David Coyner's Album

Spelling Bee Part 1

Spelling Bee Part 2

Saying goodbye is one of the hardest things we encounter in life, but every “goodbye” carries joy in hand with familiar sorrow. Farewell focuses on the idea that though saying goodbye is always difficult, there is solace to be found when reflecting on the warm memories of the past, and hope to be found in looking toward the future.

Farewell contains two main themes, embodying these concepts of sadness and acceptance. The primary theme, stated at the beginning by the piano, represents that universal sadness of saying goodbye to a dear friend. As we move on to our secondary theme, first played by the woodwind voices, the piece transitions to a major key, evoking a sense of calm, reflective happiness – an acceptance of parting ways. The interplay between these two emotions is a driving force throughout the work, exploring the complexity of feelings inherent to the not-so-simple act of letting go. Farewell's conclusion is marked by a restatement of the primary theme, this time ending on a well-settled major chord representing a simple thought: each parting is never a true end, but rather, the beginning of a new chapter.

While beginning my work on this piece, I discovered that one of my great mentors, Dr. Mack, was retiring after 39 years of teaching.  I knew the composition was meant for him. My congratulations to Dr. A.G. McGrannahan III on all of his success over the years. This work is dedicated to all the great memories of the past and all those still to come.

Farewell

The portrait of a bustling city springs to life in Metropolis. The music depicts the sound of the busy streets, crowded sidewalks, and the beautiful city skyline. Metropolis transforms the listener into a tourist, taking in all the sights and sounds as they discover the wonder and thrill of their surroundings!

Metropolis

Grand Prix is a programatic piece that uses various extended techniques not commonly used to create effects of revving engines, cars whizzing past, and the crunch of metal on metal. The work follows a driver in the race of his life vying for a chance at glory, but victory wont come easy as many twists and turns await. 

(Read the following while listening to the piece)
The driver steps into his racer with the sounds of fanfare surrounding him. The engines rumble as the racers eagerly wait upon the challenge to come. The stoplight moves: red; red; green. The flag flies and the screech of tires fill the air. The cars weave in and out, each trying to gain upon the other toward the leader. Racing around turns with unimaginable speed, the vehicles appear as blurs to the spectators sitting on the edge of their seats. Nearing the midpoint of the race, the driver finds himself neck and neck with the leader. Neither man willing to give an inch, the cars begin making contact. The connection becomes more and more aggressive until the automobiles collide with such force it vaults them into the air. Time stops as everyone holds their breath as both cars float through the air, only to come crashing back down shaking the earth. The driver regains himself, and attempts to restart his vehicle. Concern and anticipation grows through the crowd as repeated attempts by the driver fail. When it seems no hope remains for the driver, the car roars back to life! The racecar screams as the tires create traction with the asphalt and zooms back onto the track. The driver maneuvered like a man possessed, crawling his way back to the front of the pack. With the finish line nearing, the driver spots the leader. Heading into the final stretch, the driver moves in next to him. Back and forth, each moving in front of the other, the driver pulls ahead at the last second for a dramatic photo finish!

Grand Prix

Itineris, the Latin word for journey, allows listeners to allow their imaginations to take them far away to a world of wonder, excitement and danger. I do not wish to tell the listeners what I intended for the piece, but rather for them to decide for themselves what story the music tells. The piece utilizes styles from Romantic composers such as Rossini and Tchaikovsky and modern film composers such as Hans Zimmer.

David Coyner

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