Until the Wind Changes by Joe W. Moore III

Inspired by a quote from “Mary Poppins,” Until the Wind Changes is a three-movement work that opens with a calm introduction to the instruments and, especially, a large set of backyard wind chimes. The second movement, played entirely on a glockenspiel, has many running passages, representing the movement of the wind. This explodes into the third movement, which is played mostly on the percussion set-up. This movement represents the feeling of hesitation to the wind changing until the very end, in which the performer slowly lets go of the music, allowing the sound of the wind chimes to completely dissipate.

Program Notes
When I approached Joe Moore about writing a piece for me, he was completely open to the commission and ideas I had for it. The title of the piece is a direct quote from the novel and feature film “Mary Poppins.” In the story, the two children ask Mary, “How long will you stay with us? What will we ever do without you?” Mary replies, “I shall stay until the wind changes.” My grandmother, Ann Schneider, who sadly passed away about three years ago, was the inspiration for this piece. She is my greatest musical inspiration and continues to inspire me to do what I do every day. She loved Disney and she especially loved backyard wind chimes. My family and I continue to mourn her loss; it has been very hard for us to let go. Nobody was ready for the “wind to change.”

This short three-movement work opens with a calm introduction to the instruments and, especially, a large set of backyard wind chimes. These chimes, along with the rest of the instruments, are played softly until we hear the wind change in the second movement. This movement is played entirely on a glockenspiel and has many running passages, representing the movement of the wind. This explodes into the third movement, which is played mostly on the percussion set-up. This movement represents the feeling of hesitation to the wind changing until the very end, in which the performer slowly lets go of the music, allowing the sound of the wind chimes to completely dissipate.

– Dillon Lewis