The Witch and the Saint
Encyclopedia
The Witch and the Saint by Steven Reineke
is a one movement symphonic band piece describing the lives of Helena and Sibylla; twin
sisters born in Germany
at the end of the 16th century. The piece has five distinct parts and has become a favorite among audiences and bands though the story behind it has been virtually forgotten.
story being told through powerful musical phrases.
The piece opens with a thundering timpani
triplet. A Gregorian chant
type motif follows quietly and builds throughout the brass instrument
section. The dark, threatening feel is broken suddenly by a melody
portrayed by an oboe
or flute
solo as the bells
join on after the new mood is established. That certain melody
is recurrent and returns three more times in the entire piece. This first time, the melody is very airy. The eight-bar solo ends with the return of the ominous feel before the entire band is made to crescendo
enormously.
From here, the piece speeds up dramatically. The primary melody is established by the first flutes, and the texture builds from here, growing progressively uneasy. The climax of the section is very Medieval sounding, and reaches an entirely new altitude not seen again in this piece. This section is noted for being difficult for the flutes and piccolo
, as they are expected to play legato
and slurred right at the top of their registers and intonation flaws are easily noticeable throughout due to the registers and chords in most parts.
The tempo
and velocity of the piece dies down, and the slow melody repeats itself here, this time in a lower key
and by the first flutes. To accompany this, a French horn melody is introduced, followed again by the previous melody in a different key.
The reminiscent fast section begins again – this time in a different key, with an altered melody. This section is far less angry, but houses a different sort of velocity, the emphasis on the low sections of the band as opposed to the higher sections the first time.
The final section of the piece comes in with the final occurrence of the slow melody. Note that the previous times evoked sadness, hopelessness and loneliness. This time, it’s heroic, and very full of hope. The band is playing with a thicker assortment of textures and counter-melodies. The piece, which by now seems to end on a happy note, drops the heroism and suddenly dies into a melancholy echo of the very beginning.
, bass clarinet
and the horn have numerous solos, so much of the attention is dispersed evenly. Also, many different sections have their own part in the melody including the saxophone
, the clarinet
, and the percussion section (especially the chimes and bells). Conductors favor this piece due to challenging chords, strange time signatures, but most importantly, the independence of instruments normally overshadowed.
in 1588. In that era
twins were a bad omen
and said to draw evil
towards them. The girls also had the gift of foresight
and were able to see that which had not yet come to pass. The suspicions of the general public were supported once the girls were old enough and began using their ability.
Sibylla was raised at home and it took very little time for the village to notice her unexplainable knowledge of the future. When they did, She was labeled witch and sorceress
by the townsfolk and was hated and feared. She led a quiet, empty childhood being bullied and shunned by society.
Helena led a very different life. She was sent away to a convent
to be raised in the church as a nun
. Once her ability was discovered the community revered her and she was seen as a saint
and sage by everyone and given the highest respect by even the wisest of men.
The two girls grew up facing their own challenges and struggles trying to fit into the societies in to which they had been placed. Helena continued her life as a saint
and prophet
and Sibylla learned to be a midwife and helped the people as best she could. She was eventually accused of being a witch and sent to jail
for life. Helena learned of her sister’s trouble and raced back to the town they had been born in to rescue her sister.
Helena freed her sister from the jail and they ran off towards the forest. Before they got very far, however, they were captured. In her fear of the wrath of the villagers, and of the torment, Helena drank a poison and died in her sister’s arms. Sibylla’s heart was shattered, and while still grieving the loss of the only one in the world she had ever loved, she buried her sister’s body. She then rode off to find a place where she wouldn’t be known as a witch. She was never seen again.
Alternate: It is also said that Helena was burned at the stake for aiding a witch.
In the United States the piece was first played by the Kirby School District 140 Symphonic Band in Tinley Park, IL in 2005.
Steven Reineke
Steven Reineke is a conductor, composer, and arranger from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the Music Director of The New York Pops. He currently resides in New York City.-Biography:...
is a one movement symphonic band piece describing the lives of Helena and Sibylla; twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
sisters born in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
at the end of the 16th century. The piece has five distinct parts and has become a favorite among audiences and bands though the story behind it has been virtually forgotten.
The Music
The Witch and the Saint has a running time of 10:22. It is a tone poem, composed in 2004. Overall, it’s an epic piece – anyone listening to it without knowing the story behind it would get the impression of a melancholyMelancholia
Melancholia , also lugubriousness, from the Latin lugere, to mourn; moroseness, from the Latin morosus, self-willed, fastidious habit; wistfulness, from old English wist: intent, or saturnine, , in contemporary usage, is a mood disorder of non-specific depression,...
story being told through powerful musical phrases.
The piece opens with a thundering timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
triplet. A Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
type motif follows quietly and builds throughout the brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
section. The dark, threatening feel is broken suddenly by a melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
portrayed by an oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
or flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
solo as the bells
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
join on after the new mood is established. That certain melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
is recurrent and returns three more times in the entire piece. This first time, the melody is very airy. The eight-bar solo ends with the return of the ominous feel before the entire band is made to crescendo
Crescendo
-In music:*Crescendo, a passage of music during which the volume gradually increases, see Dynamics * Crescendo , a Liverpool-based electronic pop band* "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue", one of Duke Ellington's longer-form compositions...
enormously.
From here, the piece speeds up dramatically. The primary melody is established by the first flutes, and the texture builds from here, growing progressively uneasy. The climax of the section is very Medieval sounding, and reaches an entirely new altitude not seen again in this piece. This section is noted for being difficult for the flutes and piccolo
Piccolo
The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
, as they are expected to play legato
Legato
In musical notation the Italian word legato indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence...
and slurred right at the top of their registers and intonation flaws are easily noticeable throughout due to the registers and chords in most parts.
The tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and velocity of the piece dies down, and the slow melody repeats itself here, this time in a lower key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
and by the first flutes. To accompany this, a French horn melody is introduced, followed again by the previous melody in a different key.
The reminiscent fast section begins again – this time in a different key, with an altered melody. This section is far less angry, but houses a different sort of velocity, the emphasis on the low sections of the band as opposed to the higher sections the first time.
The final section of the piece comes in with the final occurrence of the slow melody. Note that the previous times evoked sadness, hopelessness and loneliness. This time, it’s heroic, and very full of hope. The band is playing with a thicker assortment of textures and counter-melodies. The piece, which by now seems to end on a happy note, drops the heroism and suddenly dies into a melancholy echo of the very beginning.
Reception
Plainly, this piece has gained much popularity by conductors, performers and audiences. Performers find the piece very satisfying as each instrument is given an independence. Instruments such as the tenor saxophoneTenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, bass clarinet
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
and the horn have numerous solos, so much of the attention is dispersed evenly. Also, many different sections have their own part in the melody including the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, and the percussion section (especially the chimes and bells). Conductors favor this piece due to challenging chords, strange time signatures, but most importantly, the independence of instruments normally overshadowed.
The story
Helena and Sibylla were twins born in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1588. In that era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
twins were a bad omen
Omen
An omen is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change...
and said to draw evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
towards them. The girls also had the gift of foresight
Foresight
Foresight or forethought may refer to:* Foresight , ability to predict or plan for the future* Foresight , management planning principle* Foresight , European planning mechanism for public policy...
and were able to see that which had not yet come to pass. The suspicions of the general public were supported once the girls were old enough and began using their ability.
Sibylla was raised at home and it took very little time for the village to notice her unexplainable knowledge of the future. When they did, She was labeled witch and sorceress
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
by the townsfolk and was hated and feared. She led a quiet, empty childhood being bullied and shunned by society.
Helena led a very different life. She was sent away to a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
to be raised in the church as a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. Once her ability was discovered the community revered her and she was seen as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and sage by everyone and given the highest respect by even the wisest of men.
The two girls grew up facing their own challenges and struggles trying to fit into the societies in to which they had been placed. Helena continued her life as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
and Sibylla learned to be a midwife and helped the people as best she could. She was eventually accused of being a witch and sent to jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
for life. Helena learned of her sister’s trouble and raced back to the town they had been born in to rescue her sister.
Helena freed her sister from the jail and they ran off towards the forest. Before they got very far, however, they were captured. In her fear of the wrath of the villagers, and of the torment, Helena drank a poison and died in her sister’s arms. Sibylla’s heart was shattered, and while still grieving the loss of the only one in the world she had ever loved, she buried her sister’s body. She then rode off to find a place where she wouldn’t be known as a witch. She was never seen again.
Alternate: It is also said that Helena was burned at the stake for aiding a witch.
First Performance
The piece was an ordered composition for the Youth Brass Orchestra of Ellwangen (Germany) and it was a present for their 50th anniversary. In 2004 they performed it on their anniversary concert.In the United States the piece was first played by the Kirby School District 140 Symphonic Band in Tinley Park, IL in 2005.
The score
To view the conductors score, click on the following link to download the pdf file:- http://www.barnhouse.com/samples/pdf/012-3391-00.pdf
An audio sample
A sample of the song can be downloaded from this link:- http://www.barnhouse.com/samples/mp3/012-3391-00.mp3