Prelude and Chorale est une scintillante et dynamique pièce d?ouverture basée sur le brillant final d?une oeuvre écrite antérieurement Aureus. La nouvelle composition s?articule autour d?un hymne splendide qui constitue également le fil conducteur de cette ouverture. Comme le suggère le titre le morceau débute par un «prélude» moderne : un prologue de l?hymne actuel. Les premières mesures de ce nouvel hymne donnent naissance au matériel thématique de l?oeuvre. Soutenue par une ligne rythmique jouée par les cuivres graves et les percussions la trame mélodique se trouve immédiatement magnifiée par un contre-chant. Enfin l?orchestre entier s?activepleinement dans un énergique passage menant au climax de l?oeuvre.

Stephen Bullas highly descriptive work was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima which took place between the 19th February and 26th March 1945.Casualties on both the American and Japanese sides were horrendously high before the famous image of the raising of the flag on top of Mount Suribachi signalled the end of one of the most significant and terrifying Pacific conflicts of the SecondWorld War.The work received its first performance by the brass choir of the U.S. Marine Band at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and is divided into four programmatic sections.The first portrays the sense of anticipation before conflict (Prologue) before the arduous journey to the scene of the battle (Approach by Sea) is followed by introspection and prayer featuring the hymn tune Melita (Chorale Prayer) andfinally the hostile confrontation itself (Engagement).There are frequent references to the Marines Hymn and the US National Anthem particularly in the closing bars depicting the ultimate raising of the American flag.