Victorious Souls
Victorious Souls was commissioned by the congregation of the Madison United Methodist Church, Madison, Alabama, and their orchestra director, Sandy Weisner. The Madison UMC Church Orchestra premiered Victorious Souls in May of 2014. Victorious Souls was selected as a J.W. Pepper Editor's Choice in 2015. The goal of the commission was to write an uplifting and exciting work for young musicians. The title, and the idea behind the work, was a result of my fascination and inspiration by stories of survival and overcoming extreme difficulties. Personally speaking, the strength of the human spirit is a source of constant inspiration to me as both a person and as a composer. While not a religious theme, nor was there an intent to compose a sacred work, the inspiration for the work did resonate with the commissioning organization. The composition is an overture for young bands that uses a cyclical form: A-B-C-B-A. Beginning with a brief and bold fanfare, the piece quickly moves into t...