After Further Review

An engaging theme and variations, After Further Review captures the energy and excitement of watching a big play in real timeand then the tension and drama of watching it again from different angles, with commentaryuntil the final call is made: "The ruling on the field is confirmed: touchdown." PROGRAM NOTE: After Further Review is a theme and variations inspired by football instant replays. The theme (the initial "play") is presented in a jumbled form in the opening 12 bars. These bars depict the snap count (bars 1-3), the play itself (bars 4-8), the dead ball whistle (bar 8), and the players and fans settling down (bars 9-12). The subsequent variations examine the theme from different angles, as if instant replay and commentary: Variation 1 (bars 13-32) presents a basic, non-jumbled version of the theme. Initially, this version of the theme is affirmed by the band (bars 20-27), until something about it prompts further consideration (bars 28-32). Variation 2 (bars 33-49) starts off rising and graceful, like watching the receiver making a particularly balletic catch, but then gets loud and comes tumbling down, like the tackle. The loud section also resembles a fight song. Variation 3 (bars 50-65) is all about scrutinizing the details, as if trying to figure out what really happened in the play. The clarinets and alto sax begin the section by playing a rising variation on the theme. Then, at bar 58, the clarinet continues to play this new variation, while the alto saxes and trumpets simultaneously play the theme itself. The finale, Variation 4 (bars 66-92), sets the record straight. In a rousing, rock anthem, the band confidently plays a final version of the theme: "The ruling on the field is confirmed: touchdown.