Description
James Meador composed Apocalyptic Voices as an original work for tuba and piano. James Meador has enjoyed continued success as a composer of low brass music in recent years. Always drawing inspiration from events in the world and his life, Apocalyptic Voices is a reflection of turbulent times in both. A combination of predictions of the end of the world seemingly coinciding with the end of the Mayan Calendar in 2012, massive destruction from earthquakes and tsunamis, worldwide economic crisis and an extremely bitter divorce influenced the thematic material and musical ideas in this piece. Written in one movement, the piece is broken into four distinct sections.
Opening with a relentless march of destruction, which increasingly grows more sinister and violent as the piece trudges forward, the momentum suddenly halts to ponder the devastation in a slow and mournful lyrical section. As the sadness takes hold and darkness overwhelms, destruction resumes in a sort of aural collage before evil dominates and celebrates its victories to close out the piece.
Apocalyptic Voices was commissioned by the Facebook Tuba Commission Consortium 2009, which was a group of people that came together to help sponsor the writing of the piece for Tim Buzbee, Principal Tuba of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Each person contributed to the commission in exchange for a copy of the piece and credit in the published version. Thank you to all the members who participated and made this piece possible. The work was recorded by Tim Buzbee on his solo CD, Angels and Demons.
- James Meador
Score and Parts Included: Tuba
