The Composition
The Southern Dawn is fashioned in the style of the old Negro spiritual. It is a lovely, haunting tone poem with Trumpet and F Horn (Alto Saxophone) solo. While conservative in technique and range, it’s flowing melodies and rich harmonies will charm performers and audiences alike. An ideal selection for concert or contest.
THE SOUTHERN DAWN was commissioned by Mr. Ray Forlenza and The Kirby School District 140 Symphonic Band of Tinley Park, Illinois. It was premiered by the District 140 Band in May of 1998.
The Composer
William Owens was born in Gary, Indiana on January 22, 1963. He received his BME degree in 1985 from Vandercook College of Music in Chicago. A seasoned music educator, Mr. Owens is very active as a composer, clinician and conductor.
Since 1993, Owens has written numerous commissioned and published works for middle school and high school concert bands. In 1995, he was presented with the Forrest L. Buchtel Citation for Excellence in Band Composition. He is a member of ASCAP, theTexas Music Educators Association, and the Association of Texas Small School Bands. William teaches and resides in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife Georgia.
The Performance
This recording is from Large Group Performance Evaluation, March 2009.