Shenandoah - Frank Ticheli
In my setting of Shenandoah I was inspired by the freedom and beauty of the folk melody and by the natural images evoked by the words, especially the image of a river. I was less concerned with the sound of a rolling river than with its life-affirming energy — its timelessness. Sometimes the accompaniment flows quietly under the melody; other times it breathes alongside it. The work’s mood ranges from quiet reflection, through growing optimism, to profound exaltation.
I realized I haven’t listened to a good band piece in a while…this piece is just so good! It brings out my band geek side haha. I really appreciate the harmonies and the climax of this piece. It just makes me so relaxed and you can really picture the themes that Ticheli is trying to portray. I wish there could be more pieces like this being made instead of some of the modern stuff going on these days…Recently, there was a piece that Cornell Wind Ensemble played (Through the Veil by Jesse Jones). There’s one part where the human scream is imitated with a combination of different instruments. It is so brilliantly done in that piece that it’s so creepy. I don’t know, maybe I just prefer older styles?
