Instrumentation:
4 Trumpets in C (1st doubling piccolo trumpet in Bb, 2nd doubling Flugelhorn, 3rd and 4th doubling trumpets in Bb)
Bass Trumpet in C*
4 Horns in F (doubling 4 Wagner Tubas in F**)
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Euphonium***
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion (4 players):
Snare drum, Triangle, Bass Drum (and wooden mallets), Suspended Cymbal (and coin and bow), Woodblock, Tambourine, Mark Tree, Glockenspiel (and hard rubber mallets), Tam-tam, Marimba, Clashed Cymbals, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Tenor Drum
This Symphony encapsulates the stages of human response towards a calamity that results in huge societal changes. The first movement sparks the onset of the troubling times and the failure of humanity to cope, the scherzo being a devilish dance that mocks humanity's response. The third movement is an elegy that leads to the hopeful finale, where a moto perpetuo leads humanity onto the road to recovery.
The work is dedicated to all of humanity going through the Covid-19 pandemic.