MANHATTAN BEACH MUSIC
Raising the Standards of the American Concert Band and BANDS all Over the WORLD
Exclusive Australian Distribution by Future Music
Shine is an exploration of brighter instrumental colors within a world of softer, more muted textures. For me, the imagery of light becomes all the more striking when rationed against these darkly romantic landscapes.
You can hear this sort of rationing throughout the piece. For example, the piece begins with a tight, sustained, three-note cluster that is meant to induce a king of quiet, harmonic friction. The saxophones enter first, flickering, and are soon joined by the French horns, whose flutter-tonguing intensifies the aural electricity. The rhythmic and melodic energy builds to several short, brighter moments, but these joyful moments don’t stay for long as we quickly submerge back into more meditative tones.
- Michael Markowski
Performance by California State University Fullerton, Symphonic Winds, Marc R. Dickey, conductor.