From 12/5/2014:
I am so excited to announce that the Florida Vocal Association and Florida Bandmasters Association has commissioned me to compose a piece for their combined Men's Chorus and Concert Band. It is entitled Clarion Call (thanks to my friend and colleague, Adam Beeken for suggesting such a fantastic title) and combines excerpts from Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address and Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. (special thanks to the King Center in Atlanta, GA for granting permission to use the text).
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, the text speaks to unity, brotherhood, and working together toward a brighter tomorrow. I can think of no more important message to share with the world given recent events. Woven among the texts are melodies and rhythms derived from the letters and syllables of each author's name as well as Civil-War era bugle and drum calls.
The performance will be Saturday, January 17, 2015 in Tampa, and conducted by the incomparable Jeff Johnson from the University of Kentucky. More information coming soon...
