La Cazadora

Description

La Cazadora (The Huntress) is in standard ‘quick-step’ form: Introduction, first strain, trio, breaker strain or ‘clog-fight,’ and a repeat of the first strain. The march is predominantly in the key of B-flat, however, the trio ventures off into some non-related tonalities.

As with many of my band works, there is a ‘backstory.’ La Cazadora was composed in honor of the oldest of my four cats, Miss Kitty. In her youth, she was a great huntress, bringing mice, birds, lizards etc. to our patio as offerings. Now, at an age when she can no longer hunt, she spends her days dreaming of the great adventures of her past.

The introduction is the result of a conversation with Richard Kole and his admiration for the film score to the great Western “The Wild Bunch” (which was filmed in Mexico). Replacing the bass drum with a cymbal is something from the past with small-town Mexican bands that could not afford a bass drum. The first strain and trio are typical Mexican folk melodies, possibly something I heard over the many years I have lived in Mexico. The ‘breaker strain’ is something influenced by my youth, spending hours and hours on the marching field playing traditional military style marches in East Texas.

Published by: RBC Publications