American composer Adrienne Albert (b. 1941) first distinguished herself as a versatile mezzo-soprano soloist, working closely with Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Gunther Schuller, Philip Glass, and many other music luminaries in the mid to late 20th century. She turned her attention to composition in the 1990s, earning a film scoring certificate at UCLA (her alma mater from the early 1960s) in 1994. Since then, she has written dozens of works for orchestra, band, choir, and an eclectic collection of chamber ensembles. Her work has been supported by numerous commissions and residencies, and her music has been performed throughout the United States and the world.
Courage for Winds originates from a 2009 commission from the Inland Empire Commissioning Consortium (see the list of consortium members on her website). Albert describes on her website how it all came together:
Originally written for orchestra, Courage for Winds is a bold, powerful work, rhythmic and melodic with underlying snare drum military-like heartbeat. Opening melody from the brass is taken over by the woodwinds and then the saxophones. The work is inspiring and heartfelt. Brass and Piccolo players love this piece. An outgrowth of my battle with Breast Cancer, Courage for Winds speaks to the strength in all of us to overcome adversity in our lives. Jeff Boeckman and the Inland Empire Youth Wind Symphony premiered the work.
The best recording of the band version comes from the West Point Band, which can be seen on their Facebook page. Here is another recorded version:
There is also a recording of the orchestra version, which is a half-step higher than the band version:
See more about this piece at Albert’s website (band and orchestra versions) and the Wind Repertory Project.
For more on the composer, visit her website, Wikipedia, the Society of Composers, and Navona Records. There is also a terrific overview of her entire career, focused on the switch from singing to compostion, at the Interlude. Here is a great example of the voice that made her famous, from 1966:
There are no words to describe how thrilled and grateful I am to come across this extensive article, directed to me by my dear friend, Alex Shapiro, about my life as a singer and a composer. Thank you, Andy Pease, for your extraordinary in depth sharing of my life in music.
Adrienne
I like this very much. Mazel Tov, Adrienne.
Adrienne’s inspirational career as well as her continuing successful creative compositions remind us that there is much to rejoice in life.
My dear Adrienne,
You are really wonderful and you appear not to want or to have to stop doing what you so obviously love to do. I admire both your talent and your work ethic.
The comments read compelled me to listen and read about the composer and the piece. Its interesting and goo to listen. Adrienne keep it up