Entering their 12^th competitive season, the award-winning Irondale Marching Knights are pleased to present “Prairie Metropolis.” The show depicts the rise of a shimmering metropolis of metal and glass across the river from the prairie, where simple wooden structures sit among fields of grain. The music of Jerome Moross’ Big Country begins the show and brings to mind the modest grandeur of vast prairie and sky. Charles Rochester Young’s fast-paced Tempered Steel creates the feeling of exhilaration associated with the might and expansion. The tender, emotional strains of Eric Whitacre’s October suggest a time for the rest and reflection on achievements and what lies ahead – a time for rejuvenation. Joseph Curiale’s Gates of Gold concludes the program with notes of celebration and renewed energy to continue the progression.