Gudiparan [Strings Version] - PDF Score and Parts

G U D I P A R A N   for Strings and Percussion 
 
Composed by Lachlan Pierce
Grade 2
Written in January 2015 in Fort Collins, Colorado
Arranged for Strings in January 2024 in Bailey, Colorado
 
W H A T   T H I S   I N C L U D E S
PDFs of the score and parts (letter sized - 8.5"x11")
Reference recording
Cover art
 
Physical score sold separately. No refunds for digital products.
 
C O M P O S E R ‘ S   N O T E S
Gudiparan focuses on the Afghan tradition of Gudiparan Bazi, or Kite Flying. While kite flying is common all around the world, the particular traditions of Gudiparan Bazi are held in countries like Pakistan, India, Iran, Korea, Japan, and Brazil. It's popularity and roots, however, are the strongest in Afghanistan. Gudiparan Bazi was banned by the Taliban during their regime in the 2000s but became legal again after that period and made a resurgence in neighbourhoods across Afghanistan.
 
Gudiparan (kites) in Afghanistan are typically made out of fine paper and bamboo wood, chosen for its flexibility. Kites can be anywhere between 10"-12" to human sized in diameter. The string or wire for the kites is typically covered in tar for abrasiveness. The wire connects to a charkha, or drum, which was made of wood.
 
In Afghanistan, the main purpose for kites is a sport called kite fighting. These fights (jang) can be as small as a two kite battle or can be as large as a neighborhood competition and are almost always consisting of child participants. The objective is to cut down opponents' kites using the tar wire and to be the last kite flying. As the kites are cut and start to fall from the sky, kite runners, children not participating in the fight who try to catch the kites, compete on the ground to catch their own kite to keep as a trophy of sorts. Each kite fighting team consists of two people: the kite flyer and the charkha gir (the person holding the drum) and success in kite fighting rests on the cooperation of both team members.
 
Gudiparan is a musical illustration of a kite fight, having certain sections in the band act as a kite. The piece starts big and exciting as all of the kites are flung high into the air, thus marking the beginning of the fight. There are several short motifs that will appear throughout the piece: the "showdown" motif when two kites close in on each other, the "cut" motif where one of the kites is cut down, and the "running" motif where children are running to catch the fallen kite. I used concepts from Afghan folk songs, which tend to be in complex time signatures and have very scale-based melodies with little to no leaps in pitches. Instead of using a complex meter such as 5/8, I wrote Gudiparan in 3/4 time as a compromise between a more authentic complex meter and something simpler to grasp. 
 
It is highly recommended that groups who perform this piece take the time to watch videos online of gudiparan bazi and to do more research on their own into the sport to get a more complete and authentic picture of what this piece is about!
 
Commissioned by Dr. Erik Johnson for the 2015 Colorado State University Middle School Outreach Ensemble.
 
I N S T R U M E N T A T I O N
Violin I
Violin II
Violin III / TC Viola
Viola
Violoncello
Double Bass
Harp (opt)
Piano
Vibraphone (opt)
Tenor Drum (opt)
Shaker / Finger Cymbals (opt)