The Allured Composition Award Committee commissioned me (Larry) to compose a piece of music in August 2016. The world premiere of this new original work would be at the Bay View Week of Handbells. The result was Coronation and Triumphant Exultation.
Don Allured founded the Bay View Week of Handbells in 1978. His vision was to provide an opportunity for handbell directors to learn more about their instrument. Over the years, it grew from classes and a modest-sized ensemble to a professional-level concert event. The initial group of about 30 people has expanded to over 100 ringers.
The Week of Handbells commissions compositions in Don’s honor. These pieces have been a significant addition to the total handbell repertoire. In 2016, there apparently was a schedule gap to fill. So the committee gave me the option to compose for one of the next two years. If I wanted this new piece to be in the 2017 repertoire, though, I’d have to finish it in about six weeks. So the committee was completely understanding if I wanted to work on it for an extra year.
Carl Wiltse had been directing the Week of Handbells since taking the reins from Don in 2010, and it seemed very appropriate to write the piece in his honor. So, the image that came to mind was of Scotland, where Carl lived. From there it went to the coronation of a Scottish king (influenced by one of Kim Finison’s photos of Carl). This piece even acquired a title in Scottish Gaelic, Crunadh agus Iolach, translated “Coronation and Triumphant Exultation”.
When I finished the first version of the score, I asked Embellish (perhaps the best-known community handbell ensemble of the Grand Rapids, Michigan area) to give it a “feasibility reading”, because there were some aspects of the score that I wanted to test. It so happened that Carl was in town that week, so he came to the reading (not knowing of the dedication, by the way). Everything worked! By the way, the scores that evening didn’t have the dedication, because that little fact was a surprise for Carl.
Coronation opens with a singing bell drone followed by a G6 shake, imitating the tuning of bagpipes. The procession of the king and his retinue is next, followed by a throne room scene where representatives from the kingdom present their tribute. Then the king smiles and blesses those in the palace. Outside, the Celebration begins as the people rejoice in the new era of peace and hope.
We zoomed through the publication process, and were ready for Bay View 2017. Fred Gramann directed the ensemble, starting with the introduction, “Imagine a king… perhaps his name is Carl…”. It may have been premonitory to have this piece that summer, because it turned out to be the last time Carl was able to make it to the Week of Handbells. I really miss my dear friend, but know that I’ll see him again one day.
Here’s a video of the first-ever performance of Crunadh agus Iolach, which is available from Handbell World.