Evening Concert Series
Sarah M. Snell Music Theater
2023 – 2024 Season
Tuesday, September 26th at 7:30 PM
Pianist Julie Miller and Friends
Celebrate the 75th Birthday of Keith Gates (1948–2007)
Allegretto from Fantasy for Trumpet (1986)
Michael Dudley, Trumpet
The Maniac of Gadara “Biblical Sketch No. 3” (2002)
Introduction: JourneyAcross the Sea
Dance of the Swine Herders
The Maniac
Confrontation and Exorcism
Dialogue
Michael Dudley, trumpet
Maxwell Grube, bassoon
The Legend of the Loup-Garou from Evangeline (1995)
Donald George, tenor
Emily Buliung, Serena Heyden, Grace Cometti, Eve
Meinsen, Melissa Fearrington,Abigail Rempe, Sarah Westcott
Lorica (1986)
Wanderer's Night Song (1994)
Flemish Scene (2002)
Windsor Variations (1988)
Lauren Becker, horn
SweetAle! from Evangeline (1995)
Donald George, Steven Groth, Andrew Voelker
Concert Sonatina (1985)
Allegro
Ghost Sonata (August Strindberg)
Allegro
Casey Grev, alto saxophone
Keith Gates (1948-2007) lived in Lake Charles, home of McNeese State University, where he taught for many years. Gates began serious musical studies in composition as a high school student at the North Carolina School of theArts in Winston-Salem.After receiving his high school diploma from NCSA, and attending two years of college there, he went to the Juilliard School in New York City, where he earned his BM and MM degrees. His composition teachers included Vincent Persichetti and Hugo Weisgall. While attending Juilliard, Gates received the Lado Prize for string writing, and the Irving Berlin Teaching Fellowship for two consecutive years.
Keith Gates composed in many genres including symphonies, concerti, and operas. His 100+ works are for band, wind ensemble, orchestra, and choir, as well as for various chamber ensembles and soloists. His second opera, Migle and the Bugs, has been performed in Siena, Italy, and atAlice Tully Hall in New York. He
received commissions and grants to write the operas Tom Sawyer, The Hollow, Evangeline, and The Christmas Coin.
Keith Gates received many other commissions from individuals, as well as high school, university, and military bands. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the LouisianaArtist Fellowship, the Louisiana Music Teachers Association CommissionAward, the Shearman Research Grant, the Fanfare Festival CompositionAward, the National FluteAssociation Newly Published MusicAward, and the Shearman FineArts Endowed Professorship (McNeese). He was named 1996 Artist of the Year by the Calcasieu Arts and Humanities Council.
In addition to composing, Gates enjoyed acting and singing. He performed the role of Mozart in Amadeus, Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore, the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, and Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.As a pianist, he accompanied many student, faculty and opera workshop performances. He was organist and choir director at Bethel Presbyterian Church, St.Andrew Presbyterian Church, and Temple Sinai in Lake Charles. He is survived by his wife Christa, four children, and five grandchildren.
Biography from keithgates.com
PROGRAM NOTES
Composer, pianist, revered teacher, and beloved friend to many, Keith Gates was born 75 years ago, on September 29, 1948. Tonight, we celebrate his wonderful life by enjoying several treasures from his catalogue of works. Some are old favorites of mine, but tonight is my first time to perform Maniac of Gadara and the tunes from Evangeline.
Fantasy for Trumpet (1986) is in three sections, of which Allegretto is the centerpiece. While it was written for a McNeese State University chamber group featuring Mike Ewald on solo trumpet, we are playing the version for trumpet and piano.
The Maniac of Gadara (2002) Keith was intrigued by the Biblical story of the lonely and disturbed outcast who lived among the tombstones. Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to find him, then cast the man's legion of demons into a herd of swine. The tormented animals fell into the sea and drowned. The man regained his composure and was filled with divine peace. Keith felt he had been saved a few times in his life, and he found it meaningful and appropriate to set the story to music when he received a commission from a trumpeter-bassoonist couple.
The Legend of the Loup-Garou (1995) In this scene from the opera Evangeline, a man is being playfully teased by the children in the village. They beg him to tell them a scary story, or else they will follow him home. The loup-garou is a mythical werewolf who chases children who misbehave.
The first three pieces in the horn set are originally for voice and piano. Lorica (1986) is a prayer attributed to St. Patrick, which begins, “I rise today with God’s strength to pilot me.” Wanderer’s Night Song (1994) was commissioned by Ron Brumley who created the tenor role heard in the sections from Evangeline. I performed it with Ron in 1994, along with other settings of Goethe’s poem.
Flemish Scene (2002) is part of a song cycle commissioned by McNeese professor Carol Lines. Windsor Variations (1988) was commissioned by hornist Robert Tucker ofAbilene, Texas. The hymn tune is attributed to Christopher Nye, who received his doctorate at Cambridge in 1545 and was the organist at the Chapel Royal under Queen Elizabeth I.
SweetAle! occurs shortly after Legend of the Loup-Garou in Evangeline, before the calamitous British attack on the French Canadians which resulted in the “Deportation of theAcadians” during the years 1755-1764. Unaware of the impending upheaval, the fathers of Evangeline and Gabriel celebrate with the notary the wedding of their offspring which is set for the following day.
Concert Sonatina (1985), for saxophone and chamber ensemble, was written for Crane alumnus Craig Whittaker, who was a McNeese faculty member. Keith adapted the first two movements from his sonatina for oboe and piano (1968), and the third movement from his Suite for Piano (1967). The 2nd movement was used as incidental music for the play, Ghost Sonata, written byAugust Strindberg, at the North Carolina School of theArts. Since the original works included piano, we are also performing Concert Sonatina with sax and piano.
In addition to the website, more performances can be found at Keith GatesYouTube including several with the composer on piano.
I am grateful to everyone who helped make this recital possible: the musicians, Facilities Manager Matthew Gatti and stage crew, and Audio/Video Engineers Douglas McKinnie and Rob Zolner.