PROGRAM NOTE

Spiritus Mundi was commissioned by the Royal Hawaiian Band in celebration of its 175th anniversary.  The work borrows melodic motives from Hawaiian chant and fragments from the song Aloha ‘Oe composed by Queen Lili’uokalani, the last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The title refers to the World Spirit or Spirit of the World and resonates with the long and prosperous career of the Royal Hawaiian Band. The work is a celebration and tribute to the band’s continued prosperity and to the ever-present gift of music making to come.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY

March 18, 2013: University of Michigan Concert Band, conducted by Dustin Barr