Charles Collins: Renaissance  

  
Renaissance is the Spring installment of the composer's cycle of pieces on the four seasons. The title was chosen to reflect the re-birth in nature that comes with each new year and its tendency to lighten our mood, turn our hearts to love, and instill us with hope. In the midwest, spring typically starts with rain. The middle section of the piece was inspired by a slow moving rain front seen moving across the expansive farmlands of cental Illinois. The contrapuntal writing of this middle section and the lightness of the main melody and accompaniment are intended to remind listeners of the historical musical period called the Renaissance.