In the Face of Uncertainty

(A Love Song)
for Alison Kidwell
Program Notes:

“In the Face of Uncertainty strives to create a sensitive chaos in its quiet, soloistic passages as well as its extremely dense, quasi-aleatoric tutti sections.” – John Hildreth.
The melodic material is wholly comprised of a love song that was realized by Blackfeet Indians. The men of the tribe would sing this song when courting a woman in the tribe. I
handled the material by dividing the melody into nine separate measures. Then I constructed a matrix in order to determine the form of the piece. Time plays an approximate role
in the piece, as it fluctuates with each instrumental part and is forwarded only by the conductor’s cue.

Performance Notes:

This piece is written for seven undetermined instruments. This work can be performed by seven similar instruments or seven instruments from different instrumental
families. Since a lot of the melodic material is repeated consistently throughout the work, the piece is more effective if the instruments have different timbres. Percussion
instruments are appropriate as long as five or more of the instruments are melodic instruments. Since any arrangement of instruments may perform this work the ranges I have
presented in the score are merely suggestive. The pitch class and the rhythm are the elements to pay strict attention to. Articulation is left solely to the performers interpretation
except where otherwise noted. A director or conductor will be needed. This person can be separate from the ensemble or one of the performers, as long as the cues can be given in
a convenient and efficient manner.

Cues are notated by numbered triangles located above the score. The vertical lines drawn from the triangles clarify who and what is being cued at that moment. The
amount of time to pass from one cue to the next is left up to the conductor. Performers should respond immediately to cues and not attempt to finish playing any material they may
be engaged in at the time. Between the cues the performer is allowed to progress from one measure to the next at their discretion.

Tempo markings are given at the beginning of most entrances. Places where a tempo indication is not given, it is to be assumed that the performer will play the new figure
in the same tempo as the previous figure. Tempo markings are given in ranges that give the performer license within that given range. This is important because no two
performers should be playing in rhythmic unison.

Dynamics are notated in a very general way. If there is no dynamic marking you can assume that it should be the same as the previous marking. The performer has license
to interpret dynamic markings as they wish within the context of the score.
Some General Notes For Interpreting The Score:

! When one or more performers have music at a cue and the others have a rest under the cue (as in rehearsals 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19 and 20); this indicates that the
performers with rests should cut off when the performer with music is cued to begin.
! In rehearsal 3 you’ll notice instrument II has a quarter rest at the cue and then a repeated figure. This is to stagger the entrance of instruments I and II. Instrument II is to come
in approximately one beat after instrument I. This happens in several other places in the score and is to be treated the same (see rehearsals 3, 5, 6, 19 and 20).
! Rehearsal 7 cues notated accelerandos in instruments IV and V. They need to be gradual and repeated when indicated as such (see rehearsals 7, 14 and one measure before 17).
At rehearsal 7 in the score there is a crescendo. This dynamic change is to be repeated as well.
! The cue at rehearsal 11 applies to instruments I and V and has no effect on what instruments VI and VII play.
! Likewise the cue at rehearsal 12 applies only to instruments II and VI.
! Rehearsal 15 is not to be mistaken as notated accelerandos. The notes are to be played at the same tempo throughout the measure. Because each performer has a different
amount of notes to play, no two performers should be playing in rhythmic unison.
! The section beginning at rehearsal 16 should be markedly fast and quiet.
! Starting at rehearsal 21 and rehearsal 28 some instruments may have trouble holding the sustained notes. In most cases it may be beneficial to let the sound die without striking
the note again. In other instances, such as a percussion ensemble, it may help to tremolo the note. I will leave this decision to the conductor based on the instruments being
used.
! The measure after rehearsal 27 and 28 are in time according to the melodic figure in instrument IV. This is probably the only time the performers should follow someone other
than the conductor.
! The section beginning with the second measure after rehearsal 27 (beginning of repeated sections) should be markedly slow and loud as indicated by tempo and dynamic
markings.
! Cues 29 through 32 are for the purpose of cutting off the parts with rests.
! The section beginning with rehearsal 33 should be markedly fast and very loud. Although all parts have varying degrees of softness they reach within the figure, this section of
the work should still stand out as being quite loud.
! Cues at rehearsals 34, 35 and 36 are for the purpose of cutting off the parts with rests. The performer should stop playing when the conductor cues them to do so no matter
where that performer should be in their part.
! At rehearsal 36 instruments II and V cut off and instruments I and VI begin to slow and decrescendo. Once the conductor decides they have done that enough or it has reached
a desired state of completion the conductor will cue them at rehearsal 37 to play the final “D” and give a release when desired.

March,2000
Radford, VA
 In the Face of Uncertainty
1 2 3 (A Love Song) 5 6 Lief Ellis

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