Carols in the Dark

Year: 2023

Grade: 5

Duration: ca. 6:30

Purchase: Murphy Music Press

Recording: Rock Hill High School Wind Symphony | Nathaniel Neugent, Conductor

Carols in the Dark was composed as a gift for Brian Youngblood, one of my band directors at Texas Christian University and one of the fiercest advocates of my work. Mr. Youngblood and I had spoken about Christmas music on more than one occasion, and during one such conversation, he presented an idea to me: the melodies of Greensleeves and Carol of the Bells pair together so well, he told me, and yet there was no higher-difficulty arrangement of these two tunes out in the wild world of wind ensemble repertoire. I got the hint; inspired by his suggestion, I sought to fill that gap by composing a colorful and engaging work that takes full advantage of the myriad musical possibilities posed by the two tunes. The result is a dramatic thrill ride that pushes and pulls the two melodies to their limits in a whirlwind of sound and energy.