A detailed program for Samuel Jones' Symphony No. 3 (Palo Duro Canyon)

Abstract

This thesis examines the program of Symphony No. 3 (The Palo Duro Canyon) by Dr. Samuel Jones. A single-movement work in four large sections, The Palo Duro Canyon Symphony is a programmatic symphony in sonata form. The program involves the literal visual images of the Palo Duro Canyon, located in the Texas panhandle, as well as a descriptive story of the history of man and his struggles with nature. Also depicted is the struggle between two cultures that have occupied the canyon: natives and settlers. The analysis within this paper shows the use of motives, harmonic relationships, and formal structure within this program. Jones' deft use of all of these musical elements in establishing the program makes The Palo Duro Canyon Symphony a strong example of late twentieth-century tonal symphonic music.