SUMMER WALKER DANCES.

Opus. 22

Instrumentation: Double String Orchestra
(meant for middle school string orchestras: one of beginner ability, one of intermediate ability)
Duration: 4 Minutes, One Movement
Commissioned By: The Orchestras of La Grange School District 105 in La Grange, IL


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PROGRAM NOTE.

In Scotland, the land of my ancestors, there was a group of people poetically called the Summer Walkers. For hundreds of years, these Highland Travellers have been closely tied to their native Highlands, passing from village to village as they helped with seasonal crops and other jobs as skilled craftsman. I imagine that they roamed across the bonny hills of Scotland with the summer wind whipping around them as they played folk tunes on their fiddles, their flutes, their drums. In writing this piece for the orchestras of District 105, I wanted to create a piece that would speak of the blissful summer weather that is around the corner for the students, the teachers, and even us composers – but I also wanted it to be an anthem of sorts, giving a signal of hope and strength to music programs in the US – showing how truly important music education is for all involved.

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