Images for Brass

This music was written to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima, a significant event in the history of the United States Marine Corps. It received its first performance by the brass choir of the U.S. Marine Band at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.The music is divided into four programmatic sections portraying the quiet anticipation before conflict, the arduous journey to the scene of the battle, a time of introspection and prayer (the hymn tune “Melita” is featured), and finally the hostile confrontation.There are frequent references to the Marine’s Hymn and the National Anthem, particularly in the closing bars, depicting theMarines raising the American flag on the island, signifying the historic conclusion to the conflict.