The full company of HENRY V featuring Matt Schwader as Hal, Notre Dame Shakespeare, 2005
Entr'acte from Henry V
Music written and performed by Andy Hansen
Revised and re-recorded in 2021
Originally composed for the 2005 Notre Dame Shakespeare production of
HENRY V by William Shakespeare
Directed by William Brown
Set Design by Todd Rosenthal
Costume Design by Rick Donnelly
Lighting Design by Kevin Dreyer
In its original form, this piece was somewhat improvised at a keyboard using a preset that layered winds, brass, and strings in unison. It sounded fine but I knew it was little more than a sketch. The harmony wasn’t filled out and there was little detail.
Over the years, I tried turn it into something more substantial but found myself repeatedly frustrated by its limitations. I would give up, set it aside, and forget about it for a few more years. During the COVID pandemic of 2020 I had time to give it focus and applied some proper orchestration. This is the final result.
It is structured like a Classical era opera overture. It begins with a slow, moody prelude then transitions to a driving main section that builds in scale and volume to a grand finale.