January 6th - Full Orchestra (2021) by Joe Jaxson

Preface:
A dark day descended on the United States on January 6, 2021, where a large crowd of now former President Donald Trump supporters stormed and broke into the U.S. Capitol Building following a rally the President held earlier that day. The Congressmen were at the time certifying the electors for each state when they had to be suddenly removed and secured while the crowd somehow pushed through what was thought to be the most secure building in the country. Offices and lobbies were vandalised, items were stolen and destroyed. This event threw the country into a great time of prayer and distress.

About the piece:
What this piece does is to provide a broad narrative of this event. From perspectives of the unknowing Congressmen as the riot grew closer to the entry doors; to a chorale symbolizing order and harmony; to the disastrous response and the consequences that followed. This piece ends with a call for unity; a sense of hope. As the rioters were eventually cleared out, some questions still stand: “What can we learn from this? How can we as a nation work to become more united and indivisible?”