Jessie's Well

Concert Band

5' 08"

Late 2004, around the time of adjudicating the Brisbane-based Musicfest school band and orchestra event. The original concepts for melody and harmony happened as I adjudicated one night in October. The sketching took place in November/December of 2004 and the manuscript score was completed on the 10th of April 2005. Engraving and publication followed in that year.

The series of Competition and Composition projects undertaken by me at the Queensland Conservatorium saw a number of works produced for the finest bands and orchestras. This work was written for one of those groups. The story of this is quite personal. A young conductor felt I was biased against him. He actively promulgated such a view to others, including his students. When I began my Christian journey I was challenged to confront that situation because I had left behind contempt for his view and felt a degree of anxiousness that I could elicit such an emotional reaction from someone. This work is my musical response to that whole emotional boiling pot and the wonder of a young girl's healing of such angst and uncertainty. The program note assists in a full understanding of the reason the work was created and helps tell the tale.
I have to acknowledge here the fine work of Dr Rob McWilliams and the University of Wisconsin At Osh Kosh Symphonic Band how presented the world premiere of this work.

University of Wisconsin, at Osh Kosh, Symphonic Band, Rob McWilliams conductor - April 2006.

Subsequent performances:

• Queensland Conservatorium Wind Orchestra - 12 May 2006
• Young Conservatorium Wind Orchestra - August 2006
• American Band college, Ashland, Oregon, USA - 26 June 2008
• Midwest Conference, Chicago, Illinois, USA - 16 December 2010
• Various school and community band performances related to inclusion on select repertoire lists for contest and festival both in Australia and the USA

Brolga Music Publishing Company, Brisbane, Australia www.brolgamusic.com in 2005

Sketch, Manuscript Score, Engraved score

Program note

Brolga publication

Video of second rehearsal before promo recording above

Jim Ripley
Tan Beng Wee
Ryan Nowlin (arranger US Marine Band "The President's Own") - response to Jessie's journal
Nigel Clarke - British composer
Entry in "Teaching Music Through Performance in Band (Vol 7)" Miles et al
Selected for performance at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference, Chicago December 2010

The Jessie's Well Journal has the story to tell here, and although it is about the scoring of the work much of it reflects on the concepts and feelings surrounding the creation of the piece, especially wanting to make it accessible to high school aged students. The journal has an in-depth description of writing the work and the responses above tell of the reaction of many who have used it as a performance piece. I am very pleased to have the work chosen as an example of fine repertoire for young musicians in the GIA publication noted above.