Hamelin, After the Rats

Program Notes:
            This piece is a unique retelling of the Pied Piper story.   In the folk-tale, the Piper is hired by the people of Hamelin to rid their community of rats.   After the rats are gone, the adults in the community refuse to compensate the piper for his services.   This is where our story picks up.

            Dance of the Children, begins with the soft chanting of the adults as they feign righteousness in the church, knowing full well what they did to the Piper.   As the scene changes, we begin to pick up several fun and youthful themes of the town's children as they scamper about outside the church.   As the many different children scream, run, and play, their energy and exuberance grows.

            The children immediately stop and stare at the Piper as they become mesmerized by the first three notes of the Piper's Tune.   The Piper, played by the piccolo, captures the attention of the children and they all begin to sing and dance and move further and further away from the church.   The children don't realize that the Piper is leading them out of town and away from their parents; they are simply caught up in the moment.

            The group's momentum is broken as they come to a stop at the bottom of a large hill at the mouth of a dark and sinister looking cave.   Once the children wander Into the Cave, they remain spellbound.   All that can be heard are the subtle rumblings of cave-dwelling creatures as they echo off the vast cavernous walls.  

            The children break free of the Piper's spell as the group arrives at The Gate.   The glorious and ornate archway is both majestic and foreboding.   A dark brass fanfare breaks the silence.   The demons behind the gate frighten the children, but the Piper puts on a happy face and convinces the children to run in right when the massive doors creak open.   After the last kid gleefully enters, the gate slowly closes behind them, sealing everyone in and ensuring their doom.

            The March of the Lost Souls is where the Piper finally gets to exact his revenge.   The children are forced to march single file as various creatures torment them.   When all the screams die down, all that can be heard is the Laughter of the Piper.

            Keep in mind that this entire piece is not meant to be anything more than a silly story.   The dark parts are almost comical in their severity and should be treated as such.  

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