Resilience
A Fanfare for Our Times

When I was commissioned to create a brief concert-opening fanfare, I was impelled to write music that spoke to our times in the early months of 2025. We are challenged by disruptions to the normal order of things and we all find ourselves needing to make personal decisions about how to move forward. It is a time when we must remain strong.

Might one minute of music allow listeners to experience resiliency in the face of challenge? This work begins in an almost carefree manner, only to be confronted by dissonant and aggressive materials that nearly overwhelm the piece. The power of a unified response to this challenge, building across the performers first as a single pitch, eventually strengthened by octaves, overcomes the threat, and there is a return to a welcome and hopeful consonance. 

Resilience was commissioned by the Southeast Polk Wind Ensemble (IA), and their conductor Jacquelyn Meunier, who provided a dedicatory statement for the score that well describes Resilience: A fanfare for our times:

“A celebration of perseverance, strength, and hope in the face of adversity.
This piece honors the unwavering spirit of those who push forward, embrace challenges, and continue striving for a brighter future.”

Recording by the Southeast Polk Wind Ensemble, Jacquelyn Meunier, conductor.

Cover Painting: “Resilience” Acrylic on 9X12 canvas paper. Timothy Mahr, created during the composing of this piece.

See the full score below. Suggested use:

Start playing the audio, then scroll down to the score and open it. Expand the score to full page and adjust more if needed for your viewing situation. While viewing the score, drag from the left to the right. The arrows change two pages at a time.