The Dove in the Ash Grove

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The Dove in the Ash Grove for Wind Ensemble was originally written for Cello and Piano, commissioned by the Cellist Christine Thomas Tsen, in 2012.  After hearing a concert band setting of “The Ash Grove” at the 2019 Midwest Clinic, I started thinking about whether this cello and piano piece of mine might work for band as well.  This version for wind ensemble was created in June and July of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic of that year.

The piece is a fantasy on two Welsh folk songs that have to do with birds.  “The Ash Grove,” which is well known as the tune for the hymn “Let All Things Now Living” was the original basis for the piece, but later on in the compositional process I decided to add another folk song, “The Dove,” which I found fit well in counterpoint with The Ash Grove.  What ultimately resulted was a fun fantasy on these two tunes with some tinges of jazz.

2nd prize winner of the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble Competition.  The Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble Composition Competition was made possible by the Scott G. Smedinghoff fund, created in memory of Scott G. Smedinghoff GR’17.

Premiered November 2, 2021 by the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble, Brian Messier-conductor, in Hanover, NH.