"Saladin Overture" genre: Symphonic
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	The life and achievements of the Kurdish Muslim hero of the Third Crusade, Salah-al-Din bin Ayyub, told in the music of this overture.
	Story Behind the Song Five main themes emerge in the overture. The first, with which the piece opens and closes, is the triumphal theme (an orchestral fanfare), telling of the Muslim reconquest of Jerusalem. The second soft theme (flute and ethnic percussion) is the story of Saladin's early life in Egypt. The third theme (beginning with oboe solo, repeating and building to woodwinds, strings and percussion) is the gathering theme, in which all the factions of Egypt and Syria are rallied to Saladin's banner. The fourth theme (minor strings theme repeated and built with vocals, percussion, and trumpet) is the invasion of the Holy Land by the Third Crusaders. The fifth theme (actually two themes, soaring brass/woodwind fanfare followed immediately by aggrandization of overture's second theme) is the interaction between the legendary Richard I and Saladin. The overture closes with the first theme, ending on a note of triumph.

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