William Pitts: Auguries of Innocence (2014)

William Pitts (b. 1986)
William Pitts is a composer, conductor, and arranger from Atlanta. Growing up in Carrollton, Georgia, Pitts graduated summa cum laude from Emory University, where he studied saxophone, conducting, and composition. He has completed graduate study in Music at North Georgia University and the University of Michigan.

Pitts most recently served as the Brass Arranger for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps of Rockford, Illinois. As a member of the corps, Pitts served as a Conductor for three years (2005, 2007-2008). He was a finalist for DCI's Jim Jones Leadership Award all three years. In 2008, the Regiment took first place honors as World Champions at the Drum Corps International Finals. Will was also honored as Regiment's 2008 Mark Glasscoe Member of the Year. In addition to his role as arranger, he has also served on Regiment's management staff, and as the Brass Arranger and Composer for the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps.

Pitts is active as a music designer, adjudicator, and instructor for high school band programs throughout the country. Marching ensembles performing his arrangements have been recognized as State Marching Band Finalists and Champions. His concert compositions and arrangements have been commissioned and performed across the world. He has written works for and been commissioned by the Boston Pops, the University of North Texas, the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, the Vega String Quartet, the Atlanta Saxophone Quartet, the Northwinds Symphonic Band, french hornist J.D. Shaw, and numerous other high school and collegiate wind and chamber ensembles. He has also served as a production consultant and talent for Tom Blair, Inc., Drum Corps International, and MTV. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony Foundation.

Auguries of Innocence (2014)
When I was asked to write a piece in honor of one of the legends in our field, the task was immediately more daunting than any other so far in my career as a composer. Eugene Migliaro Corporon is a name that I read on the CD covers of some of my favorite recordings, dating back to my earliest days in school band programs. He has been a part of the development of some of the best educators and performers throughout the country, and to say that I am honored to write a piece recognizing his commitment and impact on music would be an incredible understatement.

Auguries of Innocence takes its name from that of one of my favorite poems of the great William Blake. Blake offers the idea that the natural world can be regenerated in time and that nature itself can be an augury, or omen, to the lost vision of innocence. The poem is filled with randomly organized cuplets of paradoxical imagery, all focused on the idea that it is wise to see the world through two eyes rather than one. Innocence is juxtaposed with evil, big with small, long with short. In my opinion, the most powerful words, and those that most motivated my decision to honor Blake's work with my title, come from the opening stanza:

To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour.

My musical interpretation uses the idea of these paradoxes to create numerous competing elements presented in various instrument groups, textures, tempos, tonalities, etc. The most notable dichotomy is the use of one of my favorite chorale figures, happily borrowed from Chopin's Scherzo in C# minor. The chorale is first presented in major from the woodwinds, only to be immediately usurped by the minor tonality and contrasting rhythm from the low brass. From here, the rest of the piece presents numerous musical paradoxes and opposing forces: conflicting rhythms, contrasting timbres, contrary motion, etc. I even attempt to honor Professor Corporon with the use of a morse code figure found in the mallet percussion (EMC, or . -- -.-.).

The piece does not follow the poem in any specific way, but rather seeks to present what I believe is one of the most important messages of Blake’s work: there are numerous ways to interpret a single idea, or to form our opinions of a concept, whether it be musical or otherwise. However, what we may deem as unsavory or less satisfying may, in turn, be most satisfying to another.

program note by composer

Instrumentation
for Wind Ensemble

Performer
North Texas Wind Symphony
Conducted by Eugene Migliaro Corporon

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