From Atlanta to the Sea
INFORMATION
Instrumentation: Wind Ensemble
Duration: 03’ 25”
Year of Composition: 2015
Commissioned by the Green Band Association for the Toho High School Wind Band, Nagoya, Japan.
RECORDING
Members of the Butler University Wind Ensemble, Butler University Symphony Orchestra, Butler University Students and Alumni.
March 29, 2017
PROGRAM NOTES
From Atlanta to the Sea is a march highly influenced by the form and structure of the great March King, John Phillip Sousa. The year 2015 marked the 150th anniversary of the song “Marching Through Georgia,” a song describing William T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea,” the campaign that captured the city of Savannah, Georgia, in late 1864 and commemorated the turning point in the Civil War. It was one of the most popular songs back then. From Atlanta to the Sea not only takes its title from its lyrics but also incorporates well-known folk songs throughout the war. Those songs include “Marching Through Georgia” and the “Yellow Rose of Texas.” I also inverted “The Caissons go Rolling Along,” a song with Civil War origins that would later be adopted as the Official Song to the United States Army. Due to its deep musical and historical connections, I felt it was most appropriate to use “Marching Through Georgia” as the basis for this composition.