The Author's Suite
Concert band, Grade 5. Approximately 15 minutes.
The Author's Suite is a three movement piece that celebrates a favorite author of mine: L. M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), Jane Austen (Pride & Prejudice), and Mary Shelley (Frankenstein). Movements may be performed together or may stand alone. Each movement imagines a romanticized picture of a particular aspect of each author’s writing. The first movement, Kindred Spirits, imagines a young Maud Montgomery galavanting around Prince Edward Island with her imaginary friend, Anne Shirley. Movement 2, My Dearest Jane, depicts Jane Austen alone at her pianoforte, perhaps with a broken heart. Finally, the third movement, Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein, envisions what might happen if the author came face to face with her own monstrous creation.
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Each movement of The Author’s Suite has custom illustrated cover art. Movement I, Kindred Spirits, depicts a young L. M. Montgomery imagining a childhood on Prince Edward Island with a bosom friend not unlike Anne Shirley; Movement II, My Dearest Jane, imagines Jane Austen sitting alone at her pianoforte, wistfully imagining a life of romance as she commonly depicts in her novels; Movement III, Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein, imagines Mary Shelley manifesting her own creation from her writing desk. Each piece was illustrated by Erik Evensen. Cover images are available by contacting the composer.
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