With its composer sitting in the audience, a musical composition, entitled “A Half Moon Journey,” celebrating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River, made its world premier at the Sleepy Hollow High School’s Holiday Concert. The program, on December 15, brought together six performing groups, each playing four songs.

The year 2009 marked the 400th Anniversary of Hudson’s discovery. Celebrated with events such as the Arts Festival in Sleepy Hollow, which welcomed a fleet of historic vessels sent up the Hudson River by New York State, and library sessions for children to learn to sing shanties and make nautical flags, The Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Quadricentennial Committee has spent the year celebrating the anniversary of Hudson’s discovery.

And yet, according to Fiona Galloway, a committee member, they wanted a “monument to now,” something that was more lasting, with the ability to transcend time, something to which the 400th Anniversary could harken back.

In affiliation with The Friends of the Warner Library, they commissioned musical composer, Frank Neimeyer, a graduate student at Purchase College with a history of composing musical pieces for the high school level, to compose a piece that the Sleepy Hollow High School Band would play for the Hudson community.

“It was decided that it would be nice to have a lasting memorial to the anniversary and something tangible that we could leave for those who come after us and celebrate the 400th in 2109,” she said.

Neimeyer wrote the piece while working closely with the high school band director, Micah Sprague, and observing the level of musical ability of the band. In speaking about the experience, both men highlighted the educational value of the experience for the students. Micah spoke on behalf of the students, relaying how enjoyable it was for his students to have an original piece composed specifically for them to play. It was a unique opportunity to have the composer in the room as they played, to communicate to the student’s what he’d intended for the piece.

It may not come as a surprise to any who work with students and children that Neimeyer commented that he might have learned just as much, saying, “it was educational for me, too. I learned from them what worked and didn’t work”.

The composition is a three-movement piece which, as a whole, was written to capture Hudson’s journey in 1609. Neimeyer explained his vision for each movement and the following is a summary of his musical description.

The first movement represents the departure from Europe. It builds from a slow tempo, embodied by a flute solo, to capture the hustle and bustle of the pre-departure and then to a grandiose march to signal the goodbye to shore. The second, contrasts the previous march, with a sense of the pristine, calm water, followed by a rhythmic tension and dissonance in the ensemble. This movement evokes the icy waters, as is appropriately called by Frank the “iceberg scene”.

The last movement, entitled “Hymn to the Hudson” begins with a slow and lyrical rhythm. During the course of the hymn, Hudson discovers the Hudson River, ending with an energetic and celebratory finale.

The Holiday Concert was paired with an art exhibit reflecting Hudson River themes as well. This exhibit presented artwork created in the Hudson River School style so prominent in the 19th century and popularized by Thomas Cole. Graphic art students created advertisements aimed at attracting people to travel to the Hudson Valley area as well as the Hudson River.

It was an evening where musical, visual and graphic arts all complemented one another in celebration of the Hudson River and its wondrous landscape.