Chariot Of Helios

 

 

In Greek mythology, Helios was the god of the sun. His head wreathed in light, he daily drove a
chariot drawn by four horses (in some tales, the horses are winged; in others, they are made of
fire) across the sky. At the end of each day?s journey, he returned to earth and slept in a golden
boat that carried him on the Okeanos River back to his sun palace on Mount Olympus, where he
mounted his chariot and rode into the sky again. The cyclic journey of Helios is depicted in this
short work. The first half is fast-paced and very energetic, while the second half is slow and
serene, representing day and night.

Helios was originally commissioned by Gaudete Brass Quintet in 2011. I made the wind
ensemble arrangement in 2015 for maestro Stephen Squires and the Chicago College of
Performing Arts Wind Ensemble.