Bruce W. Tippette

As its title suggests, “Farewell at Dawn” is a musical expression of bidding farewell to the night and beginning a new day. The piece opens softly with a gentle motive that evolves through simple, yet expressive material. A short quasi-canon provides a transition for a climax that resolves peacefully using the original musical motive. This is a piece with a mature, lyrical sound that can be performed by the youngest of bands. (1:45)

In the key of D minor, this piece features a dark and militaristic-sounding melody coupled with a brighter countermelody. Strong accents, rhythmic syncopations, and bold chords shape these melodies into several iterations, leading to a rousing coda.