Shawn E. Okpebholo

Zoom! (2021)

Although Zoom! by Shawn Okpebholo was commissioned by the US Air Force Band, its title refers less to the speed of supersonic fighter jets than to the brand of telecommunications software that allowed digital reunions between isolated loved ones during the 2020 pandemic, and to the race for a life-saving vaccine. The seven-minute piece for strings and percussion evokes the glimmers of hope and joy that manage to survive in times of darkness. Zoom! received a streaming premiere, performed in December 2021 by the strings and percussion of the US Air Force Band under the baton of Col. Don Schofield. This score is published as part of the Peters Contemporary Library, with parts available on hire.