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Spring of Helicon: A Tribute to Roseburg is a tone poem inspired by the Umpqua River in Roseburg, Oregon. Growing up there as a child, the most memorable parts of Roseburg were always the luscious trees, the way light dances across the water— be it puddles or the Umpqua itself—and the fog creeping over the hills and mountains. The title is drawn from the final lines of Henry H. Woodward’s 1889 poem “To Roseburgh, Oregon,” which features a dialogue to the Muse, using the river as a metaphor for creative flow, memory, and the passing of time. Reminiscent of a waltz, Spring of Helicon guides the listener through the forests, where you will encounter lyrical flutes, warm trumpets, shimmery saxophones, and more. These instruments play back and forth with each other, building in textures to complexity and density. Metric disruption and rhythmic consistency give the piece a sense of drift. Extended harmonies color the piece with a sense of suspended time, allowing moments of clarity to emerge from moments of more opaque, layered material.
Premiered in May 2025 by the Roseburg High School Wind Ensemble, conducted by Branden Hansen.
Inspired from the first chapter of Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt, where the titular characters Keturah and Lord Death encounter each other in a forest. During this scene, Keturah notices that the birds are silent.
Composed and first performed in November 2023 by Danielle B. Painter
The story, in summary, is about a couple who have lived multiple lifetimes on Earth. Sadly, they are never able to find each other while they’re alive on Earth, so one person waits for their other half at a coffee shop that exists in-between lifetimes.