The Blackwood Tree
Bb Clarinet and Piano
Commissioned by Dr. Kaitlyn Neufeld
duration: 6'
The title of The Blackwood Tree derives from two sources. Most obviously, the title refers to the
wood used most commonly to build the clarinet: blackwood, or, grenadilla. The title also serves
as a play on the iconic 1987 U2 album, The Joshua Tree. This piece began, in part, as a tribute
to The Edge, and his use of time- and space-based effects on the electric guitar in crafting U2's
signature sound. In slow sections of the The Blackwood Tree, the clarinet drones and gradually
fades pitches, emulating delay and reverb effects. At the climax of the work, the clarinet's
sixteenth-note pattern is reminicest of The Edge's classic use of a dotted eighth-sixteenth delay
effect on many of U2's most famous songs.
Recording Coming Soon!
Score Coming Soon for Purchase!