In 1990 Jochem Slothouwer composed Hymns and Cances II. This work for symphonic band and harp (ad libitum) is based on Hymns and Dances I for piano, mixed choir and percussion. The compostition is based on the contrast between hymnlike melodies and dance music episodes. The work, in five connected parts, seems to look for a reconciliation of both melodic and rythmical elements.
The initial theme with the horns and the answer of the band form the base of the first part.
The second part, charcterized by a vitorous dance rhythm, is dominated by the percussionn and syncopated motifs with the brass. A melody with the euphoniums almost imperceptibly slips into the ensemble and gradually gets to the foreground.
The dance and the hymn reach a real climax interrupted by a short and dark intermezzo (part three). The clear sonority of part four, a fiery tarantella with many small byt virtuoso solos, is a new contras. The final adagio reuses the previously developed ideas of part one and ends in sheer ecstasy.
