Moonrise (2021) for saxophone quintet

An ode is a lyric poem which addresses a specific character or idea in an elevated manner. This poetic form is often in varied or irregular meter and is intended to be sung. With this in mind, I set to write Moonrise as an ode to the moon, to be narrated by a saxophone quintet. Analogous to the metric qualities of an ode, the primary material features syncopation. Throughout the poem, the saxophones express admiration for the moon by mirroring a night landscape. The opening texture illustrates the moon rising above trees that are blowing in the wind. Following this rising, a series of textural and dynamic waves ensues, reflecting the ocean’s reaction to the moon’s gravitational pull. After the height of midnight, when tension reaches its highest degree, the moon recedes—like a wave it once drew—behind the rustling trees.