OH! WHAT A MORNING!
Dr. Dan Turner
Music
Director and Principal Conductor
Kroc Center Conference Room
424 Westfield Street Greenville, SC 29601
Saturday, March 28, 2026
2:00 PM
Rejouissance (Fantasia on Ein Feste Burg) ............................................
James Curnow (b. 1943)
The French term “rejouissance” means “enjoyment” or “to make happy” and translates into English as “rejoicing.” In music of the 17th and 18th centuries, the term was used to denote a short composition of a lively or playful nature, bringing enjoyment to the listener. A “fantasia” is an improvisatory-style composition often based on a familiar theme, free in form and structure, allowing a composer to write outside the strict compositional rules.
Martin Luther’s powerful Reformation-era hymn based on Psalm 46, “Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott” (“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”), became widely known throughout Europe and is a powerful statement of God's deliverance from “the prince of darkness grim.” This setting, however, is not grim or dark. It is bright, dazzling, brilliant in colors, and unrestrained.
My Jesus! O What Anguish
J. S. Bach (1685 – 1750)
Arr. Alfred Reed
Mein Jesu! was fur Seelenweh, BWV 487 (My Jesus! Oh, What Anguish) is one of a group of 69 sacred songs and airs attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, first published in 1736 in a large collection of sacred songs. Each song exists only as a single melodic line with figured bass Though scholars have debated how many of the 69 melodies Bach may have written, it is interesting to note that the authenticity of the melody of Mein Jesu! as Bach’s work alone has never been questioned
Of this music, Alfred Reed wrote, “For all its apparent simplicity of musical construction, this music is deeply moving and highly expressive.” Reed’s handling of melody and harmony captures the pathos expressed in the hymn text. The first performance of this setting for band took place on November 20, 1974, by the University of Miami Symphonic Wind Ensemble under the direction of Frederick Fennell.
Praise Jerusalem!
Alfred Reed (1921 – 2005)
Praise Jerusalem! (Variations on an Armenian Easter Hymn) is based on the 7th-century Armenian Easter hymn Kovya Yeroosaghem. The melody, documented and recorded by Armenian musicologist Gomidas Vartabed, is found in the collection “Chantles of the Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.” The original melody has deep meaning in the Armenian liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition. The hymn begins with the words: “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Christ is risen from the dead, Alleluia!” This 1,400-year-old hymn celebrates the resurrection and is a central element of the Armenian Easter liturgy.
American composer Alfred Reed brought new life to this ancient hymn by incorporating it into a theme and variation form with an introduction, theme, five variations, and a powerful finale, in
which he takes advantage of the musical possibilities of the wind band. He captures both the historical depth of the melody and the expressive and technical capacity of the band.
The Introduction depicts the majestic arrival of the greatest miracle - the resurrection of Christ. The heart of the composition begins with the Theme followed by five variations, each of which explores the coloristic, melodic, and harmonic potential. The Theme is a lyrical exploration of the hymn's beauty and its emotional depth. Variation 1 is rhythmically developed and explores the energetic potential of the melody. Variation 2 displays the hymn in highly expressive lyrical writing that displays the emotion and technical challenges of the theme. Variation 3 is written in a hurried, nearly frantic style, perhaps portraying running to view the empty tomb. Variation 4 presents the theme in ornamented clarinet and flute cadenzas. Variation 5 reintroduces the original character of the hymn in an immense double fugue of unwavering determination The Finale presents the original tune in its triumphant, celebratory form, and confronts the listener with the victorious message: Praise the Lord O Jerusalem. Christ is Risen from the dead! Alleluia!
Be Thou My Vision
David Gillingham (b. 1947)
Be Thou My Vision was commissioned in 1999 by Indiana University band director Ray Cramer and his wife. Gillingham writes: “It was an honor and privilege to compose this work for Ray and Molly Cramer in honor of their parents. The work is heartfelt, expressive, and hopefully inspiring. The hymn tune Slane is one of my favorites and inspired me to compose a countermelody which is likened to an old Irish ballad. Since Slane is, in fact, an old Irish ballad, the two tunes share this unique camaraderie.
“The piece opens with a medieval-like reverence, leading to the first presentation of Slane in Dminor stated in chant-like somberness by the euphonium. The newly composed Irish ballad is then sung by the flute, which leads to a dramatic statement of Be Thou My Vision by the full ensemble in A-major. The work is interrupted by a prayerful interlude. Following is the marriage of the two Irish tunes in D-flat major which grows to a glorious climax and then subsides. A heavenly benediction closes the work.” (Program note by David Gillingham.)
Old Fashioned Hymns: At the River .....................................................
Charles Ives (1874 - 1954)
Arranged by Steven Paxton
At the River is based on Robert Lowry’s 1864 hymn, Shall We Gather at the River. Charles Ives, sometimes called the “father of American classical music,” was a master of weaving the sounds of his New England upbringing into his works. He originally composed a solo version of this hymn for voice and piano in 1916, and the concert band arrangement transforms the solo voice’s intimacy into a warm, communal experience. The piece opens with Ives’s signature “blurred” harmonies dissonances that suggest distant memories. As the melody emerges, the brass and woodwind textures evoke the atmosphere of a Sunday afternoon town square gathering.
While Ives is known for his complex musical experiments, At the River highlights his inventiveness and his profound sincerity. By placing a simple, widely known tune within a sophisticated harmonic framework, he bridged the gap between the concert hall and the American folk tradition. The result is a meditation on faith and nostalgia that concludes in a moment of quiet, peaceful resolution.
Without hesitation, the band will begin a march based on At the River
Shall We Gather at the River [with Home Over There] .......................................... Henry Fillmore Arranged by Aaron Noe
While many modern audiences associate the hymn Shall We Gather at the River with the music of Charles Ives, it is the “March King of Cincinnati,” Henry Fillmore (1881–1956), who provides us a starkly different and decidedly more exuberant perspective. Arranged by Fillmore in 1906, this march reflects the golden age of the American town band, where sacred melodies were frequently transformed into spirited, toe-tapping experiences. In this fast march, Fillmore pairs Shall We Gather with the 1868 Methodist hymn Home Over There. Rather than a somber walk to the water's edge, Fillmore’s version is more like children rushing to the swimming hole.
Amazing Grace .............................................................................................
Ryan Nowlin (b. 1978)
Few melodies carry the universal weight and emotional resonance of John Newton’s 1779 hymn text Amazing Grace. It has become the definitive anthem of redemption and resilience. In this setting for concert band, Ryan Nowlin a prominent composer and now the conductor of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band handles the “New Britain” hymn tune with a sophisticated, contemporary palette.
God of Our Fathers: Chorale Prelude
George Warren Arranged by Claude T. Smith
God of Our Fathers is based on the National Hymn of the United States. The original hymn text “God of Our Fathers Whose Almighty Hand” was written in 1876 when Episcopal priest Daniel C. Roberts penned lyrics for Vermont's U.S. Centennial celebration. It was to be sung to a tune named “Russian Hymn!” In 1892, Roberts sent his text to a group tasked with revising the Episcopal hymnal. Roberts’s text was selected, but it required a new, original tune. Organist George Warren wrote powerful new music, and the new hymn appeared in 1894 as “National Hymn.” Roberts’s text has since been used exclusively with Warren’s music. The words ask God to continue to guide and protect us as He has done in the past.
Revival March ................................................................................
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
Composed in 1876, the Revival March is one of the earliest works by the “March King,” John Philip Sousa. Written during his time in Washington, D.C., as leader of the U. S. Marine Band, the march captures a unique moment in American musical history where the sacred met the secular. Sousa, an astute observer of popular culture, drew inspiration from the Great Revival movement of the 19th century.
The march trio is the 1868 gospel hymn “In the Sweet By-and-By,” composed by Joseph Webster. Sousa weaves this well-known melody into a traditional, vigorous march, complete with spirited woodwind flourishes and robust brass fanfares. Unlike his later, more complex masterpieces like The Stars and Stripes Forever, the Revival March is filled with straightforward, youthful energy. It serves as a window into the developing style of the young Sousa, proving that even at the start of his career, he had a knack for transforming the songs of the people into the music of the concert stage.
The Greenville Concert Band makes its home at the Gustafson Fine Arts Center at Bob Jones University and is honored to be named a Community Ensemble in Residence of the Bob Jones University Division of Music