The White Stone
Summary
The White Stone was commissioned to celebrate the 1250th anniversary of Dossenheim, Germany, and is named after a nearby mountain. The composition reflects the town’s history, incorporating elements like the homeland song, the sounds of the quarry, and church bells. A lyrical melody highlights the town’s beauty, culminating in a festive finale with chimes celebrating Dossenheim’s milestone, imagined by the composer from the mountain’s observation tower.
About The White Stone
The White Stone was commissioned by the band of the catholic parish of Dossenheim on the occasion of the 1250th anniversary of this town near Heidelberg, Germany. The work is named after ‘Der Weißer Stein’ (The White Stone), a high mountain in the Odenwald, east of Dossenheim. From the 23 m high observation tower, the composer reflects on the history of Dossenheim.
The introductory bars are the initial sounds from the homeland song of Dossenheim. Then you hear an insistent rhythm in a relatively slow rock style. ‘Rock’ refers here literal to the word ‘rock’ in this case. You can hear the hammering in the Dossenheim quarry, the squeaking of the trucks. Alternately you hear the bells of the church, the same tones as the bell motif of Westminster Abbey. The slow middle part devalues the romantic element and the location of the city near the river, near the Neckar.
A beautiful lyrical melody represents the beauty of Dossenheim and its natural surroundings. Then the bell motif comes back in a festive final section where the Dossenheim’s 1250th birthday is celebrated with chimes from the church. As apotheosis, we finally hear the sounds of the homeland song in all its exuberance sung along by the entire population of Dossenheim.
The city has stood the test of time, survived and celebrates it with the sounds of wind music and singing. The composer can hear the music in fragments from a distance as he stands at the lookout post of the White Stone. Does he really hear this, or is it his imagination?