The Hellgate High School Symphonic Band is an impressively good student ensemble from Missoula, Montana, with a penchant for commissioning new works. In 1996, Maslanka was asked for a symphonic wind ensemble piece, and Hell's Gate came into being. The title, a small twist on Hellgate, describes a soul journey, as heard in the solo saxophones (primarily in the alto part). Hell's Gate can be heard on an all-Maslanka Albany Records CD (TROY309), Hell's Gate, performed by the University of Arizona Wind Ensemble, and on YouTube, by members of the Zzyzx Quartet and Arizona State University Wind Ensemble. Score and solo parts are now available on demand; performance parts are available on rental. For advanced performers.
