Lumen De Lumine Caelum

Composed 2020

Duration: 7 minutes | Grade 4 Concert Band

Instrumentation

4 Flute I 3 Alto Saxophone I 2 Trombone III &

4 Flute II 3 Alto Saxophone II Bass Trombone

1 Oboe I 2 Tenor Saxophone 3 Euphonium B.C

1 Oboe II 1 Baritone Saxophone 2 Euphonium T.C

1 Bassoon I 3 Bb Trumpet I 4 Tuba

1 Bassoon II 3 Bb Trumpet II 1 Double Bass (optional)

1 Eb Clarinet (optional) 3 Bb Trumpet III 1 Timpani

4 Bb Clarinet I 2 F Horn I 1 Piano (optional)

4 Bb Clarinet II 2 F Horn II 1 Mallet Percussion I

4 Bb Clarinet III 2 Trombone I 1 Mallet Percussion II

3 Bb Bass Clarinet 2 Trombone II 1 Percussion I

1 Percussion II

Mallet Percussion I: Bells (Glockenspiel), Chimes (Tubular Bells)

Mallet Percussion II: Vibraphone, Marimba

Percussion I: Suspended Cymbal, Ride Cymbal, Bass Drum

Percussion II: Rain Stick, Triangle, Crash Cymbal, Tam-Tam, Bar Chimes

Lumen De Lumine Caelum was supposed to be a general idea. This theme about light and dark existed in the back of my mind and was just at first meant to be a thematic hymn for concert band. But in early 2020, the entire world was consumed with dread and sorrow from the presence of a new coronavirus disease, which was later called Covid-19. It was a devastating time, with hundreds of thousands of people dying. My family and I were also infected with Covid-19 and at one point, I thought I was going to lose both my parents. Restrictions to battle the disease unintentionally made a new way of life for all of us. There were so many conflictions between peoples about how to handle this new lifestyle and it split even more an already divided world.

But it also brought us together with ideas of hope and solidarity. Millions band together, sacrificing so much to help bring the world out from sadness. It forged a fellowship that continues to reside in us; to bring out the light of our world from a dreadful time. It was this expression of hope from despair that inspired me to re-envision this piece and its purpose. I wanted to write a piece resembling a small light emanating out from the dark. The Latin title loosely translates to “The light from heaven” or “the light from the sky”. This elegy is my prayer for the world.