Hope Arises

One of two works requested in 2021 of composer James Barnes by Colonel Donald Schofield to be written for the United States Air Force Band, this short piece is intended to be used as an opener for their tour concerts. It opens with a dramatic brass fanfare, based on consecutive perfect fourths first introduced by horns and euphoniums, followed by a short oboe solo. An ascending line in mallets and woodwinds provides a rather celestial transition that takes the listener to a lively, melodic allegro based on the same opening fourths. This allegro theme is developed until a return to the opening fanfare is powerfully reannounced in brass. The work concludes quite dramatically and includes a return of the ascending line in woodwinds, mallets, harp, and piano.