SKY HARBOUR for Wind Symphony (2026) - Score Follower with NotePerformer

Sky Harbour (2026) for Wind Symphony I. Prelude to a Sky Sail (0:00) II. The Port at Tristanvale (1:35) III. Lodestar (5:07) IV. Brigantine Flight (8:04) PROGRAM NOTES I’ve had the fortune of performing clarinet with flautist Charmaine Bacon and her Canadian Bacon Wind Quintet for a number of years. When she asked if I had written anything for wind quintet, I immediately answered “Yes!”— and then started composing. Like much of my music, Sky Harbour draws on inspiration gathered from many different times and places. The title comes from an airport I once passed through on a family trip to Phoenix, Arizona. Wandering the bustling passenger lounges on a warm November afternoon, I overheard the name 'Sky Harbor' on a loudspeaker announcement and thought, “Great title for a piece someday...” I imagined a vibrant sky port filled with flying ships of all shapes and sizes, ferrying passengers to destinations unknown. Years later, that title found its story during a homebrewed Dungeons & Dragons campaign led by my good friend, and fellow composer Julian Beutel. Our heroes arrived in the port town of Tristanvale to board a ship bound for another city. The dungeon master described a large brigantine, its hull encrusted with sparkling, gem-like spellstones. As mages lifted a runway of river water into the sky, the ship took flight—sailing through the air on wind, water, and magic. Music became my way of capturing the wind-swept feelings of that imaginative moment. Though I struggle to visualize images or sounds vividly, this piece reminded me that there is always a place in the imagination—a safe refuge when the real world feels too heavy. Sky Harbour is written in deep gratitude to both Julian and Charmaine, whose creativity, humour, and energy continue to inspire me. As a wind player myself, I wanted to create music that feels joyful to play with one's closest friends—as one does in a band of misfits aboard a flying ship, bound for faraway adventures. Sky Harbour was premiered by the Canadian Bacon Wind Quintet in 2024. This version for wind symphony was commissioned by Virginia Helmer and the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble for their 2025-26 season.