Jacob de Haan

Ross Roy

Jacob de Haan was commissioned to compose this concert piece by the 'St. Peters Wind Symphony' from Brisbane, Australia. 'Ross Roy' is the monumental late 19th century villa where St. Peters Lutheran College was founded in 1945. The villa has always remained the school symbol. In this composition, Jacob de Haan sees the 'Ross Roy' as a metaphor for the years spent at school (a monument in time), where one's personality is formed. So, the opening theme the artist calls the Ross Roy theme initially has monumental characteristics. The rhythmic motion, which strides along in the lower register and percussion at the beginning of the next section is typical of 'Tempo di Marcia'. This movement, accompanied by repetitions of sound, is a metaphor for the structure and discipline in school. This is the introduction to a march theme, symbolic of 'passing through' the classes up to the final examinations. Then, the Ross Roy theme is dealt with again, now in a playful, humorous variation. As if the composer is saying there should also be time for a smile in school. The same theme can be heard in major key and a slower tempo in the following section, expressing pride and self-confidence. This is also the introduction to the expressive middle section that represents love, friendship and understanding. We then return to the march theme in a slightly altered construction. The oriental sounds, constituting the modulation to the final theme, are symbols of the diversity of cultures in the school. The characteristic final theme first sounds solemn, but turns into a festive apotheosis. It is no coincidence that the final cadence is reminiscent of the close to a traditional overture, for the school years can be considered the 'overture' to the rest of one's life. The premiere of 'Ross Roy' was conducted by Jacob de Haan in Brisbane, on August 22, 1997.