Elegy: Nine Eleven

Amazing Grace

London Overture

London Overture from Princeton Brass Band on Vimeo.

Victorian Snapshots: On Ratcliff Highway

Victorian Snapshots: On Ratcliff Highway from Princeton Brass Band on Vimeo.

This work is a series of shuffled musical 'snapshots' or 'sound-pictures' of the seedy London street named Ratcliff Highway, a street along the Thames populated by people visiting gin palaces and prostitutes. It is based primarily on an actual Victorian picture of the Whitechapel Band of the Salvation Army marching through the street published originally in the War Cry journal in the 1880s. The work, composed by Ray Steadman-Allen for the 1978 International Congress, celebrated 100 years of Salvation Army Bands.

Snatches of old-time songs like "Champaigne Charlie", "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor" and "London Bridge is Falling Down" help to evoke the atmosphere of river fogs, steam trains, horse carriages and dockside life; upriver there is the sound of Big Ben ("Westminster Chimes"). The original themes are bitter, coarse, vivacious and mournful with the emotions of human wreckage. A street fight occurs between a Brit a Yank and an Irishman. Over all broods a recurring passionate hymn of divine yearning. The band is represented by "Hold the Fort", which is historically authenticated. Its clash with the roughs is perhaps not history, but Christian Missioners were often beaten up in this road. In the collision of tunes, we are reminded of the courage of the early-day warriors and honor their example in the epic song that crowns the work: "We'll be Heroes".


Ratcliff Highway begins with a flash of extreme violence followed immediately by "The Thames Fog" out of which comes a beautiful street-seller song "Who will buy my sweet blue lavender" (as it is titled in the score) - later changed by Noel Coward to the words "London pride is handed down to us." Then we hear Big Ben, the "Westminster Chimes." Violence again then a shanty in the cornets "Blow the man down" (also known as the Sponge-Bob Square-Pants theme!!!) confirming we are with sailors in Thameside docklands.

A quick phrase of "Goodbye, Dolly Gray" through the band and we move into a waltz featuring "London Bridge is Falling Down" and "What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor". The flower-seller singing "Lavender" returns as do the Westminster Chimes and then, for the first time, we hear a hymn: "Over All There is a Divine Heart" cleverly interspersed with "Drunken Sailor". The cornets whisper "Genevieve" and we suddenly hear a horse and buggy, complete with sleigh-bells, trotting down the street, the flower girl singing "Lavender" as it passes by into the distance.

"Divine Heart" sighs again but suddenly the "Drunken Sailor" explodes into raucous life! The violence returns and a succession of tunes "A Soldier of the Queen" (euphoniums/basses) "The British Grenadiers" (soprano cornet and xylophone) "The Irish Washerwoman" (solo euphonium/baritone and flugel horn) and "Yankee Doodle" (cornets) confirm the fighting participants, complete with a "Thump" in the whole band!!! A melee ensues in which we can just about hear "Hearts of Oak" in the cornets and "Lavender" in the horns.

An abrupt transition leads to "Shenandoah" (baritone solo) with "London Bridge" in the cornets and another "Divine Heart" sighing over the broken scene. A hint of the tune "Old Man River" (unmarked in the score) leads to the second hymn "We'll Be Heroes" - the tune that will later crown the work. A beautiful 'renaissance' version of the tune for quartet and glock leads into the final span of music.

A drunk suddenly stands up and starts singing "Champaigne Charlie is me Name" (euphoniums) and begins wobbling down Ratcliff Highway "a little unsteady on his feet." In the distance we hear the Salvation Army 'little band' playing the third hymn: "Hold the Fort." The drunk/s move ever closer until there is a "Confrontation." The Violence returns for the last time out of which emerges the gentle "Lavender" girl. The music moves through a transfigured "Drunken Sailor" and "Old Man River" (baptism?) until a terrific fanfare in cornets and trombones leads to the majestic "We'll be Heroes" now cloaked in full-throated glory.

The music literally dances and squeals with delight as the "Westminster Chimes" toll for the final time and a whirling "London Bridge" spirals into a sudden, and totally unexpected, majestic version of "Lavender" - the humble flower-girl having been our narrator all along is unmasked! All that is left is a majestic ending which Steadman-Allen delivers with panache and style.

 

Abbey Road