Stranger At My Door - Score

Written as a companion piece with "Border Dance" (JB117), Stranger At My Door is written in memory of Peg Bowden, a resident of southern Arizona, who was active in groups assisting migrants by providing food, shelter, clothing and medical assistance. Peg's book "Stranger At My Door" chronicles her involvements with a migrant who appeared at her doorstep one Christmas Eve in desperate need. Composer Jack Stamp opens this tone poem with a rendition of "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" accompanied out of time by a haunting melody in the low winds. An original melody, "Peg's Theme" and the hymn tune "Bera" (The Hymn of the Good Samaritan from 1849) are first presented plainly, then interwoven in a rhythmic fantasia of fugato fragments. "Peg's Theme" returns in its fully-harmonized form and the work ends in peaceful introspection. Solos for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Bass Clarinet, as well as solis for trumpets and trombones are featured. Although Stranger At My Door incorporates a well known Christmas carol, it is appropriate for all seasons due to its timeless message of selflessness in the face of danger.