Dance of the Deer Stephen Dunstone

Dance of the Deer Mostly Easy 3-part harp ensemble Please click the "About this work & Performance Notes" heading below for further details This book is supplied as a score and set of 3 parts   Buy this music now £9.50 +p&p

Artist Profile and catalogue of works - Stephen Dunstone

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Dance of the Deer

There are three parts as follows::-

Harp 1
Harp 2
Harp 3

Dance of the Deer began life as a simple melody for hammered dulcimer so that my dulcimer pupils could get used to the feel of playing within the scale “box” of D major. One pupil wanted to play it in a school concert, so I devised an accompaniment to go with it... ...and then some of my harp pupils wanted to play it too, so it became an ensemble.

Originally it only consisted of the gentle Andantino sections, but you know what it’s like: you’re in a different mood, you’ve got different rhythms coursing through you, and before you know where you are, you’ve added a new section that has transformed the material into something syncopated and lively.

However for a group that doesn’t feel quite up to playing that lively section, when you’ve played bar 50 (almost at the end of verse 3), simply skip straight to the final two bars of the piece. It’s still a very satisfying ensemble for less experienced players to perform and for audiences to listen to.

For ease of playing throughout the Harp 3 part (and in the Harp 2 part in verse 4), I’ve indicated possible use of hands with note-stems up for right hand and down for left. But it’s just a suggestion, so feel free to do whatever works best for you!

I have to confess that the title wasn’t initially intended to convey an idyllic pastoral scene. I wanted to have a name for the piece that would help my dulcimer pupils remember whereabouts on the dulcimer they needed to play it (the dulcimer having specific courses of strings devoted to different keys). I just needed to say to them “Dance of the DEER.... De-de-de-deer” and they remembered it was the D major group of strings. But you must admit, it does feel completely right for the piece, particularly with the graceful outer sections and the middle section where the young deer have a sudden urge to leap and frolic for a while, and then think “Ooh, someone’s looking I’d better be all demure again.” A bit like some humans I know...

Title:	Dance of the Deer
Composer:	Stephen Dunstone
Instrumentation:	3 Lever or Pedal Harps
Level:	Mostly easy - with a non-compulsory faster section
Format:	A4 stapled score and set of 3 A4 parts
Weight:	115gm
ISMN:	9790570464449
Our Ref:	SD1010
Publisher:	Creighton's Collection
Printer/Distributor:	Creighton's Collection
Edition/Year:	2024
Origin:	UK