Reviews

" ...he's one to watch."

Newsweek Magazine

"His conservative piece, with its slightly awry, catchy waltz, has a verve and charm that made it a crowd pleaser."

New York Times

"It's a superbly-crafted piece that shows a mature sense of instrumentation, a seductive and subtle sense of rhythm,

and a rare gift for melody."

The Sun (Baltimore)

"Holland created a glowing canvas built around ascending scales and pulsating motives..."

The Cincinnati Enquirer

"His piece was an astute measuring of the mood of the event... Neither a fanfare nor a solemn dedication,

this piece projects good spirits, bright colors and manages to recall distantly some of the populist resonances

of Aaron Copland's outdoor music... Displaying a fresh ear for timbre, Holland built the music with bands of

marimba, string and wind sounds. In this shimmery panorama, he injected a fanfare played on piano, built a sense

of exaltation by sending the violins into high trajectory, and evolved a compelling rhythmic pulse... The work is

concise. It waste no time reaching its goals and rewards instrumental choirs with idiomatic writing."

The Philadelphia Inquirer

"...the 18-minute work is evocative and beautifully crafted. The soft opening, from deep in the lower strings with

pinpoints of harp, suggests roots pushing through the soil. Yearning rhythms and scales carry the imagery further, and

the music unfolds like shoots breaking through to the light.  The second movement, which Holland calls a "dance of

light," utilizes jagged rhythms and colorful percussion. The closing movement, while peaceful, had an unresolved feel, returning

to the shadows on a questioning note. The analogy to an uncertain journey (the Underground Railroad) seemed complete."

The Cincinnati Post

"...Holland's careening waltz adroitly fuses elements of Richard Strauss, Berg, Ravel

and Britten into a strikingly original reflection of its eponymous character."

The Detroit News

"Obviously, the Harvard University doctoral candidate is a craftsman with an ear for effective orchestration,

a fine theatrical sense and real skill when it comes to formal layout."

The Indianapolis Star