Flint Shards

Commission generously supported by ArtsKC Regional Arts Council. Commissioned by a consortium of university and high school ensembles led by Peter Lillipopp of Fort Hays State University. Premiered March 3, 2019, by Fort Hays State University Symphonic Winds, directed by Peter Lillpopp. The Flint Hills is a region of Eastern Kansas and Central Oklahoma dominated by tall-grass prairies and rolling hillsides. These hills are part of an ancient geologic formation that has since eroded, leaving a layer of flint that speckles the ground. This formation, laid down in the Permian Era, is visible in cutaways that expose layer upon layer of limestone and shale. In Flint Shards, woodwind textures create stratified patterns that match these layered patterns. These textures grow in intensity or fade away, but always maintain vertical distance. The brass maintain an ever-present flow, like the rolling hills, over which these layers emerge and dissipate. With each section, layers emerge with greater intensity, underscored by rhythmic energy.