Never Forgetting

For Wind Ensemble
Duration: 9:00p minutes

A message of hope. That is the intent behind this work. When Dr. Mallory Thompson approached me about writing for the Northshore Concert Band on the occasion of the ensemble’s 70th season, we spoke at length about giving voice to hope through music. A favorite quote of hers by Dr. Maya Angelou became the inspiration behind this piece:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,

People will forget what you did,

But people will never forget how you made them feel.”[1]

Wrapped up in this simple quote are references to Dr. Angelou, the life she led, and the things she carried with her. Hope is an ever-constant underlying current in her writings, where she uses her voice to highlight elements of struggle juxtaposed with overcoming those hardships and being steadfastly resilient in the face of adversity. This work considers hope through that lens, considering the journey from the darkness of night towards a better and brighter day tomorrow.

Commissioned by the Northshore Concert Band – Dr. Mallory Thompson, Artistic Director

In celebration of their 70th anniversary.

[1] Excerpt(s) from RAINBOW IN THE CLOUD: THE WISDOM AND SPIRIT OF MAYA ANGELOU by Maya Angelou, copyright © 2014 by Caged Bird Legacy, LLC. Used by permission of Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

Never Forgetting is under exclusivity through December 2025