THE INDISPENSABLE MAN: A ROOSEVELT PORTRAIT (2010) 20'

Using Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s own words in a dramatic script written by Dr. Myles Lee, composer Victoria Bond is planning to write a work for narrator and large wind ensemble. Modeling the form of the piece after Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” Bond plans to evoke Roosevelt’s era by drawing from the American big band tradition popular during his presidency.

In Dr. Lee’s script, Roosevelt’s dynamic character, his triumph over the adversity of his handicap and his unforgettable words are brought to life. His speeches are quoted and put in the context of the turbulent history that gave rise to such as phrases as:

To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is asked.This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.

Infusing these powerful words and other speeches like them with inspiring music is the goal of “The Indispensable Man.”

Victoria Bond and Myles Lee scored their first success in this genre with “Pater Patriae: A Washington Portrait.” This work for narrator and winds was premiered at Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate on September 17, 2007 and received a standing ovation. In this work, Bond based her music on existing fife and drum tunes from the revolutionary era.