The Golden Hour was commissioned by Jon Ludwig and the Coe-Brown Northwood Academy Concert Band in loving memory of Madalyn Chadbourn, a sophomore clarinetist in the band program who tragically passed away on October 18, 2023. After meeting with the band members and discussing Maddie several times with Mr. Ludwig, I learned that Maddie was a quiet, kind, and energetic person who was described repeatedly by her peers as a really good friend. She loved dance, softball, going to the beach, and playing in the band. She also loved sunsets and constantly posted photos of them on social media.

It was this last aspect that eventually became the inspiration for her piece. Sunsets certainly represent the end of one journey and the beginning of the next, but they are also a brief and glorious moment of warmth and beauty, a lingering embrace which we wish would never end. The final minutes before sunset are often referred to as the golden hour, so named for the soft, reddish light that prevails during this time. A piece about the sunset seemed to be the perfect way to honor Madalyn.

The pitch material for the The Golden Hour was derived from Maddie’s name, using only letters which are contained in the musical alphabet (mADDiE). These four notes (ADDE) are altered (refracted, like the rays of light in a sunset) to create the melodies, harmonies, and accompaniment lines throughout the piece. The clarinet section is also featured throughout the work to honor Maddie’s instrument.

The work begins with restful sighs played by a quintet of instrument parts (two flutes, two clarinets, and an alto saxophone), a reference to Maddie and her group of friends, Madysen, Emma, Breanne, and Emma Lee. Maddie’s Theme is then presented over a mallet percussion accompaniment before a development section which alters and refracts the earlier material. Eventually Maddie’s Theme returns as a climactic, glorious sunset, before releasing and leaving only the second clarinets (Maddie’s part in band) holding a single note. As the sun begins to disappear below the horizon, we are left once again with the opening restful sighs, remembering the golden hour, that brief but wonderful moment that we were lucky to have experienced.