The one movement work is in two sections, Fanfare and Flight. While the Fanfare attempts to depict the exhilaration as one enters the fairgrounds, the sights and sounds, all in preparation for lift-off, the Flight section turns the process inward, becomes reflective, just as those within the basket slide into a dreamlike state of mind. The whole work is based on one principle motive. borrowed from the first four notes of the pop tune Up. Up, and Away.

The motive, in the fanfare section, is heard as a vertical sonority (as chords) in the brass, welcoming guests to the morning's activities. The fanfare motive expands outward (the top and bottom lines move in opposite directions), just as the balloon expands outward and fills with hot air. In the Flight section, the motive is heard as a horizontal line (as a melody), following the balloon as it moves across the horizon, now in the strings, and as a dialogue between the flute, oboe and clarinet.

There is one other popular tune found in this work, and it is heard in a brief middle area of the first section. At the end of the movie, The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard himself offers to take Dorothy home in a balloon. Toto sees a cat, jumps out of the basket, and as Dorothy chases Toro (she can't leave him behind), the balloon takes off as the Wizard says goodbye, yelling "I don't know how it works". Alas, how is Dorothy to get home? The Good Witch arrives and tells her that she always had the power to return home, and if she only clicks her heels three times. her wish will come true. The melody (at first in the piccolo) comes from that festive balloon scene in the Land of Oz.

Hot-air balloons allow riders to experience another dimension of our natural surroundings, at the same time giving immense enjoyment. commanding awe and even respect. The balloon can also act as a catalyst, helping us to discover our inner strengths and potential growth.

Balloons is dedicated to Stephen Osmond and the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. Jackson. Michigan. who premiered it October 12, 1991. The revised version was performed by the Quad City Symphony under the direction of James Dixon, December 5 and 6, 1992.

This project was supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.