Beware the Mothman!

Built in 1928, the Silver Bridge (so named from the aluminum paint used after its construction) stretched over the Ohio River and connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia to Gallipolis, Ohio. On December 15, 1967 amid heavy rush hour traffic, one of the eyebar suspensions gave weigh causing the bridge to collapse, killing 46 people. I remember my father speaking of the Silver Bridge collapse when I was a child; as a native of southern Ohio, the events of that horrible night live on in the minds and hearts of many. This tragic event shook the people of Point Pleasant and Gallipolis, who demanded an investigation into the cause of the collapse and the integrity of older bridges. During the investigation, several eyewitnesses came forward claiming that they had seen a large black creature with glowing red eyes. Other eyewitnesses described a seven-foot tall man-like creature with wings who chased after their vehicles making screeching sounds. This is the origin of the Mothman, an other-worldly urban legend! This piece reflects the terror of the Mothman giving chase to his victims. The foreboding Dies Irae ("day of wrath') theme is used to convey the mortal danger that the Mothman visits upon the unsuspecting people of southern Ohio. Students will experience a programmatic work with unique harmonies and timbres, while being introduced to attainable chromatic notes and fingerings. Beware the Mothman!