Restore

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Wind Band

2022

Program Notes: When Pius X High School was founded, it adopted the motto of its namesake, Pope Pius X: “Restore all things in Christ.” After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of restoration became even more poignant. When I began to teach in the Diocese of Lincoln during the 2021-22 academic year, Pius X High School decided to embrace “Restore” as a mantra. This piece is a reflection on that theme, dedicated to the colleagues and students I encountered during that year. Restore is a setting of the Easter hymn Now the Green Blade Riseth. The use of this hymn draws parallels between post-pandemic recovery and the resurrection of Jesus. Initially, we hear minor fragments of the tune scattered across a dark, desolate texture. Slowly, the music rises, picking up pace until fear froths into panic. Suddenly, a single oboe cuts through the chaos, and for the first time we hear the traditional version of the hymn tune. This moment of clarity represents the voice of God, evoking hope amidst tragedy. The piece builds to one final, triumphant statement of the hymn; as the piece ends, the tune itself has been “restored.”