The Village Horn Call, for solo horn

by Stephen Loikith

$13

A Village Horn Call depicts life in a fictional medieval village.  Their day begins with an aggressive “A Call to Arms” for the villagers when they spot an invading army coming, starting with a horn call in Dorian mode.  After a long day fighting the invading army, the villagers go to rest with the gentle “Lullaby 1”.  This gentle melody is written in F Major.  The next day, it is time for the villagers to participate in “The Sacrifice”.  In homage to Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, this percussive, a tonal movement builds up to the climax of the piece: three bangs, symbolizing the sacrifice itself.  After the sacrifice, the villagers need to take a nap with a brief reprisal of the lullaby in “Lullaby 2”.  Emerging from their nap, the villagers are awakened to “The Enemy Returns”.  This reprisal of “A Call to Arms” closes out the work.

A Village Horn Call was originally written as a composition assignment under the direction of Dr. Scott Eggert at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA.