Transcend: III. D-O-N-E

(Starts at 16:50)

"I was extremely delighted to have been invited to compose a new work commemorating the 150th anniversary of the First Transcontinental Railroad’s completion in May 2019. When I learned that 13 American orchestras — located along the route of the Railroad — would join forces together to commission and premiere this new work across the country, I was truly honored, as I knew the significant cultural impact this project would entail.

The final movement, “D-O-N-E,” is based on the rhythm of the word “done” in Morse code. This single word was sent across the United States via one of the first nationwide telegraphs, when the Railroad was completed in 1869. (A quick shout-out to Raleigh, a railroad worker of 30 years in Omaha, for giving me the true story that inspired this movement!) Throughout the finale, “done” is passed back and forth to numerous instruments in the orchestra." - Zhou Tian