The Phoenix Rises

2024 Bandworld/American Band College Top 100 This work is programmatic in nature, telling the story of the lifecycle of the mythical phoenix. In the opening, we hear a call, awakening the phoenix and calling the bird to take flight through light, lofty, and lively soaring melodies. As the piece progresses, we hear the tension arising from conflict, and the phoenix takes the next step in its lifecycle - its fiery death. This carries us into the middle section of the work, wherein we mourn the loss of the creature. A sense of anticipation builds into the final section, in which the bird slowly arises from the ashes and begins life anew, regaining all its splendor and glory.