John Mackey: Strange Humors (2006)

John Mackey (b. 1973)
John Mackey (he/him) has written for orchestras (Brooklyn Philharmonic, New York Youth Symphony), theater (Dallas Theater Center), and extensively for dance (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Parsons Dance Company, New York City Ballet), but the majority of his work for the past decade has been for wind ensembles (the fancy name for concert bands), and his band catalog now receives annual performances numbering in the thousands.
Recent commissions include works for the BBC Singers, the Dallas Wind Symphony, military, high school, middle school, and university bands across America and Japan, and concertos for Joseph Alessi (principal trombone, New York Philharmonic), Christopher Martin (principal trumpet, New York Philharmonic), and Julian Bliss (international clarinet soloist). In 2014, he became the youngest composer ever inducted into the American Bandmasters Association. In 2018, he received the Wladimir & Rhoda Lakond Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He resides in San Francisco, California, with his spouse, A. E. Jaques, a philosopher who works on the ethics of artificial intelligence for MIT, and also titles all of his pieces; and their cats, Noodle and Bloop.
Strange Humors (2006)
Strange Humors represents another of Mackey’s works (after “Redline Tango”) that has been transcribed for wind ensemble. The first version of “Strange Humors” was a student piece for string quartet and djembe that Mackey wrote while pursuing his graduate degree at The Juilliard School. It was later adapted for use by the Parsons Dance Company, with choreography by Robert Battle. Its transcription came at the behest of Richard Floyd on behalf of the American Bandmasters Association. The piece represents a merging of musical cultures - the modal melodies and syncopated rhythms of middle Eastern music with the percussive accompaniment of African drumming.
At the heart of the work lies the pulse of the djembe, which remains from the original version. The djembe, an hourglass-shaped drum played with bare hands, is a major part of the customs of west African countries such as Mali and Guinea, where djembe ensembles accompany many functional celebrations of society.
The piece opens with a sultry English horn solo, a line laced with Phrygian influence representing the “typical” melodies of the most northeastern parts of the African continent - most notably Egypt, but also parts of the Arabian peninsula. Later, the saxophones emulate the snaking lines of the English horn. The addition of brass and auxiliary percussion to the original orchestration makes for particular impact during the shout sections of the piece, and the groove of the djembe combined with the quirky rhythms throughout leave an impression that lingers in the listener’s mind long after its conclusion.
-Program note by Jake Wallace
Instrumentation
for Wind Ensemble
Performer
North Texas Wind Symphony
Conducted by Eugene Migliaro Corporon
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[@nonexistent4097]

I spontaneously combusted after hearing and playing such a wonderful piece can't listen I eated it all.

[@lovermuzak]

One of favorite pieces to hear and play

[@8Traque]

Got to play this in high school. So awesome

[@catpotato_]

This is one piece I didn't mind having almost 80 measures of rest in (horn player)

[@AlertShark]

Playing the djembe is sooo fun I'm so glad I got picked 🙂

[@FlashDrive356]

I just picked up the djembe part too, seems like fun but definitely need to practice, rare for percussion-

[@vincentaramburu4269]

Not Martinez going “UHHHHH” at the end 😂😂

[@maneater6495]

intro was lowkey giving incantation and dance

[@trashgamingclips9010]

I couldn't even edge to this!!!! I exploded IMMEDIATELY!!! Clean up on aisle MY PANTS!! 👹😈😭💀

[@TheBurrowBoys]

Bruh what

[@CRAZYMAN-st4ju]

Literally sme

[@CRAZYMAN-st4ju]

Did you just do city county @trashgamingclips9010

[@dabluepipe]

this is the 2nd edging comment I've come across in the last 24 hours. this one i tend to agree with

[@whipIashd]

me fr (band director played this for the class and i busted everywhere)

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

By the way, IX should be titled Cliffs of Moher. Not Mother.

[@gabrielh4400]

Like this comment to instantly Kellon your Johnsen