Windy City Overture - AM81 | Musica

To celebrate their 50th Anniversary, The Northshore Concert Band from Illinois asked me to write a short opening piece for their gala concert in June 2006. Going back nearly two decades, each December I spend a couple of days in Chicago to attend the famed Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic. Besides all the hustle and bustle of that great event, there is always some spare time to go into town. Each year, my fascination for America's 3rd largest city grows. I enjoy the skyline with its dazzling architecture, riding The Loop (Chicago's idiosyncratic subway), shopping on The Magnificent Mile, The Art Institute, fabulous restaurants, a swinging night in a jazz club; I can't get enough.

There is, however, one drawback: The Wind…. When a blast of frigid air blows in from Lake Michigan, it is not fun for a European used to balmier breezes. In a very personal way I understand the aptness of the city's nickname.

The title came easy. The result is a short and energetic work, incorporating the spirit and the power of a city that never ceases to fascinate me.