Crosswinds

for organ solo and twelve instruments

(1984) Duration: 10:00

Crosswinds was commissioned for the 1984 National Organ Conference and was premiered at that conference on October 14, 1984, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The organ soloist was William Albright, who was also my composition teacher at the University of Michigan where I was pursuing my DMA in Music Composition. The performance was by the University of Michigan New Directions Ensemble, Carl St. Clair conducting.

Crosswinds uses theoretical ideas that I discussed in my paper, "Hexachords and Their Trichordal Generators," which was published in “In Theory Only.” Basically, three groups of notes are coupled with percussion instrumentation (metal, wood, or membranes) to produce three distinct "colors" for the work. The three groups of notes are different, but they are related by their makeup of smaller sub-groups. (OK, it's more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it. See graphic below.)

I chose for the ensemble very strong instruments to better counter the power of a large pipe organ: 3 piccolos (doubling flutes), 2 trumpets (doubling piccolo trumpets), 2 horns, trombone and bass trombone, and 3 percussionist playing a big variety of instruments. The brass instruments are also divided on stage into two pods of three players, one each of trumpet, horn, and trombone. The piccolos are stationed in front, and the percussionists are spread across the back of the group.

The title, Crosswinds relates to the interaction of the instruments, but it also refers to the means of sound production of the pipe organ...wind pushed across the pipes. In my mind at the time, I was also not unaware of the subtext of Christ and the twelve disciples, but I don't think that made its way into the sound world of the work, or perhaps it did so unconsciously.

– Steve Rouse