BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM by James M . Keller
James Lee III
Born November 26 , 1975 in St . Joseph , Michigan ; Residing in Edgewood , Maryland
VISIONS OF CAHOKIA [ 2022 ]
James Lee III is the 2024 – 25 Composer in Residence at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra . In the course of this season , the Orchestra will be presenting at least seven of his compositions , including four world premieres , and he is engaging in a variety of community activities , providing workshops and coaching to promising teenagers . He already had a firm presence in Baltimore , having joined the faculty of Morgan State University in 2005 and now occupying the position of Professor of Theory and Composition . After completing his bachelor ’ s degree in piano at the University of Michigan , he continued there to earn his master ’ s and doctorate
“
My mother , was a Rockette when she was about 16 . She was a ball of fire .
Gilchrist ’ s involvement in her life changed everything .
It was all about living her life the way she wanted to live it . End of life care does not mean end of life .”
— Ron Berk
Anne Berk ’ s Son
degrees in composition . His music quickly attracted the attention of notable conductors and orchestras , and within very few years his works were played by many of the nation ’ s most esteemed orchestras , as well as by ensembles in Latin America and Europe .
He composed Visions of Cahokia in 2022 on commission from conductor Stéphane Denève and the St . Louis Symphony , who premiered it on January 28 , 2023 . This three-movement work was inspired by the “ mound building ” of pre-Columbian cultures in the Mississippi basin , and particularly by Cahokia , a complex in southwestern Illinois that reached its height in about 1100 C . E ., at which point it occupied some six square miles and was home to perhaps as many as 20,000 residents . Says Lee III :
I have structured this work in three movements , in which the second and third movements incorporate
American Indian words as their titles . The first movement , “ Cahokia ’ s Dawn ,” is a brief depiction of various tribes ’ initial journey toward Cahokia . An ostinato-type figure in the sleigh bells and bass drum is accompanied by the harp and clarinet solo of the “ singers ” among the tribes as they contemplate settling at what would later be known as Cahokia . As the music continues , it reaches a climactic arrival point … which depicts the growing and bustling population .…
The second movement , “ Na Yimmi ,” is a Choctaw word that means faith . The fact that Cahokia was a major religious center of Mississippian culture inspired this movement with the initial ascending flute melodies depicting the earnestness of the individual who worships Chihowa , the Choctaw word for God . The calmness of most of the movement suggests an attitude of humility , sincerity , and prayer among the worshippers .
In the third movement , the word “ Chukoshkomo ” is a Chickasaw word for play , game , or frolic . The beginning of the last movement seeks to depict various instances of a powwow ceremony involving feasting , singing , and dancing . As the movement progressed , I also tried to musically depict various individuals playing the game called chunkey . The excitement and density of the piece continues to the very last bar of the music , which celebrates this Mississippian cultural community at the height of its existence before the mysterious decline and abandonment of the city . gilchristcares . org 888.823.8880
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Instrumentation : Two flutes , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons ( one doubling contrabassoon ), four horns , three trumpets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , percussion , harp , and strings .
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