The beautiful community of Sundance, Wyoming serves as the inspiration for SUNDANCE OVERTURE, a Grade 2 composition for concert band. Nestled between Devil's Tower and Mount Rushmore in the heart of the Black Hills, Sundance offers spectacular scenery, wildlife, and year-round outdoor recreation. SUNDANCE OVERTURE opens with a majestic introduction, followed by a dignified first section suggestive of the magnificent Rocky Mountains that overshadow the Sundance community. Within the section, the divergence between woodwind and brass choirs parallels the contrast between the overwhelming vision of the Black Hills and the delicate wildflowers that abound. The woodwinds follow with a beautiful espressivo 3/4 section. When the brass join the woodwinds, the music swells to a romantic climax with characteristic rich Niehaus harmony, painting a beautiful musical picture of the sweeping vistas that surround Sundance. A return to the dignity of the first section is followed by a rousing CODA, which concludes this elegant tribute to the beauty of Sundance, Wyoming.
