SLAVDOM
for Wind Band
13 minutes
3 movements: I. Perun | II. Morana | III. Vesna
Grade 5
INSTRUMENTATION
Piccolo
2 Flutes
2 Oboes (2nd doubles on English horn)
2 Bassoons
Eb Clarinet
4 Bb Clarinets
Bass Clarinet
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets in Bb
4 Horns in F
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Alto Voice (could be substituted by alto sax)
Harp (could be substituted by piano)
Piano
Double Bass
Timpani: 32, 29, 26, 23, 20 (optional, but preferred)
Percussion 1: Drum Set
Percussion 2: Dumbek*, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Tam-Tam
Percussion 3: 4 Tom-Toms, Triangle, Rain Stick
Percussion 4: Xylophone
Percussion 5: Marimba
*Dumbek (doumbek) could be substituted by any frame drum or hand drum (preferably goblet-shaped like darbuka or
djembe). The instrument is intended to be played by hands.
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About SLAVDOM
Slavic people collectively, Slavic people as a body.
Present-day Slavs include East Slavs (Ukranians, Belarusians, Russians, Rusyns), West Slavs (Czechs, Kashubs, Poles,
Slovaks, Silesians, and Sorbs), and South Slavs (Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Montenegrins, Slovenes, and Serbs). Sharing
common roots, these cultures have birthed beautifully diverse artistic rhizomes.
This work draws on my experience of music from Serbia, my beloved home country in the Balkans. The title, however, recognizes that even my roots were once seeds, and that the intertwined fates of my Slavic ancestors were anything but simple. As inhabitants of today’s countries are descendants of settlers and migrants, it is therefore impossible to separate the “Serbian” from the “Slavic”. And what does “Slavic” even signify?
While Slavic paganism has been largely abandoned and replaced by major modern-day religions, some of its customs are still observed. Slavdom is an exploration of the mythological connective tissue between my people’s origins and me. It is a celebration of my home country, a focus on what bonds Slavs, and an inquiry into where Serbia came from.
ABOUT SLAVDOM
Little is known of Slavic mythology – the sources are scarce and sometimes conflicting. In the Slavic pantheon, a hierarchy of gods exists, but its “center is empty” – or likely occupied by deus otiosus – a “hidden” or “inactive” god who has withdrawn from the immediate details of governing the world (according to Encyclopedia Britannica). Does that mean that the gods of my ancestors were mysterious, benevolent for their disinterest in ruling the world, or perhaps disorganized? One can only guess.
The three movements are inspired by three Slavic gods (with duties): Perun (peh – ruhn), Morana (more – an – ah), and Vesna (ves – nah).
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THE CONSORTIUM
I am most humbled by the support and trust placed in me by the fabulous people and schools listed below. My deepest gratitude goes to Dr. Daniel Belongia of Arkansas Tech University for initiating this project and being a great mentor and collaborator throughout the years.
Daniel Belongia (Arkansas Tech University) *world premiere
Trae Blanco (Butler University)
Matt Boze
Robert Carnochan (University of Miami)
Michael Hancock (University of Central Arkansas)
Jonathan Helmick (Slippery Rock University)
Allison Jaeger (Oregon High School Bands)
Ivan Trevino
Mack Wood (Illinois State University)
Michael Yonchak (Otterbein University)
John Zarco (University of Texas San Antonio)
Listen & Rent Score and Parts
Stream the recording on the album "Influences and Expressions": Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music
Rent the parts/score, please reach out through the contact form.
$100 for score and parts (digital)
$25 score only (digital)