The Sun Rising (score/parts) - REED5

The Sun Rising
for reed quintet: oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, bass clarinet & bassoon
by Patrick Holcomb - American composer

PROGRAM NOTES
In February 2017, I heard Akropolis Reed Quintet perform at Ithaca College as a part of the Hockett Chamber Music Series. was amazed by the capabilities of the ensemble, and I immediately fell in love with their unique sound. When I left the concert that afternoon, I had the
unshakeable feeling that I would work with Akropolis Reed Quintet one day. Serendipitously, the opportunity to do so presented itself only a year later in the form of a commission from the 2018 Connecticut Summerfest.
The Sun Rising (2018) borrows its title from John Donne's aubade of the same name. In Donne's poem, the speaker mockingly chastises the sun, knowing that the coming of the day means that he will have to leave his lover's side in bed. Although Donne's poem has a much lighter tone than my piece, both works have in common the themes of leaving home and the passage of time. When I started The Sun Rising, I knew that it would be the last piece I would compose as a student at Ithaca College before went on to pursue a master's degree at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Thus, the piece became a manifestation of my intense feelings of sadness over the end of my time in Ithaca and fear over the start of the next chapter in my life. The conclusion of the piece represents my acceptance that although the sun has risen and my time in Ithaca is coming to an end, the sun always sets, and I will be back again someday.

The Sun Rising was composed for Akropolis Reed Quintet (Tim Gocklin, oboe; Kari Landry, clarinet; Matt Landry, saxophone; Andrew Koeppe, bass clarinet; and Ryan Reynolds, bassoon) for the 2018 Connecticut Summerfest. The piece was premiered on June 19, 2018 in Berkman Recital Hall at the Hartt School of the University of Hartford by Akropolis Reed Quintet as part of the festival's culminating "Evening of Premieres" Commissioned Works Concert.

Special thanks to Dr. Evis Sammoutis for his mentorship along the way.

From the Akropolis Quintet Collection

A maverick of new wind music, Akropolis is committed to showcasing the vast possibilities of the reed quintet through our adventurous repertoire spanning over 400 years of musical history. Having premiered over 50 works for the unique combination of oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bass clarinet, and bassoon, Akropolis is devoted to expanding the existing reed quintet repertoire with imaginative arrangements and the continued development of new works by emerging and established composers.

From the dozens of professional reed quintets actively performing around the world, to the hundreds of student ensembles forming at universities around the United States alone, we hope this collection of our ever-growing repertoire continues to help inspire reed quintet growth around the globe. In the collection below, you’ll find works Akropolis has commissioned and arranged, plus works commissioned or arranged by other artists from around the world we consider important contributions to the standard repertoire of the reed quintet.