Fletcher, Alan - An American Song (Symphonic Band Score & Parts)
Artist Level
This inspired wind ensemble composition won the West Point Composition Contest to commemorate the bicentennial of the United States Military Academy. The composer writes: "The music is painted in the simple glowing colors of American singing. Layering onto the score in a series of thin translucent glazes. The rhythms and meters float subtly free, placed so that coincidence makes for happy accidents. This is an American process of free association."
Press
The resulting work is delicate and lyrical, creating complexity through layering of simple melodic elements. This design places significant technical and interpretive demands on players and conductors, and requires careful preparation to allow ensemble and conductor find an imagined precision in performance. - Winds 2003