Composer’s Notes

 

Concert Band, Grade 4

Duration: 5 minutes

 

Originally scored for orchestra in 2023, this adaptation of The Golden Hour for concert band was completed in May 2025.

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In photography, the golden hour, or “magic hour,” is a small window of time (which may be more or less than an hour, depending on one’s geographical location and time of year), which typically occurs shortly before sunset or after sunrise. The sun angle during a golden hour is between 10-12 degrees, providing the perfect amount of diffusion to cast a photogenic, golden light upon the landscape. Shadows, texture, and depth are greatly enhanced, and the warm glow adds an air of drama to everything it touches.

 

To represent the qualities of a golden hour, the piece features many “perfect” intervals: fourths, fifths, and octaves. The middle section represents the peak of the golden hour and highlights both the golden ratio (1.618, represented in the scale degrees used in the motif beginning at m.88) and the first few digits of the Fibonacci sequence (eg: crotales, m.89).

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Instrumentation

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Piccolo

Flute 1, 2

Oboe 1, 2

Clarinet 1, 2, 3

Bass Clarinet

Bassoon 1, 2

Alto Saxophone 1, 2

Tenor Saxophone

Baritone Saxophone

Trumpet 1, 2, 3

Horn 1, 2, 3, 4

Trombone 1, 2

Bass Trombone

Euphonium

Tuba

Contrabass

Timpani

Percussion 1: Vibraphone, Crash Cymbals

Percussion 2: Marimba

Percussion 3: Chimes, Glockenspiel

Percussion 4: Bass Drum, Crotales (two octaves)

Percussion 5: Suspended Cymbal

Harp

Piano

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