The impetus of Symphony 3 “Chisos Dawn” began after a disastrous year as a junior high teacher. I was dejected, lost, and lonely. I set out within days of the school year ending on a massive road trip from my home in Texas throughout the western United States where my goal was to “find myself.” I’m not even sure what that meant, but I knew there was a greater purpose to what I was meant to do. My goal was to go birding along the entire trip and see as many species of birds as possible. Within the first week, one of my primary stops would be Big Bend National Park in west Texas. This is one of the most remote spots in the country hours away from the nearest cities. I had visited the park two previous times, and its beauty and rugged landscape has held me in awe to this day. In the heart of the park, are the Chisos Mountains, a sky island soaring above endless desert plains.
The story of “Chisos Dawn” is the story of that trip. In particular, the passage of the night through intense storms, impenetrable darkness, glorious mosaics of the star-strewn heavens, eerily beautiful mists on an ancient landscape, and the breaking of the new day’s sun from the top of the mountain. It is by far the most personal piece I’ve ever written and perhaps the most personal piece I will ever write.
To capture the magnificence of the landscape and the overwhelming emotions Big Bend evokes, Symphony 3 became the largest single work (to date) ever written for the wind band. The massive ensemble containing nearly every wind instrument imaginable represents the numerous birds, mammals, plants, and insects that can be seen there as well as the individual stars that shine down from its dark skies.
The work is separated into twelve continuous sections. Each section roughly represents the passing of one hour from sunset to dawn. In its organization, it draws inspiration from Strauss’ Eine Alpensinfonie. However, where Strauss’s work is a representation of the day from sunrise to sunset - a diurnal progression - this work’s progression is nocturnal, from sunset to sunrise. To honor this work, one of the leitmotivs of the work draws from Strauss’ work (who in turn borrows the theme from Beethoven’s Symphony 5).
Part 1 – The Storm at Sunset
Arriving at the mountains, we are surrounded by spectacular thunderstorms. These storms fill the horizon. Lightning streaks across the sky. We drive towards the literal storm in order to escape the metaphorical storms back home. While dangerous, we see moments of beauty and color through the driving rain and wind.
Part 2 – Into the Mountains
As the clouds part, we begin to reach the Chisos Mountains. The rise out of the desert and beckon us forward. We ascend, and the power of the mountain shows us its full glory. The storm is over, we have risen above it.
Part 3 – The Darkness of Night
The clouds of the storm block the light. All is dark. The lowest voices of the ensemble produce a melancholy sound. We hear distant cries in the mountains, a clap of lightning, and the darkness of night takes us over. A lone Bassoon calls out a recitative. We are alone on the mountain.
Part 4 – The Glory of the Unfettered Night Sky
The winds shift, and the clouds break. Above the mountains, the sky opens up. We see the Milky Way in all its glory. Points of light are strewn across the heavens. Whisps of clouds cover the stars in ever changing patterns. And behold, the Moon shines its radiant face upon the mountains. As the clouds take over, the lights of the sky slowly fade into oblivion.
Part 5 – The Peace of Solitude
We can finally relax after our initial trip, and we reflect on the past, the present, and the future. For once, we are at peace. The storms of both the desert and our mind are calmed. Sleep takes us.
Part 6 – Dreams Under the Stars
The visions of the stars return in our dreams. We experience joy and beauty unlike any we’ve known before. Our spirit dances.
Part 7 – The Storm at Night
While we slept, the clouds reformed and intensified. The storm has returned. High above the plains, we are witness to the full brutality nature can unleash. The winds howl, lightning flashes, and the thunder echoes off the walls of the mountains and rumbles our very soul.
Part 8 – The Night Birds Call
A moment of silence. Then, up in the trees, nocturnal birds begin to call out. Owls and whippoorwills eerily cry out. We listen. We are awake. The top of the mountain calls to us.
Part 9 – Ascent in the Dark
We are alone - a small figure in the mountains who has seen the fury of nature at its full force. Slowly, one foot after the other, we traverse the trails in the dark. The path is unknown. We climb the mountain. As we ascend, we pause for a moment to reflect - a moment of serenity and peace after chaos and darkness.
Part 10 – The Dawn Chorus
The sky gradually lightens. Daybreak is approaching. The day birds awaken and start to sing. All around us, a symphony of nature sings out. Voices upon voices call out in the harmony of life. The darkness of night will soon be a distant memory.
Part 11 – Dawn in the Mists of a Lost World
The sky is lighter still and we can see the world around us. The clouds of the night’s storm linger now as a mist that hangs in the valleys near the peaks of the mountains. We are transported into a world of myth and fable. An overwhelming sense of awe begins to grow inside of us.
Part 12 – Sunrise
The sun finally reaches over the peaks of the mountains and the lost world is illuminated and glorified. The full power of the gigantic ensemble is finally unleashed, and we are washed in sound just as the mountains are washed in light.
Symphony 3 - Full Score
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