Composer’s Notes

 

Concert Band, Grade 4

Duration: 10 minutes

 

The idea of writing a folk song suite for Maine first entered my mind in July 2022 as I sat practicing my horn at home. I have always loved folk music, especially the works of Holst, Vaughan-Williams, and Grainger (among others) who masterfully adapted traditional folk music for the wind band. Not only do these works stand the test of time, but more importantly, they keep their source music (and the voices who once sang them) alive. With that philosophy in mind, and with many nods to the “greats,” the Dirigo Suite came to be.

 

The suite has three movements, and each source tune has ties to Maine. Some are Maine-composed; others have Maine-made lyrics adapted to borrowed melodies, as was a common practice in the American folk song tradition. Other tunes wove their way through the landscape as sailors, farmers, and woodsmen traveled for their work (a prime example being The Shanty Boys which is attributed to both Maine and Michigan—either/or, depending on the source).

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The subtitles at the start of each movement are lyrics taken from the source music, carefully chosen to represent the general mood of each section.

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Movements & Source Music

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Movement I 

The Bold Seaman (melody is borrowed from the hymn Nettleton, as the original is lost)

True Lovers Bold

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Movement II 

Old Horse (written in retrograde as theme one, and later heard in prime)

The Battleship, The Maine* (altered modally from the original)

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*The battleship, “Maine” sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898. Its sinking was one of the major catalysts that accelerated the events leading up to the Spanish-American War. 268 sailors lost their lives in the explosion and subsequent sinking (source: Wikipedia).
 

Movement III 

The Shanty-Boys Song

State of Maine Song (Roger Vinton Snow) - chorus only

The Maine County Song (melody is borrowed from Yankee Doodle)

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The Dirigo Suite was premiered by the University of Southern Maine Music Academy Concert Band on July 13, 2024 under the direction of Dr. William Kinne.