunate enough to call their shores home.