The overture to Giuseppe Verdi’s 1862 opera La Forza del Destino (The Power of Fate) has remained standard repertoire for orchestras around the world. In this imaginative work for winds, Jay Bocook pays homage to the mastery of Verdi and begins with the ominous 3-note “fate” theme from the overture. Throughout the piece melodies are recast and harmonies are embellished, culminating in an exhilarating conclusion where the final seven bars quote Verdi’s original almost identically. A brilliant addition to the wind band repertoire.