Festival and Ballade for Winds was written for the 2009 Pittsburgh Diocesean Honor Band hosted by Bishop Canevin High School. The opening fanfare contains a number of melodic fragments out of which the rest of the work grows and develops. The Allegro Spiritoso at the beginning of the piece gives way to a lush and reflective Ballade section in which there are wonderful moments for dynamic expression by the ensemble. There are a number of solo/small group performance opportunities which occur before the percussion ushers in a return to the original tempo, followed by a brief development section that leads to an energetic and uplifting conclusion.