Covered Bridges

In 1962, Life Magazine commissioned Aaron Copland to write a short piano piece for young musicians. Copland penned Down a Country Lane and created an orchestral version two years later, in 1964. When Sean Anderson, Director of Bands at Kearsarge Regional High School in New Hampshire asked me to write a new work in 2024, I thought of Copland's piece and how it conjures images of a country road. Certainly, Down a Country Lane could be the soundtrack for a walk or ride along any number of scenic New Hampshire roads. As I began sketching out ideas for Covered Bridges, I started to think about it being a companion piece to Copland'smy homage to his charming work, Down a Country Lane. In Covered Bridges, I created two main musical ideas that try to capture the scene of traveling along a quiet New Hampshire road and coming upon a beautiful, covered bridge. First, as we travel along the road, there is a whimsical melody set in the time signature 7/8, giving the music motion and lightness. As we approach a beautiful, covered bridge and gaze upon the scene with wonder, the music slows and presents a new (but related) melody in a reverent, slow 4/4. We marvel at the bridge and its timeless qualities, passing through slowly as the music swells around us. We travel out of the covered bridge and continue our journey down the road as the music presents fragments of the opening melody. Covered Bridges was commissioned in 2024 by University of New Hampshire Graduate Students led by Kearsarge Regional High School Director of Bands, Sean Anderson ('22).