Unity (dedicated to the victims and survivors of the UAHuntsville campus shooting 2/12/10)

by Don Bowyer

The University of Alabama in Huntsville campus, where I teach, was shocked by a mass shooting on February 12, 2010.  As I struggled to come to grips with this tragedy, I finally realized that healing would come most easily with the support of the entire community:  faculty, staff, students, family, friends, neighbors, etc.  In short, the community grieves together and gains strength from this mutual grieving.

This piece for trombone and timpani is meant to convey that journey from chaos to unity and to recognize the power of the community.  The trombone and timpani begin the composition as if in separate worlds, rhythmically and melodically.  The meter is odd, in an attempt to reflect the awkward stage of the grieving process, especially as we struggle alone.  The timpani has an insistent rhythmic motif while the trombone melodies are dissonant and surreal.  As the piece progresses, offstage musicians (and the audience?) join in with a unison pitch that envelops the two onstage performers, bringing them back from their aloneness.

Premiered February 19, 2010 – Don Bowyer, trombone; Andy Kruspe, percussion.

Audio:

 Unity

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Video: