Autumn is my favorite season of the year, and this piece is my attempt to capture musically the contrasting elements of the season – gentle and quiet, majestic and powerful. There are two places in Western Pennsylvania which largely inspired this work.

I grew up in a wonderful spot right next to warm and inviting woods. When I was eight or nine years old, I used to very much enjoy early-morning wanderings there with my father – observing playful squirrels, stealthy deer and southward-migrating geese; visiting the flowing stream with its gentle waterfalls; and just appreciating the intimacy of leaves gently falling to the ground all around me. This place inspired much of the piece, and in particular, the more quiet moments.

Near where I grew up is one of the more stunning vantage points in the region from which to observe the change of seasons. Driving a highway, you emerge from between two hillsides to cross a high-level bridge with a panoramic view of the Allegheny River Valley. It is amazing at any time of year, but even more so during autumn. The prevailing majesty and beauty of the landscape will always be compelling for me.

Duration: approximately 8 minutes

- Drew R. Fennell, October 24, 2008

• Song of Autumn is published by Drew Fennell Publishing.
  Available for Wind Band and Brass Band.

• Hear a computer generated version of Song of Autumn [brass band version]*.