This incredible overture was written for the All County Honor Band in Mercer County, Pennsylvania and is based on the familiar folk song, Erie Canal. The slow, powerful introduction is comprised of fragments of the famous melody. The tempo then suddenly increases, yielding a driving, staccato variation featuring trumpets and percussion. After giving way to a mysterious section played by flutes and low brass, the Allegro reappears in an exciting contrapuntal form. Douglas Akey's Overture on an American Folk Tune is destined to become a classic!