The Secret Garden

My thesis is a programmatic piece of music that tells the story of The Secret Garden through the use of instrumental music and narrators with the goal of introducing classical music in an accessible way to both children and adults. The story is divided up into short scenes that work like movements in a larger musical work. Each character is represented by one of the nine musical instruments in the ensemble, and the melodies and themes that represent each character are at the heart of the music in each scene. The music and dialogue are presented both together and apart, which creates variety and allows flexibility in the way the story is told. The Secret Garden has been performed twice, on campus and at the St. Cloud Public Library, and the rehearsal process helped me to refine the music and dialogue. I intend to seek opportunities for further performances