by Patrick J. Burns (Grade 4, 4:30)

Transformed Spring was commissioned by the Montclair State University Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Thomas McCauley, for its 2009-2010 concert season. This piece is essentially an expression of the endurance of the human sprit through adversity and personal trial. It was inspired by my research into a memorial commission which I based on a line from The Prayer of Saint Benedict, “Always we begin again.”
 
The human soul is on a path of constant renewal and regeneration which is reflected in Transformed Spring’s lyric and dramatic metamorphosis from E minor to E major. There are many personal elements of my own life in this piece, most especially my walks in solitude on the beach at night as a younger man. These meditative and reflective times live in my memory today and I recall them frequently. The trombone portamenti, which become more and more prominent as the piece evolves, are a sort of sigh from the past which inevitably leads us over the horizon to our future.
 
I admit that it is extremely difficult for me to put into words what this piece means to me, but I am hopeful that the music will communicate what I really mean. It is a highly personal piece which is meant to be taken personally by everyone who hears it.
 
Patrick J. Burns