SKU: SS.50600020

Composer's Note: Great Scott! was commissioned by Mary Ann Craig, Director of Bands at Montclair State University for the MSU Wind Ensemble, and is dedicated to Mr. Jeffrey Scott. A work in one movement, Great Scott! may be heard as a stream of consciousness in the mind of the soloist. The work opens with the soloist quietly reflecting. The remnants of a dance tune are heard in the lower brass, as if from a radio, and the soloist unselfconsciously incorporates this material into his musings. He is joined by the ensemble, which reiterates and makes emphatic the soloist's reflections. A variation of the dance tune, now integrated with the soloist's ideas, is heard in the saxophones, soon joined by the French horn, gradually leading to a quieter section that again incorporates and expands the gathering musical materials. This leads to the central, lyric section of the piece - where the soloist returns to his initial musings, now amplified by the ensemble. This time, the dance music is not heard separately - in essence, it has been re-constructed by the soloist with contributions from the ensemble. A fanfare-like section follows, featuring brass and timpani. After a brief pause, the opening material is heard a final time, now with an active, rapid surface, as the piece rushes to a close.