Thaddeus Kosciuszko was an outstanding military commander and strategist who fought for freedom not only in his native Poland against the Russians in the late 18th Century, but also in his adopted America during the War of Independence. To this day he is considered a Polish national hero and the fondness for which he is held in the United States is evident in Mississippi’s city and Indiana’s county that share his name. In 1840 Paul Strezlecki, the Polish-born explorer who first climbed the Australia Alps named its highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko.
This composition reflects three aspects of the life of Kosciuszko. After some plaintive themes reminiscent of Polish folk tunes, the first section represents Kosciuszko’s battle for freedom in his native homeland against the Russians and Prussians. The music reflects the chaos of war and the clash of tonality helps to represent the mayhem of battle. Kosciuszko led his troops to numerous victories during this campaign and there are moments in the score where uplifting major tonalities represent the joy of victory. Unfortunately for Kosciuszko he was seriously wounded towards the end of the war and was held prisoner by the Russians. His release was conditional on him not returning to his homeland, Poland. The solemn and mournful solo off-stage trumpet call at the end of the first section reflects both the tragedy of war and the circumstances faced by Kosciuszko at the end of this campaign.
The second section of the work represents Kosciuszko’s American experience. The music is open, free and hopeful, representing the ‘New World’. Kosciuszko served with distinction in Washington’s army and was instrumental in the success of many battles including the blockade of Charleston and the victory at Saratoga. As he was in Poland, Kosciuszko was a tireless defender of freedom in America and he used his military knowledge and skills to fight oppression.
The final section of the work is a ‘climb to the summit’ making direct reference to the journey undertaken by thousands of tourists each year when they endeavour to climb Australia’s highest peak. The music gradually intensifies as the journey nears its end and there is an explosion of joy and exhilaration as the summit is reached. While this section refers directly to Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko, the themes of struggle, striving and toil could easily represent the life of Thaddeus Kosciuszko and his endless dedication to the fight for human liberty and freedom.
Performed live by Caulfield Grammar School Symphonic band. Directed by Simon Brown.
Performed by the Grainger Wind Symphony
“Vanguard” was commissioned in 2006 by Caulfield Grammar School for their Symphonic Band, Simon Brown director. It was used on their overseas tour as a concert opener, and for this reason it displays all the energy and flamboyance of a fanfare. The word vanguard refers to an advance group, like trail blazers, and should convey an attitude of confidence and enthusiasm to any audience.
The opening two note patterns should define this feeling very strongly. They expand into a passage full of energy, which in turn prepares the listener for the main melody which follows. After the band reaches a climax, several short soloists lead to a more relaxed version of the tune, which in turn dies away to a slow, reflective middle section. A solo clarinet is soon joined by the rest of the band, who rise and fall back to the original two note pattern. Distant drums herald a build up to the return of the opening music, which is let loose all over again, but this time with a powerful rendition of the melody from the middle section of the work. The final bars of “Vanguard” should epitomize all that a fanfare needs to be: exciting, thrilling and fun to play.
Performed by Grainger Wind Symphony
Performed live by Grainger Wind Symphony
The title of this piece refers to the height at which spacecraft orbit the Earth, and by extension what the planet looks like from up there. Pictures of Earth taken from space certainly conjure feelings of majestic elation to my mind and I have attempted to capture that feeling in this piece of music. 300 Kilometres Above was written as a companion piece to 90 Minutes Circling the Earth, which I wrote around 10 years earlier. I think the two pieces have something on common despite being written a decade apart. This newer meditation was commissioned by Reed Music with assistance from the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts.
