DECEMBER LULLABY
by ROGER ZARE
*FOR FLEX BAND*

Grade 4 | 4:40 | © 2017/2020

I grew up in Florida and never experienced the harshness or the beauty of winter until I was in my 20s. Now that I have lived farther north for over a decade, I still look forward to seeing the first snowfall each year. It rapidly transforms a bleak autumn landscape into a peaceful and delicate one, covering ragged leafless branches with a rounded cloak of snow. As you listen to this piece, imagine watching the first snow of the season while wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot chocolate next to a crackling fireplace. Throughout December Lullaby, there is an alternation between intimate chamber-like settings and lush full-ensemble textures. Opening with only a solo flute and piano, numerous woodwind and brass solos follow, repeating the flowing melody as more and more instruments join the texture. The middle section is more agitated and more grand, with colorful and expansive harmonies. Eventually, the return of the first melody is combined with elements from the middle section, but calmness persists through to the end.

Recorded in November 2020 by the University of Texas at El Paso Symphonic Band and Dr. Andrew Hunter.