For Our Times: A Song History

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"For Our Times" is one of the twelve pieces in Ellen Pratt's Ensemble Arrangements For The Mountain Dulcimer, Volume 3, a book she published herself, where it is set for three dulcimers in DAC tuning.[1] On Pratt's own store page the volume is billed as part-music for dulcimer groups, some of it newly composed and some traditional, aimed at players of all abilities.[2] The book listing does not name a composer, but the First National Dulcimer Orchestra's video of the piece credits Pratt as composer and Mack Johnston as conductor.[1][3] According to its description, that performance was filmed at the Black Mountain Music Fest in October 2021, and Pratt features the same video on her website.[3][4] Her DulcimerDownloads biography dates her first dulcimer compositions to about 2004 and says she turned to ensemble writing once she had joined a dulcimer orchestra in northeastern Connecticut.[5] The sources consulted here do not say what prompted the piece or its title.[2][3][5]

Mahogany tall case clock with a brass dial and a scrolled top with finials

John Townsend, Tall clock, mahogany, cherry, chestnut and oak, 1789. Shown as a loose nod to the title; it has no connection to the piece.

Our book that contains the song "For Our Times"

Sources

  1. Ellen Pratt: "Ensemble Arrangements For The Mountain Dulcimer, Volume 3".
  2. Ellen S. Pratt: "Ensemble Arrangements for Mountain Dulcimer Volume 3".
  3. First National Dulcimer Orchestra (YouTube): "For Our Times - FNDO".
  4. Ellen S. Pratt: "Videos".
  5. DulcimerDownloads: "Ellen Pratt".
  6. Image: John Townsend, Tall clock, mahogany, cherry, chestnut and oak, 1789. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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