David Maslanka

Golden Light

Golden Light – A Celebration Piece is a vibrant and joyful work for wind ensemble, inspired by the composer’s brisk walks through the wooded trails of upper Manhattan. The piece captures the shimmering glow of late afternoon sunlight filtering through trees, translated into music through interwoven polyrhythms and short, repetitive melodic fragments influenced by traditional African musical textures. Commissioned to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the South Shore Conservatory in Hingham, Massachusetts, this high-energy composition was premiered in 1990 by the Conservatory’s Summer Wind Ensemble under the direction of Malcolm W. Rowell.