INSTRUMENTATION
piccolo, 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo and alto flute), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, 3 percussion (crotales, glockenspiel, tenor drum, bass drum, clap stack, 4 tom-toms), strings
PROGRAM NOTE
Can You See? was originally a small chamber ensemble piece commissioned by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. For that commission, the ask was to create an arrangement of The Star Spangled Banner with a mournful or somber approach that honors lives lost, while also pointing to what the role and responsibility of the living is.
For this larger iteration, arranged for full symphony orchestra, the material is given a curious, yet hopeful treatment. Voices from the original version are orchestrated to achieve a designed delay effect, creating a dreamy soundscape while posing questions relating to the meaning of The Star Spangled Banner and the complicated history of the United States.
Melodic material from The Star Spangled Banner is used throughout the work, often stretched out and surrounded by tension and revolving colors. The strings create a soundworld that is cloudy, uncertain, and bleary, questioning if the core meaning of the anthem is in focus. Rhythmic elements evoke a forward-moving motion, while textures and harmonic language nod to the scope and diversity of American music and people.
— Allison Loggins-Hull
OTHER VERSIONS

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