Sun Dance

Ticheli writes:

While composing Sun Dance, I was conciously attempting to evoke a feeling: bright joy! After completing the work, I found that the music began to suggest a more concrete image - a town festival on a warm, sunwashed day. I imagined townspeople gathered in the park, some in small groups, some walking hand in hand, others dancing to the music played by a small band under a red gazebo. Throughout the compositional process. I carefully balanced the songlike and dancelike components of "bright joy".