Canticles

Canticles (2022) was commissioned to honor Dr. Eric Wilson's 15 years of service and dedication as the director of bands at the Baylor University School of Music. The commission consortium, organized by associate director of bands Dr. Isaiah Odajima, includes many of Dr. Wilson's friends, colleagues and students. I. Alleluias II. Prayers III. Hosannas The Alleluias are first presented in a playful modulating tune, played by the clarinets. I then develop the tune in four variations featuring the flutes, oboes, horns, euphonium and saxophones. The Prayers begin softly with an affectionate alto saxophone solo, and mellow church organ chords played by the tenor and baritone saxophones, clarinets and bassoons. The music is modally developed, culminating in a passionate C major variation on the prayer theme played by the full band. The Hosannas are initially shouted by the trumpets and marimba. The woodwinds join the ceremony playing boisterous chords, before the music settles into a spirited dance. The brass becomes increasingly possessed, playing relentlessly chromatic chords, drawing everyone into a climactic frenzy.