Receiving a commission from a superior civic ensemble such as the Springboro Wind Symphony to compose a spirited opening work for a premiere performance at The Midwest Clinic is a fantastic opportunity and certainly a high honor.  In my initial discussions with conductor Josh Baker, I found out that Springboro, Ohio was founded near natural springs.  All sorts of images came to mind tied to the use of the word "spring" that meshed well with the general goals of a concert opener.  Various sections of music developed from thinking about these situations and states of energy, and the work has section headings as follows:

The Promise of Spring
Spring to Life
Spring into Action
Spring Water
Spring to Mind
Spring Wound Tight
Spring in Your Step
The Promise of Spring
Spring Forward
(spring chicken?)

This is not a programmatic work; rather, it’s a collection of materials that developed from a few basic progressions, rhythmic impulses and melodic ideas, all influenced by the notion of “spring” in its many forms.

Spring Forward was commissioned by the Springboro Wind Symphony for its 2024 performance at The Midwest Clinic.  The premiere was led by conductor Josh Baker on December 18, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

SPRING FORWARD

Timothy Mahr