Parabellum - Joshua Sheldon (2023)

Performed by Echo Czyznik, violin i; Simon Weinandt, violin ii; Ruby Disterhaft, viola, and Colby Schaller, cello, at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh on March 8, 2025. The title Parabellum comes from the latin phrase, “Si vis pacem, para bellum” (If you want peace, prepare for war). With Parabellum, I wanted to use music to tell a story of conflict. To acheive this, the piece features contrasting sections that ebb and flow between lyrical melodies and rhythmic intensity to form the image of a battlefield in two different states - one where war is either on the horizon or long gone, and another where a skirmish is in full force.