JACK REILLY:
COMPOSITIONS and LARGER WORKS
£
JACK REILLY:
COMPOSITIONS and LARGER WORKS
£
THE
MASS OF INVOLVEMENT This is a Catholic Mass intended for congregational singing. It was commissioned by the 1969 National Liturgical Conference and premiered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the conference. Eight hundred nuns, priests and laity were present. My “Liturgy in Jazz” quintet performed the Mass at the conference and even taught the audience some of the themes; the featured musicians were, Sheila Jordan voice, Norman Marnell tenor sax, Joe Cocuzzo drums, and Jack Six, bass with the composer at the piano. The Mass is a highly melodic and lyrical work and very easy for the congregation to learn. It is in twelve sections corresponding to the parts of the High Mass. Improvisational sections in some of the sections add excitement to a performance in church. The Mass is also suitable for presentations in a concert setting. The unusual challenge and feature of the work is in the use of odd meters; 3/4, 5/4, 7/4, 9/4, 11/4 and a melodic line that is based on 16th century modality with harmonic progressions based on 20th century tonality. Rhythmically it has a jazz “feel”. The Mass of Involvement has been performed several times at Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church, NYC in a concert presentation during Sunday Jazz Vespers. A full compliment of musicians required by the score is: trombone, two tenor saxes, lead Jazz voice, piano, bass and drums. No conductor is necessary. The
Mass of Involvement is available by rental. A personal thank you to the late Pastor John Garcia Gensel for his support and enthusiasm of my music, but especially for his efforts in securing me the 1969 commission to compose this work. THE
LIGHT OF THE SOUL Length 1 hour and 10 minutes An Oratorio based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali For Mixed Chorus, vocal soloists, narrator and 10- piece Chamber Ensemble Dedicated
to The One Humanity Instrumentation: Flute, Oboe, Tenor Sax, Flugel Horn, French Horn, Trombone, Guitar, Piano, Bass and Drums. Vocal soloists required; Soprano, Tenor, Baritone. The work is divided into five sections: Introduction Book Two: The Steps To Union Book Three: Union Achieved and its Result Book Four: Beginning The Yoga Sutras is a series of disciplines that guides the human soul to arrive at oneness with God, the Creator of all that is. The Ego material mind is eliminated in the process and union with the Soul is achieved. It is difficult to describe the musical vocabulary that went into the composition of this work, suffice it to say that it is a synthesis of the European classical music tradition, with American jazz. The Light Of The Soul, is my most successful marriage of classical composition and jazz improvisation to date, and on a more intense and higher level than the Jazz Requiem. The Light of the Soul was completed in 1974 and premiered in 1976 at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York City with the 60- voice Jersey City State College Concert Choir, George Hansler, conductor and the Jack Reilly Quartet. (It has yet to be performed with the ten -piece chamber ensemble). The quartet for this performance included Jimmy Giuffre, alto flute and tenor sax, Jack Six, double bass, Joe Cocuzzo drums with the composer at the piano. The work received a second performance at the Wethersfield Church, CT in 1986. Ellen Hunt was the conductor with her professional 20- voice church choir and my quartet. Musicians this time were Bob Hanlon, flute and tenor sax, Joe Hunt drums, Jim Stinnett on double bass and the composer at the piano. The narrator was the Reverend in residence at the church. I gave a pre-concert 20- minute talk on the genesis of the work and its meaning for me. This performance was video taped and a DVD is now available with score, on loan, for conductors who are interested in a performance. The Fifth Avenue Presbyterian performance was audio taped and a CD-R of that is also available. The score and parts are available for rental. Meet The Composer Inc. grants are available to assist in the performance and production costs. For further information contact Jack Reilly at kreyljilca@hotmail.com or by phone at 732-818-0840.
A JAZZ REQUIEM Length: 60 + minutes. A Jazz Requiem is composed for mixed chorus, jazz quintet (two tenor saxes, piano, bass and drums), vocal soloists, ( jazz, baritone, and soprano soloists are required). The work was premiered at the famed Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church, NYC in 1968 by the Contemporary Chorale, with Carol Lian, conductor, with the Jack Reilly Quintette; Norman Marnell, Lew DelGatto tenor saxes, Jack Six double bass, Joe Cocuzzo drums and the composer at the piano. Sheila Jordan was the Jazz soloist with Pastor John Garcia Gensel officiating. A second performance of the Requiem was given in 1985 , at Saint Peter’s but this time with vocal soloists from the 60-voice Jersey City State College Concert Choir, George Hansle again conducting, and the Jack Reilly Quintet. One section, the Recordare, for solo soprano, requires a Sitar soloist, tambura and tabla as the accompaniment. The text is sung in English. This is my first major work for chorus and jazz ensemble. The musical material draws on my intense, recent studies of East Indian classical music in 1966 with Ali Akbar Khan, my studies of western traditional theory, counterpoint and compositional forms, and American Jazz. Therefore, each section is radically different from one another, reflecting my myriad influences, studies and experiences as a classical and jazz pianist in the professional world. The most recent performance took place at the College of DuPage, outside Chicago, on March 13, 2005. Dr. Lee R. Kesselman conducted the 60-voice DuPage Chorale, and the Jack Reilly Quartet. Mr. Reilly was in-residence for five days and gave several lectures with solo performances on Composition vs. Improvisation. Instrumentalists were: Janice Borla Jazz Voice, Jack Mouse drums, Larry Kohut bass, and Dave Tofani, tenor saxophone and flute. A
sample CDR and score of the Jazz Requiem is available on request.
The work is for rental only. Invitations from choirs and conductors for
a performance and/or in-residency are welcome.
ORBITALS Length: 35 + minutes Orbitals was commissioned in 2000 by the Keweenaw Symphony, (Jeffrey Bell-Hanson Musical Director and conductor) and Michigan Technological University.The premiere took place at the new performance hall on campus on October 13-14, 2001. Trio members were Richard Simon double bass, Paul Kriebich drums and the composer at the piano. This is a one movement work but feels like a four- movement standard concerto form. There are fast/slow sections, a baroque scherzo-like section, four cadenzas, a fugue finale and improvisation sections for the trio that are woven into the fabric of the entire composition. The opening theme is Lisztian in its grandiosity, akin to his Eb major piano concerto. Slow sections draw on the bitonal harmonies of Bartok and Shostakovich, coupled with Bill Evans-like jazz progressions. The slow theme owes its debt to Chopin and Gershwin. The fugue section is in strict fugal form but peppered with Bartokian chromaticism and a hint of Paul Hindemith’s free tonality. The work is available by rental only. A grant from MEET THE COMPOSER INC. is possible and will help defray the performance/rehearsal costs. The piano part requires a pianist who is completely at home in the classical piano tradition and who has a thorough knowledge and experience with jazz improvisational forms. For further information contact Jack Reilly at kreyljilca@hotmail.com or by phone at 732-818-0840. CHUANG-TZU Composed by Jack Reilly 1988 Theme and Eight Variations for Orchestra Chaung-Tzu was commissioned by the Keweenaw Symphony and the Michigan Technological University Arts department, in 1988 with grants from Meet The Composer, inc. and a Mary Flagler copying grant. Length: 24 minutes. CHUANG-TZU is scored for standard symphony orchestra with a Theme and 8 variations. There are no sections for improvisation. The premiere took place on the Michigan Tech Campus in 1993. Jeffrey Bell-Hanson was the conductor. The Movements are as follows: Theme The work has a lot of humor and irony attached to the musical motifs and is playful in character. Each variation makes use of different combinations of instruments, for example: Variation 2, Giacomo Giacomo, is comedic, and humorous, and is scored mainly for woodwinds. Variation 6, Blues, suggests a jazz group, complete with walking bass lines , jazz rhythmic figures for percussion and a contagious unison melodic line for flute and cup mute trumpet, ala Miles Davis. Variation 8, Fugue and finale enlists the full orchestra, ending the work in a blaze of glory. Score and parts are on a rental basis only. The audio cassette copy of the premiere is fair quality, but will give conductors a good idea of the humorousness of the writing. It is not a difficult or complex work and is highly recommended for community youth symphonies and high school orchestras. The musical material flows from my classical and jazz studies and professional experience. Contact Jack Reilly at kreyljilca@hotmail.com or by phone at 732-818-0840. SONATA
IN D MINOR FOR PIANO This is a 4-movement standard sonata form:
1. Andante/allegro The sonata was composed as an assignment for my graduation thesis at Manhattan School of Music. It was so successful it has remained in my solo repertoire to this day. I enjoy playing and still find it challenging. In 2006 I scored it for optional jazz trio and added sections for improvisation within each movement. The Allegretto already had a jazz feel so I recorded this movement in 1968 with my trio ( Jack Six, bass and Joe Cocuzzo, drums), for the Carousel label. In 1982 Bill Hardy purchased the tapes and released it on his Revelation label in 1982 under the title “Together Again For The First Time”. Finally it found its way to the CD format in 1990. The title is “BLUE SEAN GREEN” and is now available on Unichrom. The inspiration for the sonata is obvious to the astute classical listener. One can hear the influences of Schumann, Chopin, Shostakovich, Hindemith et al, but filtered through my own original voice. It is very lyrical, rhythmic and virtuosic; not an easy piece to learn. It is now available for sale in the original score including the improvisation additions for $19.95 through my website. |
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