RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY from STORMWORKS Chapter 1-Prime: a Wish to the World Recorded by the Troy University Wind Symphony, Ralph Ford, Conductor

912 at 5:33 for Band of the 3rd Millennium

by © Stephen Melillo IGNA 9:33 PM 19 March 2003

Commissioned by Mr. William Ratcliff & the Alma High School Symphonic Winds, Alma, Arkansas for the Commissioning of the USS RONALD REAGAN CVN-76

This is one of several “Storm” pieces that employ Morse Code as a rhythm generator and layered message carrier. Within the cinematic march, we hear “Peace Through Strength.”

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We can preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we can sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”Ronald Reagan 1964

“I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.” John Paul Jones, 1778