K2: The Savage Mountain

The Concord Band commissioned Massachusetts native Julie Giroux to write Boston Liberties, which was premiered in 2002. Her composition K2: The Savage Mountain presents a series of seven motifs (short musical ideas) representing a variety of extremes faced by experienced mountain climbers. These include Wind, Blowing Snow, Urgency and Danger, Low Oxygen, Death, Hammering in Ice Screws, and Boot Crampons Scraping Ice. “K2 is massive, beautiful, and literally, can take your breath away. It calls to mountain climbers around the world with the song of a deadly Siren. Most heed its warning, but a few will not be thwarted. Seventy-three percent WILL make it to the top and will come down changed forever.” (Source: JRO and published score)