Duration: 5:00
Completed: 2009
Instrumentation: 2222/2221/2 percussion, harp, honky-tonk piano/minimum 22222 strings
When Henry Ford approached me and said "young man, I need some music written on paper
for my Old Time Orchestra, my Old Time Orchestra, which plays
only American music," I said that I was not sure I wanted to take the job
and Ford named his fee and so I said "well, I suppose I could work with something
in the vein of Aaron Copland, that most American of composers," and he said "boy,
you're not from around here, are you? My Old Time Orchestra plays
only American music." Ford said "composers these days, with their shrill
jazz notes, their squeaks, and their saxophones cannot write music
to equal the great masters of the 19th century, nor can they write music that
has the wisdom of folk dance. No, you will merely arrange the music that
I name for you for my Old Time Orchestra..." When the arrangements were
delivered to the orchestra, the players contacted me and said "we have questions
about some of what you have written", and asked if they should change this note
or that note. Henry Ford had already paid me upon delivery of the sheet music.
I said "please, do with it what you would like..."