OVERVIEW: "Magic of the Rainbow Man" is music created with synthesizers for a ballet based upon a story by the composer. Sixteen short sections (some begun without pause) introduce the characters and settings, building to an intense love scene and ultimate death of the protagonist. The music was completed in 1985. STORY: A solitary young wanderer seeking his fortune happens upon a superstitious tribe ruled by a witch-doctor. The people are working without organization to salvage their drought-stricken crops, but coincidentally the stranger's arrival and exuberant dance are followed by a sudden thunderstorm. Marveling at the stranger's success, the villagers are in awe, but the witch-doctor is filled with jealousy and hatred. He presents a challenge to the stranger's powers: cure his young fiancé who appears to be very ill, but who actually is devastated by the thought of her upcoming marriage. His ego preventing him from seeing the true cause of her illness, the witch-doctor is infuriated all the more when she responds to the handsome stranger. They begin to dance, and their love grows. Because of the obvious attraction, the witch-doctor conceives a plan to keep the marriage and his prestige intact while ridding himself of the unwanted intruder. He says that they may marry if the stranger can find the legendary pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and present it to him as an offering. Unlike the first, happy-go-lucky search, this one is marked by loneliness and tender remembrances. But luck still is with him, and he spots gold ore in the cliffs above the village. While he is working, a well-wishing messenger arrives from the village with news that the witch-doctor is marrying the girl. With the help of the messenger, the rainbow man extracts a sample of the ore to take back. When they arrive, the witch-doctor goes into a fury and mortally wounds the rainbow man. The young woman enters, and overcome with grief, inflicts a fatal knife wound to herself. They dance their final dance while lying on the ground. The villagers chase the witch-doctor from the village and, carrying the bodies aloft, make a funeral pyre under the wedding decorations. Kenneth A. Jacobs (D.M.A. University of Texas at Austin) is a composer and artist. He has been awarded The American Prize, International New Music Composers Prize, and awards from City College of New York, Brown University, Texas Music Educators Association, and the Tennessee Music Teachers Association. The cover art is a painting by the composer titled "Sailing the Seven Seas" ©1978