Prelude on Thaxted

This arrangement of the powerful Holst tune Thaxted, written as a dedication to the service of Alanna Teragawa, makes wonderful use of both handbells and optional handchimes. A mesmerizing opening, featuring a sustained tone scripted below the freely floating melody, makes a gradual metamorphosis into an elegantly steady waltz feel. Dynamic contrasts, a key change, and a few accidentals, along with some other technical challenges, broadens the scope of this majestic epic.