This piece was originally written for beginning concert band. Over the course of about a week, it was re-written for string orchestra. Only the first third or so is comparable to the original. I added new sections that dig into the rich sound of a string ensemble and inserted melodies that had been written separately years ago during a personal time of strife. The original work was written about the firebird, a mythical creature that grants wishes to the person that is willing to overcome difficult challenges to catch it. I chose the title for this piece to reflect the overcoming of adversity, and after much suffering, reaching the summit.

Alex Koster

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