This exciting and fanciful orchestral suite depicts three distinct images. First, is the conflicting feelings the native inhabitants may have experienced upon seeing the unfamiliar Spanish ships sailing towards their home. Second, is De Leon's remembrance of his homeland and his dream of finding the legendary "Fountain of Youth" and the "Seven Cities of Gold!" Third, is the eager enthusiasm and hopeful optimism felt by Ponce De Leon and his crew in the early days of that famous quest through Florida's uncharted wetlands, swamp regions, and coasts. The familiar and exotic Spanish harmonies and rhythms help to evoke the romantic image of this epic journey.
