Jitneys & Cruise Ships

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Background

I grew up on an island, and, in my younger years, I spent a good chunk of my time traveling the island with my mother. On days off from school, I could vividly remember running errands with her. Because we didn’t have a car, we would take the bus, or, as we say in the Bahamas, catch a jitney. We would catch one downtown (because that was the central location for all jitneys), and then catch another one to go somewhere else. Because I was so young, she would hold my hand to make sure that I didn’t get lost in the rush of things.

Back then, Downtown Nassau was so big to me. As to a little boy, there was just so much to take in! There were so many people, especially when the cruise ships came in. Folks would be everywhere, seemingly like shells on a beach. Vendors at the straw market would do their best to sell hand crafted items to passersby, while food vendors would entice visitors with freshly made Bahamian food. Tourists coming in from the cruise ships and seeing the island for the first time would be just as overwhelmed as I was, but, the sheer beauty of a coastal city on a perfect summer day was simply too amazing to not take in.

Today, as I travel downtown, I am overwhelmed with nostalgia as I stop to recall moments from my childhood. As I pause to take it all in, my senses journey to the downtown that once was. I can still hear conflicting overlays of Bahamian music being played from multiple directions. I can still see a well-trained police officer strategically directing traffic with nothing but white gloves and a whistle. I can still smell the mix of salty air and jitney diesel. I can still envision an older Bahamian couple sitting on a bench while feeding seagulls near the water. At the sound of the wailing ship horn, I can still feel the swift brush of cruise ship passengers as they run past me to make it back to the ship on time. These memories from my childhood will always be a part me, and will always be available to help me paint musical pictures of a time that lives only in my memory.

Overview

Jitneys & Cruise Ships is a symphonic poem written from the perspective of a cruise ship passenger. After his ship docks at Prince George Wharf, he begins his walk down the coast. He is greeted by spirited Bahamian music as his senses capture the views, sounds, and overall culture of the island. He continues his trek and is taken aback by the beauty of the ocean, marine life, and people.

He then pauses and takes a moment to breathe it all in. It’s still: the birds fly over and the rays of sunlight gently bathe his skin. He walks along the waterside to see colors that he has never seen before, reflected in the water.

He makes his way downtown where he sees many people moving like characters in a story: people taking jitneys, crossing the street, and smiling and greeting one another. A police officer directing traffic grips his attention: his directions, swift and efficient, control traffic like dancers in a ballet.

The visitor once again stops again to take in all the beauty around him. He cancels out the busy sounds of the city as he gazes at the sky. The sounds of seagulls flying overhead, and the aroma of the salty air calms him. He is suddenly pulled out of his relaxed state by the blast of the cruise ship’s horn, beckoning passengers to return to the ship. He rushes to make it to the dock before it leaves without him.

All is well as he makes it to the ship and leaves the island, looking back at the beauty that he had an affair with for but a while. His gaze lingers on the island, eclipsed by the setting sun, as they both slowly disappear into the horizon. Having just left, his heart already longs to see it again.

 

Orchestration

Woodwinds

  • Piccolo

  • 2 Flutes

  • 2 Oboes

  • English Horn

  • 2 Clarinets in B-flat

  • Bass Clarinet

  • 2 Bassoons

  • Contra Bassoon

Brass

  • 4 Horns in F

  • 3 Trumpets in B-flat

  • 2 Trombones

  • Bass Trombone

  • Tuba

Percussion

  • Timpani

  • Snare Drum

  • Triangle

  • Bass Drum

  • Suspended Cymbal

  • Piatti

  • Shaker

  • Mark Tree

  • Tambourine

  • Tubular Bells

  • Glockenspiel

  • Xylophone

  • Marimba

Harp/Keyboard

  • Harp

  • Piano

Strings

  • Violin 1

  • Violin 2

  • Viola

  • Cello

  • Double Bass

Stefan Thompson