“Araminta’s Escape” is rhythmically challenging, ex-
plosive, and gutty. Harriet Tubman’s birthname, Arim- inta Ross, titles this movement. Elaborating on the note above, Douglas notes:
To begin the first movement, I wanted to convey the drama, anxiety, and outright fear that must have been associated with escaping and being chased, not knowing if she would make it or be caught and/or killed.
Douglas accomplishes his goal, as the opening explo- sion of sound frantically arrests listeners. There is noth- ing subtle about the opening salvo. The use of both 7/8 and 5/8 simultaneously presents rhythmic insecurity and stability. At times, the music often nearly halts, represent- ing someone “…having to stop for a moment to catch a breath, or being still and suspended, waiting to hear if the hunters were near.” The language used to help performers depict the score are more personal and illustrative than is typically utilized to mark intent, for example, “Relent- less”, “Suspended, hovering”, and “Groovacious!” This movement concludes with a full version of the spiritual;
notably, this section Douglas composed first. He then, “worked backwards using some of the aforementioned materials derived from the original melody” to formulate the whole movement. “Stranger in a Strange Land,” the second, more plain-
tive and contemplative movement (marked, “Sullen”), is a haunting counterpart to its nearly chaotic precursor:
…I wanted a slower pace. The melodic material is derived from the interval of a minor 6th, the interval between the first two notes of the melody from Go Down Moses. I was after a texture that evoked relief to have gotten away, but also a sense of melancholy, thinking about the fact that she had left behind family and friendships. In the ending of this section, I was still after the calm- ing texture, slightly embedded with an undertone that the dangerous task of helping others escape was coming.
Note the importance of the minor 6th from the beau- tiful English Horn solo (mm 25-42):
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