Act 1

Ignition

Todd Stalter

Todd Stalter’s Ignition is a compact and energetic work that represents the spark of an idea rapidly gaining momentum. Built around a driving rhythmic motive, the piece captures the sense of something coming to life, an engine turning over, a creative impulse taking shape, or a burst of collective ensemble energy. Stalter’s use of layered ostinati, quick exchanges between sections, and crisp percussive punctuation creates a musical surface that feels continually propelled forward.

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Contrasting moments of tension and brief respites function as structural markers, resetting the momentum before launching into renewed bursts of activity. These shifts symbolize the fluctuating intensity of ignition itself: the balance between restraint and explosive acceleration. Ultimately, Ignition stands as a representation of kinetic force and emerging coherence, showcasing how rhythmic drive and ensemble precision can transform a simple spark into a fully realized musical statement.

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Danza Sinfonica

James Barnes

James Barnes’s Danza Sinfónica is a vibrant and virtuosic concert work that highlights his command of large-ensemble colour, rhythmic vitality, and formal clarity. Although not based on a specific folk dance, the piece draws on the structural and stylistic features of Latin American dance traditions, synthesizing them into a cohesive symphonic essay for wind ensemble. Barnes employs driving rhythmic figures, syncopated patterns, and alternating meters to generate continuous kinetic energy, while still retaining tight control over thematic development and large-scale pacing.

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The work’s melodic material is characterized by bold, angular gestures juxtaposed with more lyrical lines, creating a dynamic interplay between rhythmic intensity and melodic breadth. Barnes’s orchestration further enhances this contrast: brilliant brass fanfares, sparkling woodwind passages, and sharply articulated percussion writing contribute to a texture that is at once dense and transparent. The rapid exchanges between sections demonstrate Barnes’s skill in shaping musical dialogue across the ensemble, resulting in a soundscape that is both colourful and structurally purposeful.

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Harmonically, Danza Sinfónica balances traditional tonal centers with more adventurous sonorities, allowing moments of brightness and tension to emerge throughout the work. The piece builds toward a climactic conclusion driven by escalating rhythmic complexity and heightened dynamic intensity, ultimately delivering an exhilarating final statement. As a whole, Danza Sinfónica stands as a compelling example of Barnes’s ability to fuse symphonic craft with dance-inspired energy, making it both an engaging performance work and a valuable study in rhythm, colour, and ensemble coordination.

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Only Light

Aaron Perrine

Aaron Perrine’s Only Light is a contemplative and carefully crafted work that explores the symbolic movement from darkness toward illumination. The piece is rooted in gradual transformation rather than dramatic contrast, unfolding through subtle shifts in harmony, texture, and timbre. Its opening section employs sustained sonorities and sparse melodic fragments, establishing an atmosphere of introspection and suspended motion.

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As the work progresses, Perrine introduces increasingly warm harmonic fields and broader melodic contours that expand the expressive scope of the ensemble. These cumulative changes function as structural markers, guiding listeners through a gradual ascent toward clarity and resonance. The orchestration is particularly notable for its sensitivity to instrumental colour; lines pass seamlessly among sections, allowing timbral combinations to evolve organically and reinforcing the sense of emergent “light” that frames the piece’s conceptual design.

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The climactic moments of Only Light achieve their impact not through abrupt intensity but through the steady accumulation of energy and the widening of the ensemble’s sonic palette. The work ultimately resolves into a texture marked by openness and calm, suggesting the attainment of renewed perspective or emotional equilibrium. In this way, Only Light operates as both an aesthetic and metaphorical journey, using the wind ensemble’s expressive capabilities to illuminate the process of finding hope, clarity, or resilience after periods of uncertainty.

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How to Train Your Dragon

John Powell - Arr. Sean O'Loughlin

Sean O’Loughlin’s arrangement of John Powell’s How to Train Your Dragon score transforms the film’s musical narrative into a symphonic representation of courage, discovery, and emotional growth. Through its blend of soaring themes, Celtic-inspired melodies, and rhythmic drive, the arrangement captures the exhilaration of flight, the formation of unlikely bonds, and the transformative power of empathy central to the story.

Powell’s original material, preserved and reimagined by O’Loughlin, uses contrasting musical ideas to symbolize the journey from fear to understanding: heroic, expansive lines evoke adventure and bravery, while lyrical passages highlight vulnerability and emerging trust. In the wind ensemble setting, these elements create a vivid musical arc that mirrors the film’s narrative while standing independently as a celebration of shared humanity and the forging of connection.

Intermission​