Image on Truth

Grade 3.5-4

Duration: approx. 6:30

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Program Note:

Image on Truth was written in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the life of Sojourner Truth.

Sojourner Truth was a deeply spiritual woman who became a speaker for abolition and women’s rights.  After reading about the deep faith that Sojourner Truth had, I wanted to honor her with the title revealing that she lived her life reflecting the image of God.

Julia Ward Howe, who was also involved in the women’s suffrage movement, wrote the lyrics to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. The tune has a long history and was first known as “Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us”.  Given the popularity of this tune, I decided to use glimpses of it as a unifying factor in this piece.

Instrumentation

2 Flutes
Oboe
Bassoon
3 Bb Clarinets
Bass Clarinet
2 Alto Saxophones
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

3 Trumpets in Bb (Harmon Mutes needed)
2 French Horns (two players per part)
3 Tenor Trombones
Euphonium
Tuba

Timpani, Large Suspended Cymbal

Percussion (7 players/optional 8 players):

1. Bells, Chimes

2. Marimba (4 octave), Triangle, Bass Drum

3. Marimba (4 octave), Marching Machine

4. Vibraphone, Field Drum

5. 2 Low Toms, Medium Suspended Cymbal, Crash Cymbals

6. Djembe

7. Tam-Tam (tam-tam mallets, stick or hot rod, and triangle beater needed), Medium Suspended Cymbal (dreadlock or brush needed), Cabasa, Tambourine

*Optional Percussion 8: An additional djembe can be used from measure 71 through 100 if desired. This player can then double the field drum part on snare drum from 108 until the end. This requires both a field drum and a snare drum.