Serendipities

Composer's Notes:

I was commissioned to write a new work by the 2012 Tennessee All-State Orchestra. Serendipities was the result of that commission. The work reflects the happy accidents of life that we all experience, like the time when I ran into an old friend while walking on the streets of Salzburg, Austria, thousands of miles from both our homes, or the many serendipities that led to my current position at St. Olaf College, or any number of other unlikely events that can lift one's spirits. The music reflects the spirit of joyful occasions that are these serendipities, and I've employed several popular musical styles, including jazz and rock among others. This largely is dance music, and it's meant to teem with rhythmic energy containing bursts of color. There is a slow section in the middle reflecting the more tender serendipity of love.

Instrumentation: 3332/4331/4 perc., harp, strings