Soulful Quartet, No. 1 by Gary Powell Nash Small Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.881261

Gary Powell Nash has composed a total of four "soulful" works, which includes 2 trios and 2 quartets. Each of the "soulful" works are based on and inspired by an American popular musical genre, particularly either jazz, gospel, spirituals, rhythm and blues or some combination of those.  Soulful Quartet, No. 1 is the first work composed after that premise.  Furthermore, during the 2006-7 academic year, Nash took trips to Vietnam, Spain and Ghana and thus was inspired to compose music based on those experiences.  Soulful Quartet, No. 1 was the first composition written under that premise.  

It consists of four movements.  Movement #1, titled "The River" is based on the song River in Judea as it begins with a slow introduction in compound duple meter and features harmonic progressions derived from the supporting tune.  This is juxtaposed with a song-like melody that is also reflective of the principal motive in River in Judea.  The following section features faster music, also in compound duple meter with cross-rhythms, derived from West African folk music.  Movement #2 is titled "Reflections" and is a slow movement in triple meter.  Movement #3, "In One Lifetime" is a fast, multi-metered work, mostly alternating 4/4 and 3/4.  Movement #4, "Blue Mali" begins with a slow introduction with a blues-like melody and transitions to faster music, also based on West African folk music.