The title Gentle Winds is a bit of a play on words: the music of this piece depicts a gently-moving breeze. This can only be accomplished by gentle playing from the wind (and percussion!) instruments that make up the band. Many players will have to work especially hard to achieve that gentle quality! But the results are well worth the effort. Listen to this performance by the Washington Winds:
Composer Timothy Loest is well-known both for his award-winning compositions and his band method books. He lives and teaches band in Itasca, Illinois. Check out his website!