Feast of Michaelmas (2009)
Michaelmas, the feast of Michael the archangel, is celebrated on September 29th, near the fall equinox. Due to its timing near the end of the harvest, it was also a celebration for all that had been gathered in preparation for the upcoming season.
The occasion for writing this piece is the culmination of my doctoral studies in composition at The Ohio State University. In a way, I too am celebrating all that has been gathered in my studies and preparing for that which is ahead.
Celebration of Michaelmas has largely fallen off since the Middle Ages, but there is perhaps a reminiscence of armies and battles, dreams and hopes, and carnivals and celebrations in the unfolding of the heroic saxophone solo in The Feast of Michaelmas.
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