The Introduction from Introduction and Fanfare for Orchestra can best be described as "neo-classical" though it is thoroughly awash in color and brimming with anticipation and high spirits. The melodic theme, originally in the clarinet, moves confidently forward as different instruments join the musical celebration. Various colors appear, unite with each other, and new colors appear yet again. The overall form of the piece is both traditional and surprising with a few unexpected twists adding humor and imagination. All the while melody and optimism carry us from the first note to the last.

    The Fanfare counters this optimism with darkness and mystery. A single note from the clarinet swells out of the silent air and retreats back into the void. A solitary horn then calls out in a plaintive cry. Other brass and winds follow as the music begins to expand and contract amid constantly shifting colors. The timpani maintains a primitive pulse that drives us further into an obscure musical landscape. Strange cries from the woodwinds punctuate the atmosphere. Colors appear, shift, merge, and then disappear. The timpani continues it's forward march, pounding and driving incessantly as the tension builds. Finally the music explodes with a violent and bitter recapitulation before retreating once again into the darkness.......