Huapango "El Centro" (String Orchestra) String Orchestra - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.723044

A huapango is a traditional Mexican folk dance with juxtaposed meters of 3/4 and 6/8. The word may be a corruption of the Nahuatl word cuauhpanco that literally means "on top of the wood," alluding to a wooden platform on which dancers can make their quick zapateado dance steps. Much like the steps of flamenco dancers, these heel clicks are not just part of the dance but are actually considered a part of the musical composition itself. Left-hand finger-tapping on cello tops, representing the staccato of dancers' heel clicks, and violins strummed guitar style all come together in a Norteno-style huapango.

A little about the origin of this particular composition: Over the years I had written a number of arrangement and original compositions for the Mitch Sturman, director of the Wilson Junior High School Band in El Centro, California. I was approached in September, 2014, by Marissa Gohl, director of the Wilson’s string orchestra at the suggestion of Wilson’s new principal, who, after seeing a video of Gustavo Dudamel leading the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela in Leonard Bernstein’s Mambo (their signature concert ender), said to Ms. Gohl, “Our orchestra needs a signature piece like that. I like the sound of a huapango. Do you think Mr. Jacklich could write us one?” After thinking about the request, and searching out some examples of huapangos for reference, I began writing, and finished the rough draft of the string orchestra piece in just two days. At that time the score for the string orchestra version was basically complete except for a few revisions done over the next few weeks. In November, 2014, a full orchestra version (available at this web site) was also written keeping the string parts exactly the same, but adding the colors of the full orchestra.

Note: the "alla guitara" section can be blister raising. To be gentler on the fingers, one can use a brushing technique, rather than a strict pizzicato, and use a different finger every two measures (index, then middle, then ring, etc.), or by brushing with the index, middle, and ring fingers combined in a three-fingered brush, or even using the thumb, or a combination of all the aforementioned in alternation every two measures. The section members should decide among themselves so that they are not all using the same technique at the same time, but that there is always a variety of techniques in action.