Lullaby for Evangelina Gary Gackstatter

Solo Flute Feature
Solo Flute with Band
Number of Players:Standard + 1
Copyright:2012
Solo Flute

Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1
Oboe 2
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2
Bb Clarinet 3
Bb Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
(Baritone T.C.)
Tuba

Piano

Timpani
Bells
Vibraphone
Marimba (4.5-octave)
Auxiliary Percussion (Suspended Cymbal, Triangle)
Tony and Jennifer Brown's journey to become parents of a living child was a winding one. After their twin daughters, Stella and Francesca, died in January of 2007 from complications of extreme prematurity, they decided to again try to bring a living child into their family. In 2008, while the Mehlville Band performed at MMEA, Jennifer was in the Labor and Delivery Ward at St. John's Mercy in St. Louis, preparing to deliver another baby girl at twenty-five weeks gestation. As Tony ended the program at Tan-Tar-A, he rushed off the stage and called Jen to see if she had delivered yet. Through the brilliance of a team of doctors and nurses, and a little bit of good luck, the baby girl was not born that day. Evangelina Cecile waited ten more weeks and came into the world in April of 2008, where she brought light and hope back into the lives of her family after a year of dark grief.

The piece is based on the tune "Hush, Little Baby." In Lullaby for Evangelina, Gackstatter captures and uses colors of tonality and timbre to create a hauntingly beautiful piece that represents a parent's love. In the community of grieving parents, the child after your loss is referred to as a "Rainbow Child" (sunshine after the storm), which is symbolized in the colors used throughout the Lullaby. Gackstatter also includes homage to Eva's twin sisters in the form of a flute duet at the end of the piece.

"Lullaby for Evangelina" represents not only Eva's story, which is imprinted into the history of the Mehlville Band, but also the story of every child that is born. The Browns known the intensity of their love for Eva and understand that the students they teach each have their own family story. The Mehlville Band excels, in part, because of the love that the band parents have for their children and because of their drive to support their child's love of music.