Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute 1 - 2
Oboe
Bassoon
Clarinet in Eb
Clarinet in Bb 1 -3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1 - 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
French Horn (F) 1 - 4
Trumpet in Bb 1 - 3
Trombone 1 - 3
Euphonium 1 - 2
Tuba
Double Bass
Timpani
Percussion 1 (Large Gong & Suspended Cymbal)Percussion 2 (Glockenspiel & Mark Tree)
Percussion 3 (Crash Cymbal & Bass Drum)
Program notes
An Eternal Glimpse is inspired by the famous marble sculpture titled 'Water of Immortality' or 'Daughter of Dectar' created by Taiwanese artist Tu-shui Huang. It aims to take the audience on a turbulent journey, culminating in its sensational revelation to the public after 45 years of darkness inside a wooden box amid political turmoil. The music's purpose is to paint a vivid picture for the audience, immersing them as if they are watching a movie. It begins with a majestic opening featuring a two-note motif that ascends, echoing the sculpture's looking-upward gesture, radiating positivity, strength, and confidence. This motif, along with the main melody, forms the foundation of the piece, branching out and developing in various directions to convey different emotions, from elegance to dissonance, from unsettling tones to glorious and resplendent moments, leading to a grand finale of victory. The sculpture seamlessly merges contrasting elements, such as East and West, softness and fortitude, grace and muscularity. Although static, it exudes energy and tension, as if on the verge of leaping into infinity. Similarly, in the music, An Eternal Glimpse not only aptly reflects Huang's profound concepts but also transforms its intricate background into a cohesive narrative that traverses from darkness to the light of hope.
An Eternal Glimpse for Wind Symphonic Band by Ching-Shan Chang (Taiwan)
Composer
Ching-Shan Chang is a Los Angeles-based composer, pianist, and arranger for multimedia scores and concert music. She began learning piano at age 5 and composing at age 7, and has held countless piano recitals across Taiwan. While completing her bachelor’s degree at the Eastman School of Music, she discovered her fascination with multimedia music and eventually decided to advance her studies in film scoring at New York University. She has since contributed music for numerous short and studio films, working alongside composers such as Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL), Mychael Danna, Carter Burwell, Andrew Lockington, and Dino Meneghin. Her credits can be found in studio films such as Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon Part 1 and 2 (Netflix), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Paramount Pictures), My Fatherʼs Dragon (Netflix), and Teen Wolf: The Movie (Paramount +), among others.
Her collaboration with director Guilherme Pedra, titled Elsewhere (A Flor Azul), marked a milestone with its successful performance across film festivals, including the 71st International Cannes Film Festival, and her winning of several Best Music awards and film music competitions, such as the International Berlin Film Scoring Competition and Krakow FMF Young Talent Awards, has also opened doors for her in Hollywood. Moreover, she was the first Asian female composer to win the Golden Eye in the 8th International Zurich Film Music Competition for her score in Danny and the Wild Bunch.
Aside from Ching-Shan's works in films, she has also been contributing music for TV shows, games, trailers, and commercials. She has collaborated with production music companies such as film composer Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Music and West One Music, and with Chi-Yi Lo, composer of the famous Taiwanese movie “Cape No. 7,” for additional orchestral arrangements on the popular video game series “Legend of Sword and Fairy.”
By bridging the multimedia music world and concert music, her unique voice has won her the interest of numerous soloists, ensembles, and orchestras. Some of her notable commissions include her long-time collaboration with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. They've worked on projects such as the musical "Once Upon an Island," arrangements of Taiwanese folk tunes, and “A Century of Taiwan Music” peremiered at Taiwan's National Day Ceremony in 2021 on the world-famous landmark - Taipei 101. Ching-Shanʼs recent works also include "Images of Kaohsiung - Cangue of Freedom," premiered by the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, “Images of Taipei: The Old, The New, and The Beautiful” for the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, “Fanfare CoMo” for the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, and the Pandemic chapter of the Grammy award-winning album, Women Warriors: The Voices of Change.
Her journey as an artist has been celebrated for her involvement across multiple fields of music and can be found in numerous journalistic publications of different sizes across the world, including Washington Square News, Shoutout LA, and major Taiwanese newspaper outlets such as Liberty Times Net, China Times, Central News Agency, and more.
Duration
8:02