PROGRAM
SYMPHONIC BAND
Michael C. Robinson, conductor
Cityscape
The Hounds of Spring
A Solemn Music
Gilbert Villagrana, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Jeremy Smith, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly
Consortium Premiere
Scott Boerma
Alfred Reed
Virgil Thomson
Peter Van Zandt Lane
His Honor Henry Fillmore ed. Frederick Fennell
WIND SYMPHONY
Jack A. Eaddy Jr., conductor
Havana
Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral
Lauds
Festal March
La Fiesta Mexicana
Anthony Morris, Master’s Conducting Associate
I. Prelude and Aztec Dance
II. Mass
III. Carnival
SYMPHONIC BAND PROGRAM NOTES
Cityscape (2007) (3’45’’)
Scott Boerma (b. 1964)
Kevin Day
Richard Wagner trans. Lucien Cailliet
Ron Nelson
Florence Price trans. Ezekiel Webber
H. Owen Reed
Cityscape, a fanfare for winds and percussion, was written for and dedicated to James F. Keene and the University of Illinois Wind Symphony. This symphonic fanfare was designed to make a bold opening statement for the ensemble’s 2006 performance in New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Intense, clashing harmonies and tight, vertical rhythms combine with moments of calm yet unsettled release to depict the atmosphere within the endless canyons of metal and cement in the heart of the city.
Program note by composer
Scott Boerma is a multifaceted American composer, arranger, educator, and conductor. Holding a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting from Michigan State University, he has also studied composition with renowned composers such as William Bolcom. Currently serving as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Western Michigan University, Boerma’s career spans prestigious positions at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, as well as teaching in Michigan public schools. Widely recognized for his compositions and arrangements, Boerma’s works have been performed by esteemed ensembles worldwide, including “The President’s Own” Marine Band and the Dallas Wind Symphony. He is also highly sought-after as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician, and holds leadership roles in various music associations, including the American Bandmasters Association.
The Hounds of Spring (1981) (8’45’’)
Alfred Reed (1921–2005)
“When the hounds of spring are on winter’s traces,” a magical picture of young love in springtime, forms the basis for the present purely musical setting, in traditional three-part overture form, of this lovely paean... an attempt to capture the twin elements of the poem, exuberant youthful gaiety and the sweetness of tender love, in an appropriate musical texture.
When the hounds of spring are on winter’s traces, The mother of months in meadow or plain
Fills the shadows and windy places
With list of leaves and ripple of rain
And soft as lips that laugh and hide
The laughing leaves of the trees divide,
And screen from seeing and leave in sight
The god pursuing, the maiden hid.
The poem, a recreation in modern English verse of an ancient Greek tragedy, appeared in print in 1865, when the poet was 28 years old. It made Algernon Swinburne literally an overnight success. The Hounds of Spring was commissioned by, and dedicated to, the John L. Forster Secondary School Symphonic Band of Windsor, Ontario, and its director, Gerald A.N. Brown. The first performance took place in Windsor on May 8th, 1980, by the aforementioned group, under the direction of the composer.
Program note by composer
Alfred Reed first developed his compositional skill during World War II when he served as Radio Production Director and Associate Conductor of the 529th Army Air Corps Band, producing over 150 weekly broadcasts and composing and arranging nearly 100 works for band. Following the war, Reed studied composition with Vittorio Giannini at the Juilliard School. He later received his BM and MM degrees from Baylor University. For years, he taught composition and conducting at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. In his lifetime, Reed composed over 250 published works for wind band, chorus, orchestra, chamber ensemble, and solo instrument.
A Solemn Music (1949) (6’15’’)
Virgil Thomson (1896-1989)
Initially written for band, A Solemn Music, showcases Virgil Thomson’s conservative atonal approach. Dedicated to the memory of Gertrude Stein and the painter Christian Bérard, it stands as one of Thomson’s most impactful compositions. Commissioned by the League of Composers for the Goldman Band, the piece debuted at the organization’s season-opening concert on June 17, 1949, in Central Park, New York City, with Thomson conducting.
Program note adapted from The Wind Repertory Project
Virgil Thomson was an influential American composer and music critic. After studying piano from a young age, he served in the U.S. Army before attending Harvard University and later studying with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Thomson became renowned for his work as a music critic, writing for publications such as Vanity Fair and the New York Herald Tribune. He played a significant role in shaping the “American Sound” in classical music. Thomson received accolades including the Pulitzer Prize for his score for the film Louisiana Story in 1949 and the National Medal of Arts in 1988. His compositions, characterized by a blend of modernist and neo-classicist styles, left a lasting legacy in American music.
Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (2023) (7’)
Peter Van Zandt Lane (b. 1985)
I first heard the term “rapid unscheduled disassembly” when it was used as a euphemism to describe the explosion of Space X’s unmanned Starship rocket four minutes into its test launch on April 20, 2023. My first thought was “that would make for a great title for a piece!” and the phrase appears to date back several decades. Like many people watching the stream of the launch with my kids, I was completely baffled when the engineers in the control room began to cheer after the rocket exploded! Ultimately, the probability of failure was high, the explosion was [a] likely result, and the celebration of the explosion was an outward celebration of failure as an opportunity to learn. As an educator, I am often encouraging students to take risks in how they approach creative projects, even if it means the final product may seem like a “failure” to them. We learn so much more by going out on a limb than working towards safe or predictable results. And so, this piece is a celebration of spectacular failure.
The piece is entirely focused on one theme, which is repeated throughout the piece as an ascending fanfare, only to crash and burn. After each “failure” of flight, the theme is deconstructed, reversed, and re-built in different ways. Ultimately, the theme achieves its successful flight, soaring as a prolation canon (layering both slow and fast versions of the theme at once). Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly was commissioned by a group of wind ensembles led by Curran Prendergast and the Truman State University Wind Symphony.
Program note by composer
Peter Van Zandt Lane is an Associate Professor of Composition and Director of the Dancz Center for New Music at the University of Georgia Hodgson School of Music. With degrees from the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Brandeis University, Lane has studied under prominent composers such as Melinda Wagner and Eric Chasalow. Before joining the faculty at the University of Georgia, he held teaching positions at the University of Florida, Wellesley College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard. Lane’s compositional repertoire, ranging from chamber ensembles to orchestral works, often integrates electronics with traditional instruments. Notable commissions include collaborations with renowned organizations like the Barlow Endowment and the Sydney Conservatorium Wind Symphony. His ballet HackPolitik, created in partnership with Juventas New Music Ensemble and The People Movers contemporary dance company, received critical acclaim and media recognition, earning a New York Times Critic’s Pick designation. Lane’s music has been performed by prestigious ensembles worldwide and featured at festivals and conferences, showcasing his innovative approach to contemporary composition. Additionally, Lane is an active bassoonist, contributing to the premieres of numerous contemporary chamber and electroacoustic works.
His Honor (1933/1978) (3’)
Henry Fillmore (1881-1956) ed. Frederick Fennell
Most of Henry Fillmore’s most beloved compositions were written for his own band, which he organized in Cincinnati in 1927. Among these pieces, His Honor, composed in 1933 and published the following year, stands out as a favorite among both band members and audiences. The title pays homage to Mayor Russell Wilson, known for his sense of humor and leadership qualities, which impressed Fillmore. Featuring unexpected melodic and rhythmic changes, along with versatile performance options, “His Honor” remains one of Fillmore’s enduringly popular marches.
Program note adapted from The Wind Repertory Project
Henry Fillmore began his musical journey at a young age, mastering multiple instruments including the slide trombone, despite initial objections from his religious father. Fillmore’s compositions gained
popularity for their novelty and humor, particularly his “Trombone Family” series featuring tunes like “Miss Trombone” and “Shoutin’ Liza Trombone,” which showcased his unique blend of ragtime influence. Throughout his prolific career, Fillmore wrote over 250 tunes and arranged many more under various pseudonyms, demonstrating versatility across genres from marches to waltzes.
Havana (2018) (7’45”)
Kevin Day (b. 1996)
Havana is heavily influenced by Cuban music, rhythms, and percussion. I wanted to highlight different dance genres such as salsa, mambo, and cha-cha, while also making the piece in my own voice. I have a strong love for Latin music, and so this was incredibly fun to write. I sought to paint a mental picture of the city of Havana, the beautiful landscape, and the culture that it is known and beloved for. There are many “Latin-influenced” pieces for band already and so I wanted to make Havana stand out as one that is exciting and memorable. I hope that performers and audiences will tap their foot, bop their heads, and feel the music.
Program note by the composer
Kevin Day is an internationally acclaimed composer, conductor, and pianist, whose music often intersects between the worlds of jazz, minimalism, Latin music, fusion, and contemporary classical idioms. A winner of the BMI Student Composer Award, a three-time finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, and considered for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for his Concerto for Wind Ensemble, Day has composed over 200 works, and has had numerous performances around the world. Day is currently Assistant Professor of Composition at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral (1848/1938) (6’35”)
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) trans. Lucien Cailliet
Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral is a wedding procession from Richard Wagner’s tragic opera Lohengrin, where Elsa, Duchess of Brabant, is about to marry her knight in shining armor, Lohengrin, Keeper of the Holy Grail, who has appeared in a boat, magically drawn by a swan. However, keeping Lohengrin’s identity a secret -- to Elsa and to everyone in the country -- has been a condition upon which the marriage was contingent. Shortly after the marriage, Elsa succumbs to her curiosity, sown by the antagonist duo: Ortrud, a sorceress who put a spell on Elsa’s brother Gottfried, but accused Elsa of his murder; and Teiramund, the knight defeated by Lohengrin who has accused him of sorcery. Lohengrin reveals his identity to all, kills his accuser, and then bids eternal farewell to Elsa. As Lohengrin disappears, his swan magically turns into Lohengrin’s friend and Elsa’s brother, Gottfried. Elsa falls lifelessly into Gottfried’s arms.
Program note by the composer
From an early age, Richard Wagner had been interested in theater, drama, verse, and acting. While in his teens he became interested in music, and began studying and composing. His greatest inspiration came from the operatic reforms and ideas of Gluck, and from the German operas of Carl Maria von Weber. By the age of twenty-two, he had finished his first opera and had begun to make notes for his autobiography. Convinced of his greatness, he continued composing and conducting. He envisioned the creation of the “total art work”: a conception of a music drama based on classic Greek principles, in which there would be a unity of music, drama, text, design, and movement.
Lauds (1992) (5’35”)
Ron Nelson (1929-2023)
Lauds is an exuberant, colorful work intended to express feelings of praise and glorification. Lauds is one of the seven canonical hours that were selected by St. Benedict as the times the monks would observe the daily offices. Three (terce, sext, and none) were the times of the changing of the Roman guards and four (matins, lauds, vespers, and compline) were tied to nature. Lauds, subtitled Praise High Day, honors the sunrise; it is filled with the glory and excitement of a new day.
Program note by the composer
Ron Nelson began piano lessons at the age of six. At that tender age, he wrote his first composition, entitled The Sailboat, finding it more fun to improvise than to practice. He became a church organist at the age of thirteen and his early efforts rewarded him with the discipline to write down his improvisations and the basic principles of orchestration. Nelson would later earn his Bachelor of Music degree in 1952, master’s degree in 1953, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1956, all from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. He also studied in France at the Ecole Normale de Musique and at the Paris Conservatory under a Fulbright Grant in 1955. Dr. Nelson joined the Brown University faculty the following year and taught there until his retirement in 1993. He has composed two operas, a mass, music for films and television, 90 choral works, and over 40 instrumental works. In 1993, his Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H) made history by winning all three major wind band compositions – the National Association Prize, the American Bandmasters Association Ostwald Prize, and the Sudler International Prize.
Festal March (2024) (2’30”)
Florence Price (1887-1953) trans. Ezekiel Webber
Festal March comes from her collection, Short Organ Works, Volume 2 published posthumously by ClarNan in 1995. This work is versatile and is suitable for a variety of settings including ceremonies, church services, processionals, or as a grand concert opener. Influenced by her training at the New England Conservatory under George Whitefield Chadwick, Price’s Festal March is a testament to her understanding of the English style, embracing traditional form and harmonic structure. This arrangement for the wind ensemble re-imagines this work to expand the repertoire of the medium but also invites listeners to appreciate her unique voice and musical innovation.
Program note by Ezekiel Webber
Florence Price stands as a trailblazer, marking her place in history as the first black female composer to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. In 1933, Music Director Frederick Stock premiered her Symphony No. 1 in E minor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Price’s musical prowess extended beyond composing; she was also a renowned organist, pianist, and teacher, celebrated for her large-scale organ works such as the First Sonata for Organ and Passacaglia and Fugue and her piano character pieces that were used as etudes.
La Fiesta Mexicana (1949/1954) (21’15”)
H. Owen Reed (1910-2014)
In 1948, H. Owen Reed spent six months in Mexico while on a Guggenheim Fellowship, during which time he studied folk music and composed. La Fiesta Mexicana was a result of his time in the country and reflects his observations of the culture. The composer provides these comments:
The first movement, Prelude and Aztec Dance — The tolling of the church bells at midnight officially announces the opening of the Fiesta, which has previously been unofficially announced by the setting off of fireworks, the drinking of tequila and pulque, and the migration of thousands of Mexicans and Indians to the center of activity — the high court surrounding the cathedral. After a brave effort at gaiety, the celebrators settle down to a restless night, until the early quiet of the Mexican morning is once more shattered by the church bells and fireworks. At mid-morning a band is heard in the distance. However, attention is soon focused upon the Aztec dancers, brilliantly plumed and masked, who dance in ever-increasing frenzy to a dramatic climax.
The second movement, Mass, presents the tolling of the bells, reminding that the Fiesta is a religious celebration. The rich and poor slowly gather within the walls of the old cathedral for contemplation and worship. Mexico is at its best on the days of the Fiesta in which passion governs the love, hate and joy of the Mestizo and the Indio.
The third movement, Carnival, reflects the entertainment for both young and old — the itinerant circus, the market, the bullfight, the town band, and always the cantinas with their band of mariachis. Program note by the composer
H. Owen Reed was raised in rural Missouri, where his first exposure to music was his father’s playing of the old-time fiddle accompanied by his mother at the piano. In 1937 he enrolled at the Eastman School of Music studying composition with Howard Hanson, receiving a Ph.D. in composition in 1939. In 1942, at the Berkshire Music Center (Tanglewood), Massachusetts, he studied contemporary music with Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein. In the summer of 1947, he studied composition with Roy Harris at Colorado Springs, Colorado, and also attended lessons with Arnold Schoenberg. Reed joined the composition faculty of Michigan State University in 1939. His career at MSU lasted for nearly 40 years until he retired in 1976.
To view conductor biographies visit music.uga.edu or scan the QR code.
FLUTE
Kiconco Bassler
Rose Fitzgerald
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA SYMPHONIC BAND
Michael C. Robinson, conductor
Jeremy Smith, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Gilbert Villagrana, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Sriram Madhusudan
Roberto Montiel
Jasmine Negron
OBOE
Emma Castleberry
Lorelai Crook
Eleazar Louis
Carter Reed
Jennifer Tran
BASSOON
Yamilet Anariba
Kaleb Colwell
Lily Hurn
CLARINET
Emma Hu
Bailey Hutchins
Blue Jackson
^Anya Kerkemeyer
Avery Pate
Maggie Quesenberry
Shelby Redding
^Allyson Tremblay
^McKenzie Turner
BASS CLARINET
Ethan Campbell
ALTO SAXOPHONE
Nicholas Goldfarb
Rachel Hoang
Sadie Landon
Madelynn Rayner
Bridget Sheridan
TENOR SAXOPHONE
Ashley Emerton
Tucker Rollins
BARITONE SAXOPHONE
Emily Johnson
TRUMPET
Sophia Bobo
Clay Campbell
Ella Carter
Noah Hicks
Benjamin Jones
Walker McCullough
Emma Peters
Sarah Shayeb
HORN
^Brianna Baker-Hopkins
Anjali Culver
Jacob Guerreso
Arine Kim
Josie Klinar
^Savannah Van Buren
^Alexandria Weekley
TROMBONE
Tyler Carver
^Logan Durisch
William Emde
Connor Fenneran
Justin Jung
Stanley Mullis
^Dylan Pollock
EUPHONIUM
Jesse Corso
TarevaChine Lightfoot
Steven Lubitz
Ava Rogers
Maria Suggs
TUBA
Moses Bannister
Benjamin Groover
Riley Maloney
Katja Rintamaki
PERCUSSION
Kai Braun
Morgan Loper
Jorjana Marin
Alex Reiniche
Austin Waters
*Members of the University of Georgia Symphonic Band are listed alphabetically to acknowledge each performer’s unique contribution to our shared artistic endeavors.
^Graduating member appearing in their final ensemble performance with UGA Bands
Jack A. Eaddy Jr., conductor
Anthony Morris, Master’s Conducting Associate
FLUTE
Isabel Brock
Keira Inks
Sam Malave
Connor Thorne
Alexia Toma
Bella Cabrel-Watson
OBOE
^Emily Grabowski
Marcus Lewis
Ashlyn Long
CLARINET
Nate Kite
Elise Larsen
John Peach
Sophie Ray
Claire Telfore
BASS CLARINET
Ethan Campbell
Tyler Nichols
BASSOON
Ethan Johnson
Jordan Johnson
Drew Kruszynski
SAXOPHONE
Owen Cotton
Maddi Finn
Jackson Tadlock
Jon Erik Tripp
TRUMPET
Cameran Butryn
Palmer Hartley
Colin Kennedy
Ben Stocksdale
Hayes Thomas
Nathan Vazquez
Trey Walsh
HORN
London Brooks
Peter Dixon
^Cal Hughes
Patrick Malone
Makenzie Shields
TROMBONE
Ray Choi
Trip Drennan
Joshua Hadaway
Ian Harding
Eric Looney
Zachary Nelson
EUPHONIUM
Andrew Haynes
Skylar Smith
Jacob Torbert
TUBA
Jack Neja
Dallas Pellom
STRING BASS
Michael Farrick
HARP
Evelyn Raphael
PERCUSSION
Tanner Fallin
Reece Moseley
^Henry Pattavina
Aaron Phillip
Mackenzie Roquemore
Angelica Wright
PIANO
Shaohannah Pace
Judson Stricklin
*Members of the University of Georgia Wind Symphony are listed alphabetically to acknowledge each performer’s unique contribution to our shared artistic endeavors.
^Graduating member appearing in their final ensemble performance with UGA Bands
UNIVERSITY
Nicholas Enrico Williams
Jaclyn Hartenberger
Brett Bawcum
Michael C. Robinson
Rob Akridge
Mia Athanas
R. Scott Mullen
Jeremy Smith
Gilbert Villagrana
Caroline W. Pfisterer
Anthony Morris
Michael Chapa
Joseph Johnson
Michelle Moeller
Rocky Raffle
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THURS 4/18
5:30 p.m.
Ramsey Hall, UGA PAC
FREE CONCERT NO TICKETS REQUIRED
THURS 4/18
7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Hall, UGA PAC
FREE CONCERT NO TICKETS REQUIRED
THURS 4/18
7:30 p.m.
Edge Hall, School of Music
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WED 4/24
7:30 p.m.
Ramsey Hall, UGA PAC
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UGA TUBA & EUPHONIUM ENSEMBLE
Celebrating 53 years of the ensemble and 35 years conducted by Gregory Broughton.
AFRICAN
AMERICAN CHORAL ENSEMBLE BULLDOG BRASS SOCIETY
Celebrating 53 years of the ensemble and 35 years conducted by Gregory Broughton.
The premier graduate brass quintet at the University of Georgia
UGA MIDDLE EAST MUSIC ENSEMBLE
MICHAEL MICHAEL MICHAEL MICHAEL HEALD HEALD HEALD HEALD
Special Guest Ali Jihad Racy Distinguished Professor of Ethnomusicology at UCLA from 1978 to 2021
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EXPERIENCE MUSIC UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
TUESDAY, APRIL 23 at 7:30 p.m.
university of georgia symphony orchestra and combined choirs over 300 student musicians grant us peace
dona nobis pacem
ralph vaughan williams composed by
friday, april 26 at 7:30 p.m.
hodgson concert hall
uga performing arts center 230 river rd, athens, ga
A Celebration of Musical Excellence Right Here in Athens
Internationally acclaimed guest musicians join UGA Faculty, students, and the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic for a series of six concerts in venues throughout Athens. Visit chambermusicathens.com for details and tickets!