The Golden Year - BAR0122964 | Music

"The Golden Year" was commissioned by the Yokohama Kounan Junior High School Band in Japan, Mr. Hitoshi Ujike, conductor, in honor of the 50th celebration of the the founding of this school and the creation of the band that has been a part of this institution since its very beginning. The first performance of this piece took place on November 1st, 1997, the sexact anniversary date, y this performing group, under the direction of the composer, as part of the commemorative program on that occasion.

The music is in fourt-part form with coda, opening with a majestic theme in the brass to herald the ceremony itself, which then gives way to a brilliant allegro section that presents the second theme, a long lyrical line set over a highly charged rhythmic accompaniment that seemingly depicts the bustle and excitement of a celebration. As this fades away, the opening theme returns, but this time also in a lyrical mood and in slower tempo, beginning with a solo horn and then gradually adding more and more instruments as the melody wends its way upward in the ensemble and merges into a brass chorale that prepares the way for a return to the excitement of the second theme and its restatement. This, in turn leads to the final section, again built on the first theme now magnified into a massive coda to bring the whole work to a fitting conclusion.