Composed in memory of the composer's first composition teacher, Hymn to the Dawn conveys a sense of beauty and longing. Although the title suggests moving forward, the music is meant to reflect the unresolved nature of our relationships with loved ones who have now passed on.

Program Notes

Hymn to the Dawn was originally the second movement of a work for brass quintet. It was composed in memory of Charlie Carter, Staff Arranger for the Florida State University Marching Chiefs and one of my first composition teachers. Charlie became seriously ill while I was at graduate school. I was reluctant to face the severity of his illness and hesitated to call him in the hospital; as a result, he passed away before I had a chance to say goodbye. Although the title suggests moving forward, the music is meant to reflect the unresolved nature of my relationship with Charlie.
-K.K.A.

ABOUT THE SERIES
The SpectraFlex Series for adaptable wind band offers flexibility with pieces across all grade levels, featuring traditional high-to-low scoring with 5 or 6 parts and optional percussion. Each part is transposed and playable by a multitude of wind or keyboard percussion instruments while maintaining the spectrum of sound we have grown to love about the wind band.