Wasioto
ABOUT THE PIECE
“Wasioto”, composed by Daniel Bondaczuk, is named for the Shawnee word meaning “river of the singing birds”, is a musical
homage to the Cumberland River, a vital waterway that carves through Kentucky and
Tennessee. Written as a modern tone poem, the piece depicts the journey of the Cumberland
from the Appalachian Mountains, across fertile plains, and past the heart of Nashville before
merging with the Ohio. This piece traces the river’s journey, capturing its natural grandeur,
human influence, and the stories carried in its currents.
The opening section evokes the river’s birth in the Appalachians, where trickling streams gather
into a forceful flow. As the music swells, it reaches Cumberland Falls, a spectacle known as the
“Niagara of the South,” where harmonies crash like water against rock. A shift in pace
introduces the first dams, a solemn moment where nature meets human engineering, the river
harnessed for progress. The journey continues into green fields, where the rolling phrases
mimics the sound of cattle and horses, a tribute to the agrarian life sustained by the
Cumberland’s waters.
The energy transforms as we arrive in Nashville, where the riverbanks echo with the soul of
American music. Jazz-inflected rhythms, bluegrass fiddles, and gospel-inspired harmonies
weave into the piece, reflecting the creative spirit the river has nurtured.
As the Cumberland winds back into Kentucky, distant sounds of the Fort Campbell base drift
across the water. Yet the journey is not without turbulence: a sudden, swirling passage builds
into a storm. A tornado’s approach, a reminder of nature’s power.
Finally, the music broadens as the Cumberland meets the Ohio, its waters merging, their stories
flowing onward, the end of our journey
Listen to “Wasioto”
Cumberland Rhapsody
Cumberland Rhapsody, composed by Camp Kirkland, uses a variety of styles to capture energy and warmth. Technically, the piece requires
agile woodwinds. The opening is broad and bursting with full octaves of woodwinds with rich brass
responses. The first 7/8 section indicates the introduction of a new intense energy complimented with
punctuated brass that depicts the grandeur of the Cumberland River and its beginnings in the Eastern
Mountains of Tennessee. The woodwinds follow with a brisk motivic melody that depicts the river flowing
over rocks and water falls, making its way westward.
After the second 7/8 entrance, the dynamics go down significantly and a warm woodwind choir begins. A
lengthy crescendo builds as instruments are added with a low tom-tom 8th note pattern that sustains the
significant forward motion as the river widens and makes its way to Nashville and eventually, Clarksville.
This section reaches a full forte peak before a sudden stop leaving an alto saxophone soloist to move into
a much warmer chorale section. Several key changes provide forward motion although this section is much
slower and less rhythmic. Next is a recapitulation of the earlier brisk melody which gradually intensifies with
full instrumentation before a climactic coda. The work culminates with the final heavily accented 7/8.