This eclectic collection contains songs in traditional, contemporary Christian, and gospel styles. Indices included, in addition to the Table of Contents, are alphabetical, topical and Scriptural. There is also a page showing the range of each of the songs.
Five of my students “commissioned” the seven pieces that are in this collection. Each student chose the title, the character, sometimes even the time signatures and articulation. I sought to tailor the works to the students’ abilities. The process led to the title, ‘By Request.”
The “Conflict” of the title refers to separate conflicts between the first violins and the doublebasses and the second violins and the violas. The cellos represent the reconciling force. The short work opens with dissonant chords from the conflicting groups from which rise fragments of the “Reconciliation” theme in the cellos. Then the violin/bass conflict begins, followed quickly by the violin/viola conflict. The cellos seek to interject portions of their theme. Gradually the cellos lead the other groups to a unison sounding of the reconciliation theme. The first violins repeat this theme with the other groups providing a more consonant harmonic background. However, conflict breaks out once more. Again the cellos seek to reconcile the conflicting groups. The cellos succeed, bringing a final sounding of the reconciliation theme in unison and augmentation.
This work was written to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Columbus Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota. The Greek letters, sigma, alpha, and iota, represent the nineteenth, first, and ninth letters of the Greek alphabet. With alpha as A on the piano keyboard, the other letters become B and E. A-B and A-E form the intervals of a second and a fifth respectively, quite appropriate for a twenty-fifth anniversary. The three notes led to the idea of a three-part work with each note becoming a tonal center.
In keeping with the commemorative aspects of an anniversary the composer labeled the sections, “Celebrate the Present,”Remember the Past,” and “Anticipate the Future.” To create a tie with the past, the composer received permission from Jayne Latiolais to incorporate two melodic fragments from her vocal chamber work, Salome, which was commissioned for the tenth anniversary of SAI. These two fragments are involved in the transitions into and out of the section, “Remember the Past.”
By taking the three notes, flatting and sharping each one, the composer developed a nine-note synthetic scale which serves as the underlying framework. In the section on the past she chose five of the nine notes for a five-note scale. The section on the future is based on six of the nine notes.
The work opens with a type of fanfare with a tonal center of A. The main theme of the first section is announced by the violin and cello two octaves apart against a quiet ostinato pattern in the piano which uses the rhythm of the fanfare. The strings then take the ostinato pattern while the piano plays the main theme four octaves apart. Tremolos in the strings and scale passages in the piano modulate to C (B#) for a slower section in which the violin follows the synthetic scale in undulating rhythms against a quiet accompaniment in the cello and piano. The main theme and tempo return, this time with the violin and cello playing in unison.
As descending scales in the strings begin the modulation to the tonal center of E, the first melodic fragment from Jayne Latiolais’ Salome is interjected by the piano. The strings reply with the second melodic fragment in canon.
The “Remember the Past” section, marked Molto meno mosso, begins with a series of eight quiet chords in the piano which continue in ostinato fashion. The cello enters with an espressivo theme which is answered by the violin. The themes are heard in canon as the piano arpeggiates the chords. The section fades away with one last whisper of the second melodic fragment from Salome.
A brief duet in harmonics by the violin and cello leads to the piano’s fiery opening of “Anticipate the Future,” marked Con fuoco with a tonal center of B. The theme is repeated pizzicato in the cello and violin. A sudden return of the opening fanfare begins the Coda. Very brief reprises of the three themes are heard, but again the fanfare interrupts. Tremolo double stops in the violin and cello against rising scales in the piano lead to a final dissonant fortissimo chord.
This poem is an ode to the season of autumn heralding wind and rain and the bright colors of the leaves. The composer enjoys some “word painting” including a hymn style when the text references such things as “blessing the farms” and “the farmer’s prayers.” The poet refers to an old German tradition that a prosperous harvest will find Emperor Charlemagne crossing a bridge of gold and giving a blessing to the land. The work begins with an ostinato pattern on the word “Autumn” in the men’s voices with the women’s rising above with the opening words of the poem. Then the voices exchange places. The composition closes quietly with the same ostinato pattern.
A new scene from Pilate’s Wife was performed Monday, February 26, 2013, at a private home with the composer as Procula, Pilate’s wife, Jan Nelson as Deborah, the Jewish maid, and Eileen Huston at the piano.
We’re Marching to Zion, Jerry Casey’s arrangement of the hymn tune for organ, was performed at the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI) Region V Conference, April 11-13, 2013, at Clarke College, Dubuque, IA.
Three Moods for French horn and piano was performed on the “Sundays at the Huntington” concert sponsored by Women in Music – Columbus on Sunday, November 4, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. Performers were Helen Doerring, horn, and Phyllis Byard, piano. This work was also performed on Saturday, November 3, 2012, for Saturday Music Club at Worthington Community of Christ Church, Worthington, Ohio with the same performers.
The three scheduled performances of the new scene from Pilate’s Wife were cancelled because of the death of a family member of one of the performers. Instead Jerry Casey performed the opening aria, “Jerusalem! Caesarea! Rome!” for the Worthington Music Club, Monday, November 5, 2012, at a private home. Three Christmas songs by Jerry Casey were presented at the Women in Music – Columbus Member Musicale on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, at a private home. Performers for both events were Jerry Casey, soprano, and Eileen Huston, piano.
Jerry Casey’s composition Oh, Death, Rock Me Asleep (poetry of Anne Boleyn, for soprano and solo violin) was selected for the International Alliance of Women in Music (IAWM) Annual Concert 2012, which was performed by Ensemble Pi at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) as part of the Livewire Festival of Contemporary Music on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 1:30 pm.
This work appears on Jerry’s recently released CD Yet, I Will Rejoice. Performers on the CD are Jessica Kahn, soprano and Erica Donahoe, violin.
The regional conference of Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers (CFAMC) held on November 5, 2011, at Nyack College, Nyack, New York, featured three of Jerry Casey’s works, Mine Were the Hands for voice and piano, recording of Prelude from Seven (A Suite for Orchestra) paired with the photograph, “Forest Light” (Paul Kiler), and the hymn tune Circle of Thorn (hymnody of Richard Leach).
