March of the Arachnids was composed with the intention of being music for the Halloween season, although it could be performed at other times in the year. The early sketch was written in 2008, although the work wasn't fully realized until the Spring of 2011. The work is dedicated to my composer friend, Joseph Eidson, whose music largely inspired the orchestration and harmonic material for this piece.


Creepy, energetic, dissonant, and playful – these adjectives best describe the work. It begins with the solo timpani that immediately sets the sneaking tone for the arachnids that have begun crawling. After a build-up in the woodwinds, the trumpets introduce the terror with the main arachnid theme. From there, the tune is shared throughout the ensemble, giving nearly every instrument a chance to play the arachnid theme. A contrasting, calmer theme is introduced, simply to give us some hope and relief that the arachnids will leave. The piece gradually grows more thick and dissonant over time, with webby textures of woodwinds and muted brass. A short coda with the full ensemble ends the work where the piece reaches its climax.

This work is owned by Imagine Music Publishing. Purchase full score and parts at:

http://stores.imaginemusicpublishing....

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