Light Descending
Concert Band
ca. 5'
Grade 3
Exploring the counterintuitive beauty that emerges as light fades, this lush and lyrical work combines expressive melodies with fresh harmonic colors.
(Invoices/ Quotes/ P.O.s accepted)
At a Glance
Style
Lush • Lyrical • Colorful
Selected Performances & Recognition
🏆 2025 Semi-finalist – Sousa-ABA-Ostwald Composition Contest
Penn State University
University of Minnesota
University of South Carolina
Washington State University
Western Kentucky Honor Band
Pacific Lutheran Honor Band
Fort Collins Wind Symphony
What Makes It Unique
Unlike many lyrical concert band works, percussion plays a central role in shaping the color, momentum, and emotional trajectory of the music.
Musical Influences
Steven Bryant – Dusk
Percy Grainger – Irish Tune from County Derry
James Barnes – Symphony No. 3, Mvt. III
John Mackey – Sheltering Sky
Why I Wrote This Piece
Written as part of the Purposeful Repertoire Collection to provide mature, expressive music that remains approachable on a limited rehearsal schedule.
Instrumentation
Flute I-II
Oboe divisi
Bassoon divisi
Clarinet in Bb I-II-III
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone I-II
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet in Bb I-II-III
Horn I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani + 5 Percussion
Notes
• Doublings and cues throughout to support successful performances by a wide variety of ensembles
Program Note
Light Descending draws its inspiration from the counterintuitive idea that as we move downward, away from the sunlight, the world can become even more magnificent.
The music begins in full light with a Grandioso introduction, representing the more obvious beauty that we can see every day. The work is anchored by an eighth note ostinato which is intentionally ambiguous as to whether it is ascending or descending, representing that physically moving lower does not necessarily mean the same emotional response.
Towards the end of the work, the Grandioso from the introduction returns as if to show that if we are willing to find it, the beauty above can be found below.
...
This work was written shortly after I finished reading Robert McFarlane’s Underland: A Deep Time Journey. While perhaps not literally represented, the vivid descriptions of hidden water, cave systems, and glaciers were certainly fresh in my mind during the compositional process.
While it can be played as a stand-alone piece, this work was written to be performed in tandem with Refractions. The two pieces were part of the 2023 Purposeful Repertoire Consortium and were composed with musical elements and the theme of “light” in common to create separate but complimentary works. (Similar to the common practice of performing Grainger’s Irish Tune with the shorter Shepherd’s Hey.)
Questions about the piece?
Feel free to reach out if there's anything I can do to help as you explore this piece.
