Work on this took place in late 2007 with work on the manuscript full score taking place in February of
2008 with its completion in March ("Fine 3 March 2008"). Engraving took place very soon after the
completion of the manuscript score.
Commissioner
St Peter's Lutheran College, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia
Context For Creation
The commission for this work came in August of 2007. The work was discussed both Grant Mason, Director
of Bands at St Peter's, and the College Director of Music, Graeme Morton. Funding for the work came from
a parent who is a Polish immigrant and the choice of the Polish Christmas carol, Infant Holy, which
appears in the final movement. I have also used the hymn tune St Peter in the first movement, but it is
heavily disguised. The three movements are meant to reflect a message I was endeavouring to send to the
ensemble - evident in the program note for the work:
There must be a resolve in you to address the moral and ethical dilemmas which will confront you. When
those stresses and strains beat upon you and you do not know which way to turn, then you must find peace
in your heart and bring that peace to others. Most importantly, there is hope; hope in a world that has
more good in it than bad, more wonderful people than those who use others, and more joy than sadness.
Acknowledgement of the exertion of Mason to ensure this project took place sits alongside the
thankfulness I have for the parent who committed themselves to fund the work.
I have had a couple of email losses during the time of my doctoral candidature and some of what is
lost
is most regrettable. One message was from the commissioner, Grant Mason, and it told of the
ensemble's
performance of the piece at Auschwitz. He said the weather had been terrible and as they set up the
gloom seemed to descend even more. When the time came to play this work he told of how the sun came
out
and stayed out for the entire performance then the clouds rolled back in after the piece ended.
Not prone to spiritual consideration, Mason's reflection was of the depth of spiritual moment there
was
for him and the ensemble in that spot, for that performance. My memory is that they went there to
play,
not for an audience but just to play.
This is a work for the players, the young men and women of the ensemble who may consider some of what I
talked about with them in rehearsal about what the work meant to me (cf. the program note). They may
even remember how I talked of the hymn, St Peter, that makes itself known in paraphrase during the last
section and how hope, the section's title is, for me found in Christ. The emphasis on 'Christ, the babe
is born for - you' is telling in the last section.The torrent of action in the first section
(Resolve) -
well, maybe it's more power and determination - and the calm reflection of the second (Peace) fit
well
with the energy and exuberance of the final part. I quite like this too. It has energy and contemplation
and allows the players to invest more than physical effort into realising the intent of the work.