Solo horn 1: f1 - bb2
Solo horn 2: g - g#2
Horn 3: d1 - g#2
Horn 4: a - e#2
Horn 5: a - c2
Creator's Comments
Harambee (pronounced: “hah-Rahm-bay” with emphasis on the second syllable) for five horns was written for Charles Snead and the University of Alabama Horn Choir. Harambee is the Kiswahili word meaning “all pull together”of “collective effort”. In Kenya, it has been the national motto since the 1963 independence from British colonialists; along with “jamhuri” (independence) and “uhuru” (freedom), “harambee” has taken on an almost religious aspect and usually conkjures up images of charitable sacrifice in the guise of physical or monetary assistance. The work is based on the African musical form known as call and response – in this case, two solo horns fuction as the leaders while the other three respond. While no “folk” material has been used, the piece is nonetheless filled with images and sounds of Kenyan melody and rhythm.
Performance Notes
The comments above say most of what there is to say about this piece. There is a lot of classical harmony in the tutti horns (mainly major triads), while the solo horns alternate between dependent and independent lines. The tutti parts are completely homo-rhythmic, so the response is uniform, while the calls vary.
This is a very different piece from the regular music for horn ensembles, and with its limited range and difficulty accessible to many quintets. It’s worth checking out just to broaden the repertoire, and include some exotic flavour.