David Gillingham (b. 1947) is an American composer and teacher whose dozens of concert works, especially for wind bands and percussion, are played widely throughout the United States and the world. Educated at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Michigan State University, he is retired from Central Michigan University, where he was Professor of Music for many years. He remains in demand for commissions, and continues to win awards for his music. Learn more about him at his website, Wikipedia, and C. Alan Publications.
Gillingham wrote Radiant Moonbeams in 2007. He tells the whole story in his program note:
Radiant Moonbeams was commissioned by Durham Middle School Bands, Lewisville, Texas, in memory of Christy Hoong, a friend and flute player in the band. Considering Christy’s Chinese heritage, I chose an old Chinese folk song, Shao Hua Tang Shue (“Gently Flowing Stream”) to be used as the basis for the melodic material in the work.
I was struck by this love song’s simple pentatonic beauty and I couldn’t help but think that the words could easily transfer to the thoughts of how the band members now visualize their friend, Christy Hoong, in the “moonlight of the heavens,” so to speak.
The work begins with a quiet and mysterious introduction based on harmonic clusters comprised of the first four notes of the folk song. Following, the solo flute “sings” the first two phrases of the melody of the folk song (“Radiant moonbeams brighten the heavens tonight, I dream of my sweetheart in the moonlight.”) in pentatonic G-minor accompanied by flowing lines in the flutes, clarinets, bells and vibraphone. Solo trumpet states the middle section of the song (“I see her clear image in the moon’s path. Sweetheart dear, dear,”) and flutes play the final phrase (“tiny stream flows gently in the forest glen.”). A developmental episode ensues which utilizes material from the folk song. A transition leads to a flowing melody in pentatonic F major that is a sort of metamorphosis of the folk song melody. The melody is intended to represent Christy’s cross over into the afterlife. There is then a return to the folk song in D minor which rises to a climax, subsides, and is followed by the tolling of bells, a final phrase by the solo flute and three final bell tolls in D Major.
Listen now to a performance (and follow along in a preview score):
Here is a helpful video of the original folk song (in a slightly different translation) delivered in a lovely duet of voice and flute, which displays Chinese characters, pinyin, and an English translation throughout:
See more about Radiant Moonbeams at Gillingham’s website, Brolga Music, J. W. Pepper, and the Wind Repertory Project.