If you were to find yourself in one of Bruce Dinkins’ band rooms over the years you may have noticed a large sign hanging from one of it’s walls. It simply states;

TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTER

YOU ARE SUBJECT TO THE RELENTLESS

REFINING PROCESS OF MUSIC THROUGH

UNCOMPROMISING STANDARDS

To know Bruce was to know a teacher and a person with a rare passion. He wanted nothing more than for his students to not only grasp the unparalleled power that music holds, but to experience it within the context of excellence. This statement then becomes the perfect summation of his musical life and what one could expect under his tutelage. I know myself and the many who entered have taken this quote to heart as a guiding principle of our lives and and we are forever indebted to Bruce for what he gave and instilled in us.

This work is laid out in 3 movements, played collectively and without pause. Movement-1, “those who enter” speaks to the unformed innocence of those who first begin their musical journey. The main theme is introduced by a solo horn and is framed within simple lyrical chorales scored for various choirs. Movement-2, “the relentless refining process” is a quick scherzo in a dueling 5/8- 6/8 meter. Bruce’s ‘go-to-tool’ for teaching was often the symphonic works of romantic and early 20th century masters like Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Shostakovich. Even though he appreciated contemporary musical output, Bruce seemed to hit another gear with these kinds of pieces and he would use them to push his ensembles to new artistic heights. The scherzo pulls heavily from romantic-period harmonies and also contains several ‘cameos‘ of works that I will always associate with Bruce. Movement-3, “of music”, is the maturation of the musical process. The main theme and chorale from movement-1 moves from an extended clarinet solo and into a powerful climax. The work then ends with an epilogue and farewell as the solo clarinet rings the notes Bb and D to end the piece.

TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTER was commissioned in memory of Bruce Dinkins by a consortium of colleagues and friends and was premiered in February of 2013 by the James Bowie High School Band.

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