Dong-In Danny Choi (b. 1998) is Vancouver-based composer of wind ensemble works and much more, including film music. He is a largely self-taught composer who grew up playing multiple instruments, through which he interacted with a diverse array of musical genres. He has studied music formally at the University of British Columbia, and he is the music director at Lynn Valley Korean Methodist Church. See more about him at his website, Carl Fischer, and his Facebook artist page.
Choi wrote Remembrance in 2018. It won the Canadian Band Association‘s Howard Cable Memorial Prize in Composition in 2019. The score carries only the very simple program note “In remembrance of what it took for us to be here…” On his website, he elaborates:
Remembrance was written in November 2018. “In remembrance of what it took for us to be here…” was the only original program note. The piece can mean different things to different people; however, it brings unity to all under the theme of remembrance.
We fight for many things: love, patriotism, freedom, ideology, possession…and these things brought tremendous sacrifice. It was the battles, the blood and sweat, and the sacrifice of those that came before us that created the world as we know it. Remembrance is a bittersweet reflection that silently gives thanks to every step and every sacrifice that was made to bring us what we have today. Yes, what we have may not be perfect or ideal, but with each generation’s responsibility to “carry the torch” and never forget, hopefully we can make everything worth it.
Follow along in the score as the University of British Columbia Symphonic Wind Ensemble plays Remembrance (or view the score at your own pace):
Choi made a vlog of hearing it rehearsed for the first time: