's-Hertogenbosch: Ragtime for the Temperate Soul: Piano Solo - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1728450

This composition marks the fifty-fifth destination in the series Ragtime at the Red-Light District. Set in the city of ’s-Hertogenbosch, the piece unfolds at the Chaplin Club, where restraint, reverence, and renewal quietly converge.

The protagonist is a 30-year-old ethical butcher—widely respected for his craft, yet rarely seen beyond the confines of his work. With a spirit guided by purpose, he ventured into the city carrying four bushels of ethically prepared meat, offering his work to the public at places like the Cathedral Church of St. John and the ’s-Hertogenbosch Railway Station. His offerings were met with admiration, and one local, deeply moved by the quality and care behind the food, invited him to showcase his work during an upcoming World Cup qualifying match at De Vliert.

At the stadium, the butcher’s creations became the centerpiece of the culinary experience. His bushels outshone the surrounding concession stands—not through spectacle, but through sincerity. The crowd responded not just with appetite, but with respect.

After the match, the butcher left the bushels behind and took a power walk through the city, eventually arriving at Chaplin Club. There, he was confronted with a different kind of energy—one of erotic indulgence and performative desire. Initially perturbed, he was reminded of the virtues he held dear: humility and abstinence. Then, a female worker approached him—not with seduction, but with sincerity. She confessed her longing to leave behind the lifestyle around her and embrace the same values the butcher lived by. Moved by her honesty, the two chose to spend the evening together—not in escapism, but in quiet companionship, sharing coffee at a nearby 24-hour café.

Musically, the piece follows a 4AABBCC4DD4AA structure. The A section, set in A-flat major and spanning 24 bars, draws dual inspiration from Janet Sullivan’s In Every Age and George Botsford’s Hyacinth Rag. Sullivan’s influence is felt in the melodic contour—particularly the recurring sixteenth-note sequence of A-flat, B-flat, A-flat, and F, which nods to her hymn’s introspective phrasing. Harmonically, the section begins with a chordal pattern of D-flat major, A-flat major, F minor, and E-flat, modulating through B-flat minor, B-flat major, and E-flat major before returning to its original motif. Botsford’s ragtime spirit infuses the rhythm with buoyancy and charm, grounding the section in syncopated elegance.

The B section, in D-flat major, subtly shifts into C-flat major midway, adding harmonic depth and a sense of emotional expansion. The C section explores E-flat minor, offering a more introspective tone. The D section—an eight-bar passage—begins in E-flat major, but its final measures pivot dramatically: the first iteration returns to E-flat, while the second modulates to C minor before resolving in A-flat major, echoing the emotional journey of the protagonist.

This is not just a melody. It is a sermon in syncopation, a hymn to human dignity. The traveler remains unnamed, but the reverence is yours to feel.