Whiz–Bang

Whiz-Bang was commissioned by director Kenneth Thompson and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Wind Symphony. When Ken first approached me about the work, he said he wanted a "short, flashy, whiz-bang opener." From this prompt, I decided to draw influence from fireworks; specifically the large, professional kind that fly high in the sky and explode in a variety of dazzling colors and shapes. This musical structure of this work follows the procedure of striking a match, waiting for the fuse to burn, seeing the "whiz" of the fireworks launch upward, experiencing the sudden explosions of color, hearing the thunderous "bang" of the grand finale, and lastly, seeing the wispy sparks falling slowly to the ground.

Program Note by composer