Orchestration:

2 flt*/2 ob*/3 cl (Bb)*/B.cl*/2 bsn*/2 A.sax*/T.sax*/B.sax*

2 tpt*/4 hrn/2 trb*/B.trb*/euph*/tub

piano/double bass

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Timpani

Perc. I: vibraphone, crotales

Perc. II: wooden plank, high wood block, maracas

Perc. III: bass drum, snare drum, glockenspiel

Perc. IV: sandpaper, tam-tam, sizzle cymbal, large triangle

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*these players each require two smooth river stones

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Grade IV

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Duration:

10'

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Performances:

Premiered by the Monmouth College Wind Ensemble, dir. Justin Swearinger. Oct. 21, 2023

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University of Maryland Wind Orchestra, dir. Michael Votta.

May 3, 2024

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Note:

On White and Crimson was commissioned by Justin Swearinger for the Monmouth College Wind Ensemble, an ensemble I spent four formative years performing in as an undergraduate student. This piece is inspired by a memory from my freshman year of a professor explaining that flowing beneath the Monmouth campus is an underground river which shaped its hills and influenced the placement of many of the campus’s buildings. Reflecting on this memory, I remembered a quote by Philip Glass which surprisingly connects the idea of the underground river to the ways in which my undergrad made an impact on my conception of music.

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“My experience with music is that it’s like an underground river, it’s always there. And like an underground river, you don’t know where it comes from and you don’t know where it’s going. The only difference is whether you are listening to it or not.” 
—Philip Glass

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Representing the river, most of the wind players have two smooth stones, like those you might find in riverbeds. The sounds created by clicking or gently grinding these stones together are found all throughout the piece, enriching its textures. The title of this piece is adapted from Monmouth College’s alma mater: A Flame of White and Crimson. While there are no musical references to the hymn, this piece is my attempt at writing on my college experience—looking back now over five years post graduation.