At Morning's First Light
General Info
Year: 2004
Duration: c. 3:50
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Cost: Score and Parts - $75.00 | Score Only - $12.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III
- Bells
- Crash Cymbals
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tam-Tam
- Vibraphone
Errata
In parts:
- Flute II, m.4 and 9: slurred
- Horn in F, m.17: A should be A-flat.
Program Notes
David Gillingham brilliantly captures the serenity and beauty of dawn in this music. He uses the instrumental texture to evoke various elements in nature -- the sunrise, chirping birds, leaves unfolding, and dew evaporating away from blades of grass. The shimmer of sunbeams eventually expands to the full involvement of a bright and sunny day, teeming with life and joy.
- Program Note by Troy Davis for Aragon High School Wind Ensemble concert program, 27 August 2016
At Morning’s First Light draws inspiration from hymns and poetry; Gillingham's compositions offer an alternative approach to performance through his synthesis of artistic mediums. For instance, within At Morning’s First Light, his emotive sense of poetry and nature imbue the music with a sensorial experience. The light-footed quickness of woodwinds expresses the ineffability of the morning, raw and full of promise.
Whether showing us the agony of war or the hopefulness of a new day, Gillingham is a master of expressionism. As Gillingham says, “I envision myself as a servant of humanity expressing a myriad of emotions, thoughts and feelings that cannot be expressed through words.” And, so it is with At Morning’s First Light.
- Program Note by Jenica Marie Moore for the University of Georgia Hodgson Concert Band concert program, 15 February 2017
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
- Audio CD: Tapp Middle School Symphonic Band (Erin Cole, conductor) - 2004
State Ratings
- Florida: III
- Georgia: IV
- Indiana: ISSMA JUNIOR BAND GROUP I
- Louisiana: III
- North Carolina: IV
- South Carolina: III
- Wisconsin: Event 3000 Concert Band Class C
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Arkansas State University (Jonesboro) Symphonic Winds (Steven Riley, conductor) - 16 November 2023
- Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Concert Band (John Korak, conductor) - 4 June 2021
- Chadron (Neb.) State College Community Symphonic Band (John Wojcik, conductor) - 9 April 2021
- Texas A&M University (College Station) Concert Band (Russell Tipton, conductor) - 6 December 2020
- Washoe County (Nev.) Middle School Honor Band (Norman Dea, conductor) – 26 February 2020
- Clovis (Calif.) East High School Wind Ensemble (Marco Mellone, conductor) – 12 April 2019 (2019 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
- Mannion Middle School (Henderson, Nev.) Wind Ensemble (Phillip Haines, conductor) – 12 April 2019 (2019 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
- Clovis (Calif.) East High School Wind Ensemble (Marco Mellone, conductor) -15 March 2019 (2019 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.)
- Hanover Wind Symphony (Montville, N.J.) (Matthew Paterno, conductor) – 10 February 2019
- University of Miami (Coral Gables) Orange Concert Band (Chris Blackmer, conductor) – 2 February 2019
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Campus Maize Band (Giovani Briguente, conductor) – 8 April 2018
- Ohio University (Athens) Symphonic Band (Mallory Scaife, conductor) – 21 March 2017
- University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Maroon Campus Band (Cassandra Bechard, conductor) – 6 March 2017
- University of Georgia (Athens) Hodgson Concert Band (Bradley Esau, conductor) – 15 February 2017
- University of Louisville (Ky.) Concert Band (Jason Cumberledge, conductor) - 21 February 2017
- Aragon High School (Sam Mateo, Calif.) Wind Ensemble (Troy Davis, conductor) - 27 August 2016
- River Valley Wind Ensemble (Kankakee County, Ill.) (David Conrad, conductor) – 16 May 2016
- Bullard (Calif.) High School Concert Band (Bradly Feyma, conductor) - 15 March 2013 (2013 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.))
- Woodland High School (Stockbridge, Ga.) Symphonic Band (Bo Sodders; conductor) - 2013
- Tapp Middle School (Powder Springs, Ga.) Symphonic Band (Erin Cole, conductor) – 15 December 2004 (2004 Midwest Clinic)
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Appalachian Counterpoint (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- At Morning's First Light (Flex instrumentation) (2004/2020)
- Scherzo d'Espoir (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- Three Ships (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
All Wind Works
- Abiquiu (2010)
- Aerodynamics (2003)
- America the Beautiful (as arranger) (1882/2018)
- And Can It Be? (2000)
- Andromeda (2019)
- Angels of the Apocalypse (2013)
- Apocalyptic Dreams (1995)
- Appalachian Counterpoint (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- Assurance
- At Evening's First Star (2019)
- At Morning's First Light (2004)
- At Morning's First Light (Flex instrumentation) (2004/2020)
- Au Sable River Festival (2002)
- Be Thou My Vision (1999)
- Bells of Freedom (2002)
- Beneath the Sacred Light (2015)
- Bright Gleams a Beacon (2012)
- Cantus Laetus (2001)
- Century Variants (2009)
- Concertino for Four Percussion and Wind Ensemble (1997)
- Concerto for Euphonium, Winds and Percussion (2009)
- Concerto for Horn and Symphonic Band (2008)
- Concerto for Woodwind Quintet and Wind Ensemble (1984/2006)
- Concerto No. 2 for Marimba and Wind Ensemble (2008)
- Concerto for Piano, Percussion and Wind Orchestra (arr. Fisher) (2005)
- Council Oak (2002)
- A Crescent Still Abides (1998)
- Crest of Honor (2005)
- Double F Fanfare (2008)
- Drums of Rwanda (2014)
- The Echo Never Fades (2004)
- Finale, from All Hail the Power
- Fire Up
- Foster's America (as arranger) (2003)
- Foundations (2017)
- Galactic Empires (1998)
- Glorified (2010)
- Heroes, Lost and Fallen (1990)
- Homage (2012)
- Home Again (2016)
- Internal Combustion (1999)
- Intrada Jubilante (1979/1999)
- Jeju Memoir (2019)
- Joyau (2019)
- Keep Silence (2004)
- Kentucky Home (2012)
- A Light Unto the Darkness (1997/1998)
- Lucid Dreams (2011)
- Mansions of Glory (2007)
- New Century Dawn (1999)
- No Shadow of Turning (2005)
- Point of Reckoning (arr. Daughtrey) (2015)
- Providence (2003)
- Quintessence I (1997)
- Quintessence II (2006)
- Radiant Moonbeams (2007)
- Rising Star
- Sails of Time (2006)
- Scherzo d'Espoir (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- Serenade for Winds and Percussion (2000)
- Set the World on Fire (2023)
- Seven Bagatelles (2014)
- Song Shall Never End, The (2014)
- Sub-Saharan Rhythm (1998)
- Symphony No. 2 (2007)
- Three Ships (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- Vintage (1990)
- Vital Signs of Planet Earth (2015)
- Waking Angels (1997)
- When Speaks the Signal Trumpet Tone (1999)
- While the Dew Is Still on the Roses (2013)
- With Heart and Voice (2000)
Resources
- David Gillingham website
- Gillingham, D. (2004). At Morning's First Light: Concert Band [score]. C. Alan: Greensboro, N.C.