The 1970s
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Celebration!
This work, written in 1975, was commissioned by J. C. Penney in anticipation of the American Bicentennial. To quote Dr. Hailstork from 1977: "'Celebration!' is tonal, straightforward, energetic and positive-- all of the things I consider necessary to project the spirit of a festive occasion. [It]...represents what I'm aiming for these days: music for men's spirits and not merely for their ears or intellects." The premiere of "Celebration!" was given at the Black Music Symposium in May 1975, by the Minnesota Orchestra, under the direction of Paul Freeman.
Black
Composers Series Recording
This recording, released in 1977, is the first to have featured a work by Adolphus Hailstork. Celebration! was directed by Paul Freeman, its premiere conductor, and performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The illustration on the record jacket which characterizes George Walker, Adolphus Hailstork, and Hale Smith, was designed by Reynold Ruffins.
Sonatina
This piece for flute and piano was composed in 1977 for Kay Hayes, a friend of Dr. Hailstork's while he was a professor at Youngstown State University. It has a three movement structure and features whole tone melodic interest, often emphasizing tritone relationships, and is chromatically motivic throughout. The second movement, marked "Siciliano," is particularly pastorale and reminiscent of French influence while the first and third movements, marked "Allegro non troppo" and "Vivace" respectively, are marked by very contrapuntal and rhythmically varied exchanges between the two instruments.
Oracle
Subtitled, "A Ritual for Tenor Solo, Female Chorus, Three Flutes, and Two Percussion," Oracle also includes the use of a pre-recorded tape which is added near the end of the piece. Completed in 1977 while Dr. Hailstork was teaching at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, this work represents one of his earliest forays into modern post-war compositional techniques. Detailed instructions for the placement of each member of the ensemble and other performance factors are provided. The percussion instruments include suspended metal wind chimes and a cymbal, vibraphone, claves, and longa drums. There are pentatonic leanings in the opening flute melodies which also return at the end of the work, and the solo tenor line is chant-like in many places. The text was written by a Chinese poet named Tu Fu (712-770 C. E.) and evokes images such as cloud covered cliffs in twilight and a crane flying silhouette against the moon. The main part of the text, however, puzzles the societal value of politicians over scholars.