Concert Band

TO THE KING
Difficulty Level: 2.5
Performance Duration: 2:49 mins.

To the King is a programmatic work that was originally written for Brass Quintet and with my former high school band director, Richard Burkart, in mind; he plays trumpet. It is a work about five knights and their quest to the kingdom. The work opens with a heroic fanfare by the trumpet to introduce us to the five knights. Following this, the rest of the band agrees to go on this journey in order to restore order in the kingdom and claim glory. Immediately, we are taken on the journey as our heroes travel across the landscape. Suddenly, we are introduced to a moronic, yet “insightful” knight who tells the travelers where to go, but, sadly, he gives them the wrong directions. The travelers are confronted by knights of another kingdom and our heroes must escape before they are killed. As they escape, we can see the kingdom through the trees and the heroic theme returns, but it is livelier this time around to let us know that our five heroes have claimed glory.

WHEN THE GREAT OWL SINGS
Difficulty Level: 4
Performance Duration: 6:08 mins.

In Maya mythology, Ah Puch was the god of death and the King of Mitnal, the Underworld which was the worst of the nine levels of Hell. Ah Puch was feared by the Maya people and he still is to this very day. It is believed that the screech of an owl signifies imminent death. The following saying, in local Spanish, indicates: Cuando el tecolote canta… el indio muere (When the great owl sings, the Indian dies). This work is an offering to this malevolent god. When the Great Owl Sings begins with an ominous theme depicting the foreboding environment of Mitnal. We are then introduced to Ah Puch as a corpse adorned with bells. Soon, the cries of the Maya people are heard, but they are not loud enough to drive Ah Puch back to Mitnal. This gives way to the malevolent nature of Ah Puch as he prowls the houses of the Maya people, searching for those who are sick and/or injured. The following lyrical section represents the over whelming grief and sorrow expressed by the Maya people as they try to figure out how to make Ah Puch return to Mitnal. As the grieving seizes, we begin to hear distant trembles and the preparation for an offering to Ah Puch. Violently, the ritual begins as the Maya people offer one of their own as a sacrifice to Ah Puch. The final measures of the piece represent Ah Puch accepting the sacrifice and returning to Mitnal.

BANSHEE: WOMAN OF THE MOUND
Difficulty Level: 4
Performance Duration: 6:10 mins.

Irish mythology is full of grandeur and mystery. So, it makes since that many of the tales feature spectacular characters and creatures that strike one’s imagination. The Banshee is a female spirit in Irish mythology who is usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld, the Celtic realm of the dead. It is said that when a banshee wails around a house, someone is about to die. Banshee: Woman of the Mound is meant to be an emotionally-driven programmatic work descriptive of this mythological creature. A mysterious introduction brings forth the banshee as she sings a mysterious melody that transitions into a beautiful statement representing the other form a banshee can take, a stunningly beautiful woman. Suddenly, the banshee takes her more common form, an ugly, frightening hag as she claims her latest victim. As the family finally accepts the death of one of their own, a funeral is held in which a beautiful keener sings a beautiful lament to the text of “The Lament of O’Gnive” by Jeremiah Joseph Callanan for the deceased family member. The family understands that life still goes on as they accept what has happened. Suddenly, a barbaric statement screeches amongst the people of the village as they know the banshee has returned. Without warning, chaos ensues as several banshees appear and make sure these people know that their work is never done.