A Redmond Legacy

This clever new piece from Mark Williams has musical ideas that are inspired by some of Washington state's most famous legacies. A recurring rhythm uses long and short notes to spell out (in Morse code) the name of the first operating system created by Redmond's most famous computer software company. The main theme begins with a four-note pattern that brings to mind an advertisement by one of the hardware companies most closely associated with this operating system. The second, more songlike theme is a highly decorated version of the folk song "Billy Boy," a tongue-in-cheek way of honoring the area's most famous individual. At one point in the music, all three of these themes are played at the same time (the Morse code rhythm, the main theme, and "Billy Boy") to simultaneously honor all of the legacies in Redmond.