King Arthur: Lion in the Wilderness (2024)
Sacred Symphony for Orchestra, Children’s Choir, and Narrator
Commissioned in memory of Betty Brown, Kathy Collins, Gerry Mattern, and Janet Sutter by the Civic Symphony of Green Bay, Seong-Kyung Graham, Music Director
Premiered February 14, 2025 at the Weidner Center, Green Bay, WI Civic Symphony of Green Bay, Seong Graham, Music Director The Badger State Girl Choir, Kevin Meidl, Artistic Director
Instrumentation: 2222, 423, timp+3, children’s choir (SA), narrator, strings
Duration: 26 Minutes, in 4 movements:
Baptism, Excalibur, and Coronation
The Lion at War
Revelation
Journey to Camelot
Program Note
My musical version of the King Athur Legend, loosely based on Thomas Malory’s 1485 book, focuses on the young king and his many trials along the way to establishing Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. The symphony tells of Arthur’s journey both worldly and spiritual–– his difficult path to Camelot parallels his journey to Christ.While the narrations tell the story of Arthur’s quest, the choral music will feature sacred Latin texts that evoke Arthur’s interaction with the supernatural. Having been inspired by how the book attaches Christian holidays to significant events in Arthur’s life, I went a step further by rooting much of the music in Gregorian chant.The work’s foundation in chant attests to the divine force that empowers Arthur to pull Excalibur from the stone and the faith that is needed to give the sword its strength.
Contact composer about score and parts.