Stacy Garrop

Legends of Olympus

Following the successful commission of HELIOS; the Gaudete Brass Quintet subsequently commissioned this expansion into a five-movement suite depicting deities. Helios was the god of the sun. His head wreathed in light; he daily drove a chariot across the sky. The first half of this musical depiction is fast-paced and very energetic; while the second half is slow and serene; representing day and night. Aphrodite; the goddess of love and beauty; was born from the sea and carried herself with the regal bearing of a queen. Each year; her beauty was replenished by a dive into the sea. Hermes was a merry and mischievous young god with a sharp wit; chosen by Zeus as the messenger between the inhabitants of Olympus and the people on earth. Apollo was the god of music; depicted here strumming his golden lyre. Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest; wine; and revelry. In this movement; Dionysus arrives at a party bearing wine; the party gets more and more frenzied as the partiers drink and dance the night away.