Symphony No 1: A Ghost Story, Mvt 4 Ascent, Randall Standridge

The Minnesota Symphonic Winds, Paul Kile, Associate Conductor
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.
Ascent. The fourth movement is performed attaca with the third, beginning immediately as the third movement ends. The dirge from the beginning has been transformed and is now presented in a hopeful setting. Dawn begins to break across the horizon, and warm light begins to drift in through the windows. The spirit, finally accepting its fate, appears one final time to the widow. They share one final, ghostly embrace before the spirit ascends, leaving the earthly plane forever, moving on to whatever waits after. Movement four correlates with the acceptance stage of grief.
The symphony owes a debt to both symphonic and cinematic traditions, particularly those of horror films. I have always loved these sounds and have never sought to distinguish one from the other. I believe all musical expression is legitimate and deserves a space in the world. It gives me great pleasure to bring a little bit of the “dark” side to the concert hall.
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