Instrumentation: 8 French horns
Duration: 3'30"
Difficulty: Intermediate
 
Program Notes
Wonders in the Deep, commissioned by Timothy Smith for the 2026 Humboldt Brass Chamber Music Workshop, is a fantasia on the hymn "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" by John Bacchus Dykes -- also known as the Navy hymn. The title comes from Psalm 107, which is thought to be the inspiration of the lyricist, William Whiting. The piece begins with the reverence of the original hymn, but as it progresses, it grows to be playful, joyful, and majestic. While the hymn's lyrics ask for protection from "peril on the sea," this setting imagines the sea as a wondrous place -- perils and all.