Symphony No 1. (2022) Mvt 3, Midnight, Randall Standridge

The Edina High School Concert Band, Paul Kile, Director
2024 ASBDA National Convention, Minneapolis, MN
Symphony No. 1: A Ghost Story is a symphony in four movements that follows the narrative of a composer who has passed away. The symphony is told from the point of view of his widow, and the movements loosely correlate to the Kübler-Ross stages of grief.
Midnight. The third movement begins quietly as the clock begins to chime at midnight. The spirit of the composer stirs again, once again visiting the widow. What follows is an explosion of rage as the composer screams against the injustice of his death. A savage dance follows as the spirit runs rampant through the house, unable to control its emotions. Furniture flies, glass breaks, and the incessant knocking of “Here! Here! Here!” echoes through the house. This movement also features a wonderfully malevolent instrument, the Aztec death whistle. Movement three correlates with the anger stage of grief.
Symphony No. 1: A Ghost Story was commissioned by the Edina High School Band and supported by a generous consortium of patrons.
- Program Note by composer