Odysse - Jean-Philippe Vanbeselaere

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Odysseia - Maxime Aulio

Washed up on the Phaeacian shore after a shipwreck, Odysseus is introduced to King Alcinous. As he sits in the palace, he tells the Phaeacians of his wanderings since leaving Troy. Odysseus and his men fi rst landed on the island of the Cicones wherethey sacked the city of Ismarus. From there, great storms swept them to the land of the hospitable Lotus Eaters. Then they sailed to the land of the Cyclopes. Odysseus and twelve of his men entered the cave of Polyphemus. After the single-eyed giantmade handfuls of his men into meals, Odysseus fi nally defeated him. He got him drunk and once he had fallen asleep, he and his men stabbed a glowing spike into the Cyclop's single eye, completely blinding him. They escaped by clinging to the belliesof some sheep. Once aboard, Odysseus taunted the Cyclop by revealing him his true identity. Enraged, Polyphemus hurled rocks at the ship, trying to sink it. After leaving the Cyclopes' island, they arrived at the home of Aeolus, ruler of the winds.Aeolus off ered Odysseus a bag trapping all the strong winds within except one - the one which would take him straight back to Ithaca. As the ship came within sight of Ithaca, the crewmen, curious about the bag, decided to open it. The winds escapedand stirred up a storm. Odysseus and his crew came to the land of the cannibalistic Laestrygonians, who sank all but one of the ships. The survivors went next to Aeaea, the island of the witch-goddess Circe. Odysseus sent out a scouting party butCirce turned them into pigs. With the help of an antidote the god Hermes had given him, Odysseus managed to overpower the goddess and forced her to change his men back to human form. When it was time for Odysseus to leave, Circe told him to sail tothe realm of the dead to speak with the spirit of the seer Tiresias. One day's sailing took them to the land of the Cimmerians. There, he performed sacrifi ces to attract the souls of the dead. Tiresias told him what would happen to him next. He thengot to talk with his mother, Anticleia, and met the spirits of Agamemnon, Achilles, Patroclus, Antilochus, Ajax and others. He then saw the souls of the damned Tityos, Tantalus, and Sisyphus. Odysseus soon found himself mobbed by souls. He becamefrightened, ran back to his ship, and sailed away. While back at Aeaea, Circe told him about the dangers he would have to face on his way back home. She advised him to avoid hearing the song of the Sirens; but if he really felt he had to hear, thenhe should be tied to the mast of the ship, which he did. Odysseus then successfully steered his crew past Charybdis (a violent whirlpool) and Scylla (a multiple-headed monster), but Scylla managed to devour six of his men. Finally, Odysseus and hissurviving crew approached the island where the Sun god kept sacred cattle. Odysseus wanted to sail past, but the crewmen persuaded him to let them rest there. Odysseus passed Circe's counsel on to his men. Once he had fallen asleep, his men impiouslykilled and ate some of the cattle. When the Sun god found out, he asked Zeus to punish them. Shortly after they set sail from the island, Zeus destroyed the ship and all the men died except for Odysseus. After ten days, Odysseus was washed up on theisland of the nymph Calypso.

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Odysseus and the Sirens - Dana Wilson

The Odyssey was written by Homer about 2700 years ago and tells of the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus during his harrowing return trip home after fighting the Trojan Wars. This work is suggestive of his dramatic encounter with the sirens, famous for luring sailors to their death with their beguiling wind-like song. In this descriptive piece you can hear the wind-song becoming evermore insistent, the rocking of the ship, Odysseus' screams, and finally the sirens plunging to their death as they fail in their attempt to lure Odysseus. Learn more on YouTube! BandQuest, an exciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band, is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new, fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. Every BandQuest project includes a residency component in which the composer works collaboratively with a middle school as they create their new piece.Many BandQuest pieces are accompanied by an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to assist students as they learn the music and to integrate each piece with non-music studies. Visit www.bandquest.org to learn more about this innovative series, and email [email protected] to request a free downloadable audio catalog.

Odyssey - James Curnow

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Odyssey - Jay Chattaway

Once you've heard this electrifying journey into the day's pop and rock sounds, you'll definitely want it to highlight your next program!

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Odyssey for Percussion

Odyssey for Percussion - Elliot Del Borgo

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Of A Distant Galaxy - Jack Bullock

Of A Distant Star - Ed Huckeby

Based on a poem by the composer, this piece for better bands displays both sensitive and exciting writing. Contrasting the power and excitement of the entire concert band in its full glory to the beauty and tenderness of the rubato section featuring solo woodwinds, this distinctive piece is wonderful material for concert or contest use.

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Of Ancient Dances - Stephen Bulla