Gary Schocker

Views from Falls House

Views from Falls House was commissioned by and dedicated to The Nashua Flute Choir, Inc. is a 5 movement work. The piece is only moderately difficult requiring no extended techniques. Audiences are sure to respond to its' insistent melodies and varied moods as well as its' wry humor'. The title Views from Falls House was inspired by the drawing of Falls House, Douglas Worthen's 1750 home in Durham, NH. Schocker had recently seen a production of the play Our Town by Thornton Wilder. The drawing of the Worthen home reminded him of Our Town at an earlier time in our country and inspired the feelings which led to the composition of this piece. Now the Lusty Spring is seen inthe first line of a poem by John Fletcher. Mr. Schocker took the opening musical line from a song he wrote to that poem. The poem is a charming admonition to flowers Ladies if not plucked we die. Too Hot for this Picnic was his way of describing this wilted waltz. When Autumn Leaves Begin to Fall is in a similar mood to Johnny Mercer's song Autumn Leaves. I'll miss you most of all when autumn leaves begin to fall... The song is a long look back with mixed emotions. Congregation is a flute prayer meeting. Festivity is a busy bustling kind of piece. This piece is featured on our Points of View CD.