Pearl Street Rag
Pearl Street Rag is a light hearted rag for full orchestra plus alto sax. I wrote it with a dedication to my mother (MaryAnn Brickey) who, as a teacher of dance to youngsters, taught dance routines to a lot of popular music. And choreographed a tap dance to Maple Leaf Rag (as I recall). Influences count!--listening to hour after hour of syncopated tap dance routines coming out of her basement studio. In the case of Pearl Street Rag the jaunty main theme is carried by numerous duets and solos. Likewise the second theme solos are in trumpet and alto sax. Also in duets: flute and bass clarinet (for example) and other combinations. A contrasting section follows with strong ensemble syncopation and some busy violin passage work. The piece self-divides in two with the second section starting off with a slowed down legato passage (clarinet/violin and pizzicato low strings) which accelerates and crescendos into more freewheeling versions/combinations of the main theme(s). So freewheeling that even the Horn section has a chance to "let go" at a forte dynamic while the rest of the orchestra has a syncopated accompaniment. After that the whole orchestra gets busy winding up to the fortissimo conclusion.
Form: ABAC/ABA
Duration: 4:30
Instrumentation: Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Bb Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, 2 Bassoons, 4 French Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in C, 2 Tenor Trombones, Bass Trombone, Tuba, Timpani, Xylophone, Cymbals, Snare Drum / Woodblock, Bass Drum, Harp, Strings
Form: ABAC/ABA
Duration: 4:30
Instrumentation: Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Bb Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, 2 Bassoons, 4 French Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in C, 2 Tenor Trombones, Bass Trombone, Tuba, Timpani, Xylophone, Cymbals, Snare Drum / Woodblock, Bass Drum, Harp, Strings
| Brickey: Pearl Street Rag |