Description
By Michael Drapkin
Performance time: 2’30
View performance video at: YouTube – By the Fireside
Premiered and performed in Denver by the Colorado Wind Ensemble, David Kish, Artistic Director.
By the Fireside is a great addition to a December holiday concert or any program wanting to add a Jewish flavor to it. It is relatively short – a little over two minutes long, but a lovely arrangement that starts out with solo flute.
Drapkin based this short band work on the classic Yiddish song Oyfn Pripetchik, which creates a distinct soundscape. Drapkin points out, “As is not unusual in songs from this area and culture, it has elements of sadness in it.” The opening statement is performed in the upper winds only, with the other instruments introduced in the second theme.
