Corolla is a coastal commnuity located on the northern Outer Banks. It is named after the outer petals of a flower. Corolla was originally the name for a small village that sat beneath the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Currituck was derived from a Native American Indian word, Carotank, meaning land of the wild geese.
Some of the attractive features Corolla offers are Banker horses, an estuary, a flyway, a lighthouse, and a social [hunting] club. These attributes inspired me to compose a five-movement work for bassoon and piano entitled Corolla Suite.
The first movement Banker horses, attempts to portray the free-roaming, small docile animals that one encounters on the beach and barrier spit. They are thought to have swum ashore from wrecked or grounded Spanish galleons.
The second movement, The Estuary, is a depiction of the Currituck Sound which lies behind the barrier spit and ocean. I attempted to render the flowing and mixing of river and seawaters as well as the adaptation and development of differing motives. Perhaps emblematic of the mixture is the cameo appearance of the nursery rhyme and children's song "It's raining, it's pouring" from The Little Mother Goose.
The third movement, The Flyway is an impression of the avian chatter one hears as birds come and go across the sound.
The fourth movement, The Lighthouse, is a nocturnal evocation of the sights and sounds one might experience there. Included are depictions of a foghorn from a lone ship out at sea, the mesmerizing, revolving light, clouds and fog that blur images, the thunder roll from offshore storms, and the sounds of woodpeckers in the trees.
The fifth and final movement, The Whalehead Club, references the opulent residence built to satisfy the owner's passion for waterfowl hunting and socializing. I attempt to render the boat's occupants on their jaunty adventure shooting waterfowl which then goes afoul. After too much imbibing and braggadocio it is the occupants who do the ducking as they rock the boat and shoot off their mouths.