Woodwind Quintet

Oboe, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet and Bassoon

Drift was written for the TIMBER Reed Quintet at the Ohio State University. Upon attending rehearsals and listening to the dynamic of the group, I was fascinated with the way the five instruments blended their sound together and the vast array of timbres that could emerge from the various combinations. This sparked my vision to create a piece that would highlight these abilities. Drift makes use of rhythmic ambiguity and uses a Jazz influence to create a musical idea of drifting along. 

“In the Township of Danville” is an old Vermont Folk Song, arranged for woodwind quintet in a flowing romantic style.  The melodic theme is from the collection Vermont Folk-Songs & Ballads, compiled by the Committee on Vermont Traditions and Ideals, to preserve "very human stories that were made into song too far back in the generations to have any known origin."

The Wind Quintet setting of this gentle rag honors the dignified character of Scott Joplin's compositional form, giving each of the five players a voice. Optional repeats lend program flexibility to the duration of the performance. “Searchlight Rag” was first published in 1907, and the title refers to Searchlight, Nevada, where friends of Joplin had ventured to go prospecting.