Composer Philip Sparke is fascinated by the early history of the American west, in particular the incredible expedition undertaken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who were despatched by President Thomas Jefferson in the first decade of the nineteenth century to map the headwaters of the Missouri River and establish a route to the Pacific: a two-year journey that led them across the uncharted Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Big Sky Overture depicts the vastness and beauty of this area and will bring a feel of the Wild West to any concert.