The Minneapolis performance included a tribute to Reverend Herbert Chilstrom, retiring Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Having programmed Holsinger's music on several occasions, I thought I had a fairly clear sense of what to expect regarding compositional considerations. For example, while the usual fast tempo in many fine compositions may be listed somewhere between 140 and 160 beats per minute, Holsinger's fast tempo is likely to be 176-184. Similarly, the composer's slow tempos are often found to be 60 beats per minute or slower. In other musical arenas, Holsinger's compositional technique commonly deals in the extreme.
Dynamics change quickly from very loud to very soft and vice-versa.
Meter changes are numerous and often. Again in the first movement, there are at least 252 meter changes. For example, it is essential that staccato articulation at a tempo of 184 beats per minute be quite light and dance-like, actually a staccatissimo rather than staccato. It is important to note that the general challenges listed involve not only the winds and percussion, but also the singers. But then remember, this is Holsinger.