THERE WAS A STAR DANCED was composed for the 2006 Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival.  

Some of my greatest childhood memories stem from playing professional-level music at Iowa All-State that challenged my technique and expanded my background.  When the opportunity came to compose a piece for the Alabama All-State orchestra my goal was simple: harness their youthful exuberance while pushing their technique to the limit.

Close your eyes as you listen and imagine whirling eddies of gasses coalescing until the mass and pressure finally ignite into the brilliance of a new star.  I achieve this effect by using the timpani, bass drum, and an explosion from the tam-tam (gong).  When you open your eyes, don't be surprised if the person sitting next to you has the same grin on their face after taking this fiery musical journey.

The title, THERE WAS A STAR DANCED, is from Shakespeare’s MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.


Spectrum Symphony
David Grunberg, conducting

There Was a Star Danced

Philip Wharton