Prelude and Fanfare
Prelude and Fanfare takes its inspiration from a piece of NASA video footage, where a camera is attached to a piece of debris and jettisoned into space from the space shuttle.
Initially, the camera captures images of the shuttle flying off into the distance and out of sight and images of Earth from outer space, as the debris floats around. The Earth's magnetic field takes hold of the debris, and it re-enters the atmosphere, gathering speed and plummeting towards the Earth all the while capturing video images of its journey.
The work is a musical reflection of this journey, starting with a ‘weightless' lontano section. At figure A the trombones imitate the magnetic pull of the earth and bring the seemingly abstract musical sounds into a coherent direction.
Figure C is a musical representation of the entry into the earth's atmosphere, and the brisk tempo and rhythmic quality of the main theme should convey images of accelerated speed and excitement which eventually climaxes to the inevitable final "thud" of both the musical and documented journey.
This musical study explores the use of minimalist techniques and ideas within the confines of the concert band idiom. The overall structure of the piece is based on the shape of a crescendo, starting at the softest level the ensemble is capable of, finishing at the greatest.