Commissioned by the 2007 Albemarle County High School Honors Band (Crozet, VA), this piece takes its inspiration from the rich maritime history of the Chesapeake Bay - from colonial lighthouses to Civil War ironclads; from its vital role in the underground railroad to Blackbeard and other real-life pirates. Adventure is paramount as swashbuckling themes are developed in the opening and closing sections of this work and beautifully contrasted with the haunting lyrical section reminiscent of Â"Oh Shenandoah.Â" (4:45)