Spirit of the Sequoia

Spirit of the Sequoia was commissioned for a Swiss wind ensemble by Dr. Robert Oertli and the Musikgesellschaft Möhlin, Switzerland, first performed by that ensemble in 2003. A single-movement programmatic piece drawing analogy to the magnificent sequoia, Philip Sparke writes “the work is also inspired by man’s ability to overcome personal tragedy. The remarkable life cycle of these amazing trees involves their dropping seeds to the ground which require heat [fire] to open their shells and germinate. … In a similar way the human spirit can actually gain from setbacks: we grow stronger after adversity.” (Source: JRO and published score)