Legacy - Clifton Taylor

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Lions International is a service organization with 1.4 million members organized into over 50,000 local clubs worldwide. In Mississippi, the Lions sponsor the state’s premiere high school honor band, whose members are chosen by competitive audition each year and represent the best high school players in our state. I have served as the staff arranger for the Mississippi Lions All State Band since 2014, arranging their parade music and one or more concert selections each year. In addition to giving concerts at regional sites in Mississippi, the band attends the Lions International convention each summer and competes for best band in the Parade of Nations. The band has performed all over the world and (as of 2023) has won this competition 37 times. The organization is a source of pride in our state, not only for their musical excellence, but for their role in ambassadorship and cultural exchange.

Legacy: Celebration and Reflection was commissioned by the band’s Manager/Director, Jeff Cannon, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the band’s initial formation. The composition is dedicated to all past and present performing members of the band, as well as their directors, instructors, and support staff. It begins with a fast, dance-like section including three melodic themes presented in a loose rondo form. The middle of the piece features a slow, lyric melody played initially by a solo oboe and then building to a full-band statement. The final section of the piece returns to a fast tempo development of the initial rondo themes, culminating in a final climax in which the lyric melody of the middle section is played in counterpoint with the rondo themes.

Standard Wind Ensemble

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