PROGRAMNOTES
AmericanOvertureforBand, op.13
JosephWillcoxJenkins
JosephWillcoxJenkinscomposed AmericanOvertureforBand fortheUnited StatesArmyFieldBandwhileonthearrangingstaffforthegroup.The instrumentationofthisworkisbasedontheplayersintheFieldBand.In2003, attherequestoftheAmericanBandmaster'sAssociation,afullscorewas developedbythecomposerinordertocorrectthepreviousversionsofthe work.Anorchestraltranscriptionofthework,donebyDerryWilsonOchoa, hasbeenregularlyperformedbyorchestrasaroundtheworld.
TheworkwasdedicatedtotheArmyFieldBand'sconductor,ChesterE. Whiting.Itwaswritteninaneo-modalstyle,beingflavoredstronglywithboth LydianandMixolydianmodes.Itsmusicalarchitectureisaveryfreeadaptation ofsonataform.Themusicalmaterialbordersonthefolktuneidiomalthough therearenodirectquotesfromanyfolktunes.Theworkcallsfornear-virtuoso playingbyseveralsections,especiallytheFrenchhorns,andisafavoriteof advancedhighschoolanduniversitybands.Although AmericanOverture wasJenkins'sfirstbandpiece,it remainshismostsuccessfulworkand,inhiswords,heis"hard-pressedtoduplicateitssuccess."
ProgramNote from Prog ramNotes forBand
reflections
CarlosSimon
CarlosSimonearnedhisdoctorateattheUniversityofMichigan,wherehe studiedwithMichaelDaughertyandEvanChambers.Dr.Simonalsoearned degreesfromGeorgiaStateUniversityandMorehouseCollege.Additionally, hestudiedinBaden,Austria,attheHollywoodMusicWorkshopwithConrad PopeandatNewYorkUniversity'sFilmScoringSummerWorkshop.
HismostrecentaccoladesincludetheUnderwoodEmergingComposer CommissionfromtheAmericanComposersOrchestra,thewinnerofthe prestigiousMarvinHamlischFilmScoringAwardin2015andthePresserAwardfromtheTheodorePresser Foundation.Inthesameyear,heservedastheyoungcomposer-in-residencewiththeDetroitChamberString andWindsforthe2015-2016season.HenowservesonthemusicfacultyatSpelmanCollegeinAtlanta, Georgia.
ServingasmusicdirectorandkeyboardistforGRAMMYAwardwinnerJenniferHolliday,Simonhas performedwiththeBostonPopsSymphony,JacksonSymphony,andtheSt.LouisSymphony.Mr.Simonhas touredinternationallywithsoulGrammynominatedartistAngieStone,whereheperformedthroughout Europe,Africa,andAsia.
Anintrospectiveandpoignantwork, reflections exploresthefullpaletteofcolorsandtexturesofthesymphonic band.ThepiecewasinspiredbythepoetryofCourtneyD.Ware. bestill andknow
don’tmovedon’tdoubt bequitebesure sitdownbelieveslowdown makenosound worryfreequiettrust
confidentfreedomacceptance knowingiseternalknowingiseternal stillnessiseternalstillisinternal believewithinyourbeingstoplongenoughtoseeletsilencespeak
reflections wascommissionedbycurrentandformermembersoftheGeorgiaStateUniversityGraduateWind ConductingStudioandSymphonicWindEnsembleforDr.RobertJ.Ambroseincelebrationof20yearsas directorofbandsatGeorgiaStateUniversity.
AlFresco KarelHusa
AlFresco hasitsrootsinKarelHusa’s1947orchestralwork, ThreeFresques forOrchestra,Op.7. Becausethefirstmovementwasdrivenbyextensivewind writing,Husafoundtheperfectopportunitytoreimaginethemusicforwind banduponreceivingacommissiontocomposeaworkfortheIthacaCollege ConcertBand.Fittingly,thiskeystoneworkwasthefirstoftheheraldedWalter BeelerMemorialCommissions.ThefirstperformancewasgivenbytheIthaca CollegeConcertBand(EdwardGobrecht,director)attheMENCConvention inPhiladelphiaonApril19,1975,withthecomposerasguestconductor.
AlFresco hasnoprogrammaticcontent.However,thetitleindicatesmy admirationfortheartofpainting,especiallymuralpaintingonwetplaster.And Ihavealwaysbeengreatlymovedbytheforceful,evengrandioseandrough, mysteriouspicturesdealingwithprimitivelife,war,andpageantry.
Programnoteby KarelHusa
WilliamOwens
Withthenewdaycomesnewstrengthandnewthoughts. EleanorRoosevelt
EleanorRooseveltisrightfullyrecognizedasoneofAmerica’smostformidableandinfluentialfirstladies. Widelyregardedasthebenchmarkforthosetofollow,Rooseveltmightilyusedtheplatformtomakebetterthe livesofthoselessfortunatethanherself.FromhelpingimmigrantsadjusttoAmericanlife,tochampioning rightsforwomenandAfricanAmericanstolendinghands-onsupporttotheAmericanwareffort,Eleanor RooseveltenduresasatruebeaconofjusticeandequalityforallAmericans.
Themusicof AndWithThisNewDay isinspiredbythissimpleyetpowerfulthought,whichencouragesusto beopentopositivechangeandrecognizesthatnomatterhowdifficultprevioustimeswere,thenewdayalways bringsafreshstart.
Theintrospectiveopeningstatementaptlyillustratesthedayanew,aswecontemplatethegoodthingstocome. Beginningquiteserenelywithaclarinetsoloandagentleharmoniccomplement,themusicgraduallyblossoms intoalush“pastorale”section.
Theenergeticandbriskstatementthatfollowsisatruecelebrationoflife,asthemoodbecomeslivelyand jovial.Throughoutthissprightlysection,anarrayofcolorsandtexturesareheardwithstrongmelodic concentrationandadrivingrhythmicpulseatitscore.
Thefinalstatementcallsustoreflectontheday’send,asthemusicconcludesserenelyandpeacefully. And WithThisNewDay… comesthroughthegenerosityandcreativityoftheIDEA[Inclusion,Diversity,Equality, Access]CommitteeoftheAmericanBandmastersAssociationandtheirrenewingcommissioningproject.
ProgramNoteby WilliamOwens
SallyLambMcCunewaseducatedattheUniversityofTorontoandCalifornia InstituteoftheArtsandearnedherMFAandDMAatCornellUniversity.Her principalteachershaveincludedStevenStucky,RobertoSierra,andMel Powell.
Adedicatedteacher,LambMcCunehastaughtatCornellUniversity,Syracuse University,andcurrentlyservesonthefacultyatIthacaCollege.Shehasserved asguestcomposeratEastmanSchoolofMusic,UniversityofSouthCarolina, PepperdineUniversity,UniversityofPittsburgh,Bradford,andinregional publicschoolsinSyracuseandIthaca.
Hermusichasbeendescribedas“contemporary,edgy,descriptive,and extremelysoulful,”andshehasbecomeanimportantvoiceintherising generationofAmericancomposers.Herworks,whichrangefromsoloand chamberpiecestomusicforchorus,windensembleandorchestra,are convincingandevocative,oftenblendingthetraditionalwiththeavant-garde.
AwardsincludeaCharlesIvesFellowshipfromtheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetters,WhitakerNew ReadingSessionfromtheAmericanComposersOrchestra,grantsfromtheNewYorkFoundationfortheArts, NewYorkStateFundCreationGrant,MeettheComposer,ASCAP,andtheAaronCoplandRecordingFund.
TheCollegeofNewJerseycommissionedSallyLambMcCunetocomposeafanfarecelebrating100yearsof musicatTCNJ. Pocket isafanfarenamedforitsvariousassociations:somethingsmall,aconfinedspaceor form,a“pocket”score,orbeing“inthepocket”(bothajazzidiomandafootballterm).Musically, Pocket pays homagetoTCNJbyincorporatingasmall,alteredfragmentofthecollegealmamater,whichappearsatthe beginningandendofthepieceagainstanisorhythmicaccompanimentinthekeyboardandpercussion.The accompanimentisalsolinkedtothemainthemeofthework
Pocket Sally LambMcCune
