Description
The Mountain for two clarinets in B-flat is inspired by the poem “My Help is in the Mountain” by Nancy Wood (1936-2013). This work describes going to the mountain to find healing, to draw inspiration from the rocks and streams, and to become one with all of the land, finding strength from nature and from within. Throughout this piece for 2 clarinets there is a sense of beauty and awe of the power of nature – from the joy of finding oneself in nature, to the flowing waters passing by the trees. The work creates a sense of the majesty of a mountain and forest, but also how nature can heal the soul. There are moments of joy and hope, moments of reflection, playfulness, and solitude.
This work was commissioned by the La HERmandad Duo – Carrie RavenStem and Adria Sutherland and premiered during Clarinetfest© 2022 in Reno, Nevada.
My Help is in the Mountain
Poem by Nancy C. Wood
My help is in the mountain
Where I take myself to heal
The earthly wounds
That people give to me.
I find a rock with sun on it
And a stream where the water runs gentle
And the trees which one by one
give me company.
So must I stay for a long time
Until I have grown from the rock
And the stream is running through me
And I cannot tell myself from one tall tree.
Then I know that nothing touches me
Nor makes me run away.
My help is in the mountain
That I take away with me.
Original poem © 1972 Nancy C. Wood, from Hollering Sun, courtesy of the Nancy Wood Literary Trust. For more poems by Nancy Wood please visit www.NancyWood.com.
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