dedicated to the Chapman University Wind Symphony, Mathieu Girardet, music director and conductor

Premiered June 14, 2024 by the Chapman University Instrumental Summer Camp Wind Symphony

Instrumentation:

Flute 1-2, Oboe, Bb Clarinet 1-3, Bb Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Eb Alto Sax 1-2, Bb Tenor Sax, Eb Baritone Sax, Bb Trumpet 1-3, F Horn 1-2, Trombone 1-2, Baritone/Euphonium, Tuba, Timpani, Perc 1 (Chimes, Sus. Cym.), Perc 2 (4.3 Octave Marimba, Tambourine), Perc 3 (Hi-hat, Crash Cym., Triangle), Perc 4 (Snare Drum)

At the end of my junior year at Chapman, I have to say this semester flew by like no other. It seems true that life begins to speed up as you get older. You look back at the end of the day, the week, the month, the semester, the year, and go, “Wow, has it been that long already?” On top of this, as students in the conservatory, we have long school days that somehow always seem to feel short in retrospect. And from what I have been observing, everything leading up to your senior year seems to all hit at once, and then, BOOM, you’ve graduated. All those hours you’ve spent in the music building, those moments, have vanished. 

I try to capture that looming sense of limited time in this piece. A lone timpani gets the piece in motion, soon joined by chimes that resemble a clock striking a metaphorical midnight. More instruments join the chaos seemingly hurriedly until they all decisively fuse into one voice at the end. 

As they say, live in the moment!

From Thomas’s Program Note