American Kaleidoscope

American Kaleidoscope was commissioned by Jim and Donna Peter in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary, and written for the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra’s Fourth  of July concert at the Lake Harriet Bandstand. At first I thought of variations on Yankee Doodle, the one tune from the Revolutionary War period that everyone recognizes. But why stop there? The piece became a short survey of American immigration, with snippets of tunes from Spain, Britain, France, Sweden, Germany, China, Japan, Italy, Russia, the Eastern European Jewish tradition, the Philippines, Korea, Mexico, Vietnam,  as well as our own William Billings, Stephen Foster, and assorted Civil War songs. There is even a “Washington’s March” from a book of music hand-copied in 1819 by an ancestor of Jere Lantz, director of the Pops Orchestra. Everyone will know at least some of these tunes, tied together with fragments of Yankee Doodle in various disguises. Enjoy!

Flute I (piccolo)
Flute II (piccolo)
Oboes I, II
Bb Clarinets I, II
Bassoons I, II
F Horns I, II, III, IV
C Trumpets I, II, III
Trombones I, II, III
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion (suspended cymbal, orchestra bells, snare drum, triangle, tenor drum, hi hat, bass drum, cabasa, xylophone)
Strings