With Flying Colors
Vibraphone, Clarinet, Violin, Piano and Keyboard

With Flying Colors is a 3 movement piece which is tied together by one very small motive. The motive is the beginning of "Dies Irae", a chant melody which has been quoted in music for a very long time. It is typically quoted in music to represent or evoke a sense of despair. It is also widely used to represent death. In With Flying Colors, the motive is set in a more joyous tone. The reason I set this motive (which represents death) in a joyous tone is because I know that when I die, I will be with God. The title of the piece, which is an english idiom, refers to older times when ships flew their colors (their flag) when returning home victorious after war. When my time on earth is up, I will return to God with flying colors.