Life is But a Dream
Commissioned by the Uhrmacher
family to celebrate the life of Hannah Uhrmacher
Completed in 2014
Duration: 4.5 minutes
For: Picc, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 3 Cl, Bs Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax,
3 Tpt, 4 Hn, 3 Tbn, Euph, Tuba, DB, Timp, Pno, 4 Perc
Piece based on this recording
“Life is But A Dream” was a commission from the Uhrmacher family in celebration of the life of their daughter, Hannah Uhrmacher. I chose the famous tale of Alice in Wonderland as inspiration not only because I had just finished the book and was fascinated by Lewis Carroll’s whimsical story and characters, but also because I saw a direct connection between Alice and Hannah. Just like Alice, Hannah was strong and brave in the face of adversity, she was ladylike but had an adventurous side, could make friends with everyone, and forever changed the people that she met. Hannah loved stories and read books all of the time. By venturing into these tales every night before bed, she was constantly pursuing Wonderland in her mind. The stories were a world her problems could not inhabit. There was no sickness and pain within these stories, just beautiful distraction. I hope this piece captures a fraction of the joy that Hannah brought to people’s lives. So prepare to take a trip with Hannah through the looking glass and enjoy the dream.