Sunset Chimneys (2016)
wind octet
One of the most special and important places in my world is Frye Island in Sebago Lake, Maine. Many a summer day has been spent there, and it is where my wife and I got married. On the road leading to the ferry there are many private lanes, but the most uniquely named has to be Sunset Chimneys Road. Sunset Chimneys is my tribute to Maine in the summertime. I think of it as being a light serenade in a classical style. The germinating material for the piece is the opening melody of Brahms' Op. 117, No. 1. Fragments of it form the basis of the first four movements and the whole tune serves as the theme to the final movement’s Theme and Variations.