Music of Andrew F. Poor

Commissioned by the Feagin Mill Middle School Band (Warner Robins, Georgia), Lloyd McDonald, Director of Bands in the fall of 2015. The work is dedicated to the children of members of our armed forces and the ongoing sacrifices these children make on behalf of our country. The work is divided into three sections—Service, Sacrifice and Tribute—and each section honors different aspects of this commitment. The Service section (measures 1 to 23) is a blending of various patriotic melodic fragments, including, Star-Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful and Taps. These children are surrounding by patriotic music throughout their everyday lives. This section of the work symbolizes the dedication and purpose for the service for both the parents and the children. Sacrifice (measures 24-39) is longingly lyrical portion of the work loosely based on the melodic structure of Taps and symbolizes the heartfelt losses the children are often forced to endure. These sacrifices, include, long and u...

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...