an Overture for Symphonic Orchestra
Instrumentation:
- Flute 1
- Flute 2 (dbl. Piccolo)
- Oboe 1
- Oboe 2 (dbl. English Horn)
- Bb Clarinet 1
- Bb Clarinet 2
- Bb Bass Clarinet
- Bassoon 1
- Bassoon 2
- Horn in F 1 & 2
- Horn in F 3 & 4
- Trumpet 1 (mutes needed: straight mute)
- Trumpet 2 (mutes needed: cup mute)
- Trumpet 3 (mutes needed: straight mute)
- Trombone 1 (mutes needed: straight mute)
- Trombone 2 (mutes needed: straight mute, cup mute)
- Bass Trombone (mutes needed: straight mute)
- Tuba
- Timpani (also plays Large Suspended Cymbal)
- Percussion 1 (Tambourine, Crash Cymbals, Vibraphone, Bass Drum)
- Percussion 2 (Triangle, Tam Tam, Glockenspiel)
- Piano (dbl. Celesta)
- Harp
- Violin 1 (div.)
- Violin 2 (div.)
- Viola (div.)
- Cello (div.)
- Contrabass (div.)
Program Notes:
Cats are fascinating little animals; they are both incredibly relatable, and also extremely confusing, their actions sometimes seem peculiarly human and also so simply inhumane at the same time. I am lucky enough to know a few cats in my life, whether it be in the capacity of being my pets, or my family’s pets, or even just my friend’s cats who often fill my time now as I have moved away from home. This piece however, focuses on a very important cat that I know, Tweety. Tweety is a cat that lives at my parents house in Roanoke, so I do not get to see her that often, however, she is quite the cat. We got her after my Nana passed away in March of 2025, as she was one of her cats. She has been in the family for years and Tweety moving in with us afterward was just implied, she was already part of the family really. Moving a cat into a new home is not easy, especially in Tweety’s case, she still keeps to herself and goes about her business very independently, but she is the sweetest thing and what was a struggle at times was overall certainly worth it. This piece is a sort of portrait of Tweety, and some of my observations of her over the time that I spent back home in Roanoke over spring break of 2026. The first section of the piece is merely an observation of her calm and laid-back behavior, the music is simply a linear melody above a lilting, bouncing figure. The music takes a passionate a somewhat dramatic turn in the slower, more drawn-out middle section of the work where an interesting aspect of Tweety is concerned; her love of drinking water from running faucets. While I was home over break, it seemed like each time would enter the bathroom Tweety was always there, waiting for me to turn the faucet on so she could drink from the running water, and inevitably, get her face all wet. While it is seemingly quite silly, the way she has fostered this into a routine was somewhat beautiful, and it is here in this section I try to depict that serenity and beauty. Finally, a mixed 7/8 and 4/4 section comes into play in the finale of the work, and the original, linear melody from the beginning is played with in a strong, and incredibly crafted manner. It ends with a slight glimmer of calm, before a massive exclamation point that recalls the bouncing figure that was present all the way back at the start of the work. Once again, cats are awesome little creatures, and I loved writing this piece about one of my favorite cats ever, but because I cannot play favorites, here are the other important cats in my life:
The Cats: in alphabetical order, as to truly not play favorites…
Biggie (Big Girl) – Bobo – DD – Gary – Moe – Pookie – Quazi – Ricky – Sylvester -Tweety
Score Video/Audio:
Full Set of Score and Parts Available Directly from the Composer.