World Premiere of Never Forgetting
We begin our 70th season on November 2, 2025, with Enduring Voices, a powerful program tracing a path from darkness to light.
During this concert, the Band will present the world premiere of Henry Dorn’s Never Forgetting. This new composition, commissioned by NCB, was inspired by the enduring emotional resonance that transcends both actions and words.
Dr. Dorn provides the following note for his new work, Never Forgetting:
A message of hope. That is the intent behind this work. When Mallory Thompson approached me about writing for the Northshore Concert Band on the occasion of the ensemble’s 70th season, we spoke at length about giving voice to hope through music. A favorite quote of hers by Maya Angelou became the inspiration for the piece.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” *
Wrapped up in the simple quote are references to Dr. Angelou, the life she led, and the things she carried with her. Hope is an ever-constant underlying current in her writings, where she uses her voice to highlight elements of struggle juxtaposed with overcoming those hardships and being steadfastly resilient in the face of adversity. This work considers hope through that lens, considering the journey from the darkness of night towards a better and brighter day tomorrow.
Never Forgetting begins in quietude, a lone flute line shadowed by dark interjections in the low instruments — grief pressing in with growing weight. From this tension emerges a simple three-note idea that blossoms into a solemn theme, bearing the weight of memory and struggle.
Gradually, light pierces the darkness. A solitary oboe lifts the harmony, while a duet for alto saxophone and flute suggests the glimmer of hope that underpins the work. The music turns inward and outward at once, recalling earlier cries in the horns and reeds as clarinets introduce themes that lean toward resilience.
Midway, brightness asserts itself. The tempo quickens, rhythms drive forward, and swirling figures transform the opening gesture into sparks of optimism. The music surges toward a radiant climax — defiant and life-affirming, echoing Maya Angelou’s conviction that resilience is felt more deeply than words.
At its peak, the ground suddenly falls away. A clarinet line, altered by what has passed, remains as memory. Earlier themes return in softened form, tethered to their origins yet reshaped with humanity. In the closing bars, the flute recalls its opening song —fragile now, fading into unresolved quiet. The piece closes not with finality but as an open gesture, reminding us that hope is not a conclusion but an ongoing journey toward the next day’s light.
Henry Dorn is a nationally recognized composer and conductor whose music is celebrated for its rhythmic vitality, stylistic versatility, and deeply narrative voice. His works often reflect intimate stories, shaped by his perspective as both a musician and an African American artist, and have been performed by distinguished ensembles across the country, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, MinnesotaOrchestra, United States Coast Guard Band, and the Dallas Winds. Dorn currently serves on the faculty of St. Olaf College, where he leads the St. Olaf Band. Previously, he was assistant director of the Memphis Area Youth Wind Ensemble and director of the Nu Chamber Collective. He holds degrees from the University of Memphis, the Peabody Institute, and Michigan State University. His principal teachers in composition include David Biedenbender, Ricardo Lorenz, Alexis Bacon, Oscar Bettison, Kamran Ince, and Jack Cooper. He studied conducting with Kevin Sedatole, Harlan Parker, and Kraig Alan Williams.
Learn more at henryldorn.com
Enduring Voices | November 2, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. | Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, IL
*Excerpt(s) from RAINBOW IN THE CLOUD: THE WISDOM AND SPIRIT OF MAYA ANGELOU by Maya Angelou, copyright © 2014 by Caged Bird Legacy, LLC. Used by permission of Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.