James Naigus

Radiant Dances


Concerto for Horn, Strings, and Percussion

Radiant Dances, concerto for horn, strings, and percussion, was commissioned by and written for Jacquelyn Adams. The piece is divided into sections featuring the diverse characteristics of the horn including grandeur, melancholy, and playfulness. My goal was to write a piece of music that showcases both vibrant energy and elegant musicality within the sonorous timbres of horn and strings.

The first movement evokes the calmness and beauty of a pastoral scene, paying tribute to the horn's historical roots as an outdoor and hunting instrument. The second movement is based upon the chaconne, with repeated harmonic progressions underlying the swirling of solo voices. The duet and trio dances, sometimes in harmony and other times offset, are paired down to a solo in the middle cadenza section. The third movement is a jubilant festival of sounds and excitement, giving the horn the chance to be whimsical and to soar.



Please contact me directly with requests for any perusal parts.

Click below to purchase the piano reduction plus solo part. Purchase via Paypal: PDF - $15 (emailed directly to you - please give up to 24 hours for delivery)

Please select instrumentation


Click below to purchase the entire set of parts. Purchase via Paypal: PDF - $65 (emailed directly to you - please give up to 24 hours for delivery)

Please select instrumentation

Performances:

2/2/24 - David Zerkel (tuba) with the US Army Orchestra

3/30/23 - James Naigus with the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra

12/4/22 - Yoshimasa Kasahara - Tokyo, Japan

April 2022 - Devin Cobleigh-Morrison with the University of Wisconsin Madison University String Orchestra

5/6/17 - Jacquelyn Adams with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra

4/18/17 - Peggy Moran with the University of Central Oklahoma Chamber Orchestra

3/25/17 - Drew Phillips with the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra

3/14/17 - Drew Phillips with the East Chapel Hill High School Orchestra

8/1/15 - Jacquelyn Adams with the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (PREMIERE)