A Bandworld Top 100 Piece in 2011
“Shades of Green” was written for the Prairie Wind Ensemble (IL), and was inspired by a trip I took to Ireland in 2001. The is meant as a reference to the appearance of Ireland from the air as you fly into the country. The work employs two Irish folk tunes – Bonny Light Horseman, and lyrical tune first heard in the piano and woodwinds at the beginning of the piece, followed by a light and playful melody called Green Bushes.
This theme is stated many times throughout the faster sections of the work. Both of these folk melodies are woven together throughout the piece and have an almost conversational quality in their interaction. The melodies are set in a more contemporary manner, joining the old and new renditions into an effective work for winds and percussion.
Written for the Prairie Wind Ensemble, Robert Sheldon, director
Published by TRN Music
