The band arrangement Eternal Faith & Love was created for two purposes. The
first purpose, to create a band piece for the high school or college level, which
demonstrates the transformation of two well-known hymns utilizing contemporary
compositional techniques. The second purpose was to honor Betty Shoup, was personal
for the arranger.
It is important for students to hear, perform, and discuss different musical styles.
Often discussions in high school and college level bands focus on characteristics from the
Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods, while hardly mentioning the diverse
techniques used in the 20th century. The repertoire performed by these bands, however,
tends to include contemporary aspects. It is the intention of the arranger to demonstrate
how melodies can be transformed using various contemporary techniques, which will
lead to further discussion and allow for a closer inspection of other band pieces.