PROGRAM NOTES 

A. Pete Giroux, my father died in 1988 at the age of 51. My mother, Jeannie was 47, my brother Peter was 25 and I was 27. We were all too young. A few days later, I sank into a serious depression, locked myself in the house and composed for 4 days and 3 nights without stopping for food or sleep. The result was my 2nd Piano Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in 4 movements which was 45 minutes in length. It was my tribute and goodbye for him filled with anger, denial, love and grief.

 

In the years that followed, I would occasionally play the piano part  however even just hearing it was emotionally overwhelming.     Now 20 years later I have been able to view and work with the piece, scoring a small portion of it (mostly from the 1st Movement) for Concert Band with some new material added. My father was stationed for a short time in Spain while in the USAF and he always talked about how much he loved it there, especially the music which is why this piece is Spanish in nature.

 

"Near the end of the work  in the cadenza, the piano finally plays the true melody, the theme for which the entire work is based on for the first and only time. It musically states, "I miss you, and I love you."