Yale Concert Band - December 3, 2021, Woolsey Hall, Yale University, New Haven, C

Yale Concert Band Thomas C. Duffy, Music Director

Friday, December 3, 2021, at 8:00 p.m., Woolsey Hall, Yale University

PETER MENNIN SALLY LAMB McCUNE VALERIE COLEMAN arr. STACY GARROP

RON NELSON RYAN GEORGE THOMAS C. DUFFY

OMAR THOMAS

Canzona (1951) High Water Rising (2017) Roma (2010) Jarba, Mare Jarba (2018)

Yale Saxophone Ensemble

Carrie Koffman, coach

Tony Ruan BF 25, soprano saxophone

Sahil Mane TC 24, soprano saxophone

Mattew Fan BF 24, alto saxophone

Dennis Lee DC 24, alto saxophone

Michael Chen GH 23, tenor saxophone

Tilden Chao ES 23, tenor saxophone

Aaron Yu, MC 25, baritone saxophone Resonances I (1991) Firefly (2008) Power and Light (2020)

I. Power and Light

II. And Cut Him Out In Little Stars Of Our New Day Begun (2015)

About Tonight’s Music Canzona (1951) PETER MENNIN (1923-1983) Mennin composed his Canzona in 1951 as part of the continuing series of commissions from Edwin Franko Goldman in cooperation with the League of Composers; it was premiered by the Goldman Band. The concept of the canzona as set forth here is not that of lyrical song implied by the name, but rather that of the early Baroque canzona so brilliantly exploited by Gabrieli (15551612) at the Cathedral of St. Mark in Venice to display contrasting wind and string sonorities together with rhythmic-polyphonic virtuosity. Using the reeds and brasses of the band in alternative tonal blocks, Mennin has created a stunning essay of the same type in the 20th-century manner.

High Water Rising (2017) SALLY LAMB McCUNE (b. 1966) “This piece was originally inspired by David Shumate’s poem, ‘High Water Mark’ (2004).

The depiction of a great flood, the water rising to record heights, all manner of things being carried away with the current, and the indelible impression such an event leaves on those who live it, got me thinking musically.

“Although the piece was percolating for some time, High Water Rising was begun in June 2017, shortly after the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement. This agreement, signed by 195 nations, was an attempt to bind the world community in battling rising temperatures. The U.S. is the 2nd largest polluter in the world.” – Sally Lamb McCune”

Roma (2010) VALERIE COLEMAN (b. 1970) A nation without a country is the best way to describe the nomadic tribes known as gypsies, or properly called, the Romani. Their traditions, their language (Roma), legends, and music stretch all over the globe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean region, and the Iberian peninsula, across the ocean to the Americas. Roma is a tribute to that culture, in five descriptive themes, as told through the eyes and hearts of Roman women everywhere: “Romani Woman,” “Mystic,” “Youth,” “Trickster,” and “History.” The melodies and rhythms are a fusion of styles and cultures: Malagueña of Spain, Argentine Tango, Arabic music, Turkish folk songs, 3/2 Latin claves, and Jazz.

Jarba, Mare Jarba (2018) arr. STACY GARROP (b. 1969) Jarba, Mare Jarba is a popular traditional Hungarian-Romani folk song. Garrop wrote her original arrangement for the chorus Chanticleer in 2014 and adapted it for saxophone choir in 2018. Alternately serene and lively, its title translates to “Green grass, tall grass” and its text speaks of the longing to return to one’s homeland.

Green grass, tall grass, I would like to go home, but I cannot, because I have sworn not to.

Tall grass, green grass – oh, that I cannot go home!

YALE CONCERT BAND My mother has left the village; she left the hut empty, Adorned with leaves but full of poverty.

Tall grass, green grass – oh, that I cannot go home!

Tall grass, green grass – I would like to go home, but I cannot, because I have sworn not to.

Resonances I (1991) RON NELSON (b. 1929) According to Ron Nelson, “This piece uses non-synchronous techniques to achieve its textures. It is not an aleatoric [chance] piece. It will sound the same with each performance . . .” Imagine that a bell tolls, and then another and another. The fundamental bell pitches blend and blur, and the upper overtones begin to combine and multiply. The audience may experience the sensation of being in the midst of a circle of bell towers.

The tapestry of pealing bells builds to a mighty roar, and then fades to the simplest and purest of sounds – the human voice.

Firefly (2008) RYAN GEORGE (b. 1978) “I’m amazed at how children use their imaginations to transform the ordinary and normal into the extraordinary and fantastic. Just about anything they come across can be used to spark their fantasies and usher their minds into unseen worlds. A stick on the ground becomes a wand with magical powers or a sword to fight off bad guys. A collection of rocks turns into buried treasure and a blanket stretched over two chairs becomes a cave to hide in. And things found in nature; birds, waterfalls, flowers, and even insects take on mythic identities when viewed through the eyes of a child.

“The idea for Firefly was born one night as I watched my 4-year old become mesmerized by a firefly that had wandered into our front yard. When I asked her what she thought of the ‘firefly,’ she looked at me with a puzzled look and said with a corrective tone, ‘Dad, that is not a firefly…that’s Tinkerbell, and she’s come to take me with her on an adventure!’

“Firefly is dedicated to my daughters Sophia and Nyla, who ignite my imagination and bring awe and wonder into my life every day.” – Ryan George

Power and Light (2020) THOMAS C. DUFFY (b. 1955) Duffy writes of his piece: “I visited all four of the middle school bands in Buffalo, New York, and asked the students what concerned or interested them. The responses ranged from fun to serious stuff, but the predominant issue was global warming, followed by concerns about the maintenance of personal and civil rights. We discussed Buffalo’s prominence as the first electric city, complete with electric lights in public, powered by the mighty Niagara Falls generator. Reliance on technology can’t be discarded but it would be a wonderful thing to maintain its benefits and eliminate its disadvantages — pollution, danger, replacement of humans. Indeed, aren’t we so taken with contemporary technology that we are moving farther and farther away from a personal contact with nature? How can we recover respect for the beauty of nature, even while living in the modern world?

“Let’s consider the hydro-electric generation of electric light. Ironically, we are generating power to replace the sun. We want light at night. Stars and the moon aren’t enough. Power and Light (both the piece title and the first movement) is a musical depiction of the generation of light from water. It begins with the sounds of the pistons cranking and the machinery working. Water sounds float in and out. As power is created, the eerie melody arises, beautiful but slightly

‘dangerous’ sounding: we all know what can happen when large industrial machines break down! At the height of the power generation, the night stars come out, two sources of light existing at the same time. The second movement, ‘And Cut Him Out in Little Stars,’ reflects the fact that light is both a wave and a particle. Particles (points) of harmony combine to provide a tapestry over which a simple legato melody unfolds. Particles and waves combine, the melody returns full of power and majesty, and yields to sounds of a peaceful night, complete with the blinking and twinkling of stars. Electric lights are humans’ attempt to hold back the dark of night. But embrace the beauty of night, as did Shakespeare’s Juliet, speaking of her beloved, soon-to-be-departed Romeo: ‘And when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.’”

Of Our New Day Begun (2015) OMAR THOMAS (b. 1984) Omar Thomas writes of his piece: “Of Our New Day Begun was written to honor nine beautiful souls who lost their lives to a callous act of hatred and domestic terrorism on the evening of June 17, 2015, while worshipping in their beloved sanctuary, the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (affectionately referred to as ‘Mother Emanuel’) in Charleston, South Carolina. My greatest challenge in creating this work was walking the line between reverence for the victims and their families, and honoring my strong, bitter feelings towards both the perpetrator and the segments of our society that continue to create people like him. I realized that the most powerful musical expression I could offer incorporated elements from both sides of that line — embracing my pain and anger while being moved by the displays of grace and forgiveness demonstrated by the victims’ families.

“Historically, black Americans have, in great number, turned to the church to find refuge and grounding in the most trying of times. Thus, the musical themes and ideas for Of Our New Day Begun are rooted in the Black American church tradition. The piece is anchored by James and John Johnson’s time-honored song, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ (known endearingly as the ‘Negro National Anthem’) and peppered with blues harmonies and melodies. Singing, stomping, and clapping are also prominent features of this work, as they have always been a mainstay of black music traditions, and the inclusion of the tambourine in these sections is a direct nod to black worship services.

“Of Our New Day Begun begins with a unison statement of a melodic cell from ‘Lift Every Voice….’ before suddenly giving way to ghostly, bluesy chords in the horns and bassoons. This section moves to a dolorous and bitter dirge presentation of the anthem in irregularly shifting 12/8 and 6/8 meter, which grows in intensity as it offers fleeting glimmers of hope and relief answered by cries of blues-inspired licks.

A maddening, ostinato-driven section representing a frustration and weariness that words cannot, grows into a group singing of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ fueled by the stomping and clapping reminiscent of the black church.

“In the latter half of the piece the music turns hopeful, settling into 9/8 time and modulating up a step during its ascent to a glorious statement of the final lines of ‘Lift Every Voice….’ in 4/4, honoring the powerful display of humanity set forth by the families of the victims. There is a long and emotional decrescendo that lands on a pensive and cathartic gospel-inspired hymnsong.

Returning to 9/8 time, the piece comes to rest on a unison F that grows from a very distant hum to a thunderous roar, driven forward by march-like stomping to represent the ceaseless marching of black Americans towards equality.”

YALE CONCERT BAND

This image is used with permission from the Irving S. Gilmore Music Library at Yale University, which houses the papers of J. Rosamond Johnson, who wrote the music. The lyrics were written by his brother, James Weldon Johnson, whose papers are housed in the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University.

About the Music Director Thomas C. Duffy is Professor (Adjunct) of Music, Director of University Bands, and Clinical Professor of Nursing at Yale University, where he has worked since 1982.

He is known as a composer, a conductor, a teacher, an administrator, and a leader.

His interests and research range from non-tonal analysis to jazz, from wind band history to creativity and the brain. Under his direction, the Yale Bands have performed at conferences of the College Band Directors National Association and New England College Band Association; for club audiences at New York City’s Village Vanguard, Birdland, Dizzy’s Club, and Iridium; Ronnie Scott’s (London); the Belmont (Bermuda); as part of the inaugural ceremonies for President George H.W. Bush; and concertized in twenty-one countries in the course of eighteen international tours.

Duffy produced a two-year lecture/performance series, Music and the Brain, with the Yale School of Medicine; and, with the Yale School of Nursing, developed a musical intervention to train nursing students to better hear and identify body sounds with the stethoscope. He combined his interests in music and science to create a genre of music for the bilateral conductor – in which a “split-brained conductor” must conduct a different meter in each hand, sharing downbeats. His compositions have introduced a generation of school musicians to aleatory, the integration of spoken/sung words and “body rhythms” with instrumental performance, and the pairing of music with political, social, historical and scientific themes. He has been awarded the Yale Tercentennial Medal for Composition, the Elm/ Ivy Award, the Yale School of Music Cultural Leadership Citation and certificates of appreciation by the United States Attorney’s Office for his Yale 4/Peace: Rap for Justice concerts – music programs designed for social impact by using the power of music to deliver a message of peace and justice to impressionable middle and high school students.

Duffy has served as associate, deputy and acting dean of the Yale School of Music. He has served as a member of the Fulbright National Selection Committee, the Tanglewood II Symposium planning committee, the Grammy Foundation Music Educators Award Screening Committee, and completed the MLE program at the Harvard University Institute for Management and Leadership in Education. He has served as: president of the Connecticut Composers Inc., the New England College Band Directors Association and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA); editor of the CBDNA Journal, publicity chair for the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles; and chair of the Connecticut Music Educators Association’s Professional Affairs and Government Relations committees. He is a member of American Bandmasters Association, American Composers Alliance, the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, Connecticut Composers Incorporated, the Social Science Club, and BMI. Duffy has conducted ensembles all over the world, including the National Association for Music Education’s National Honor Band in the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.

(More extensive data is available at www.duffymusic.com, including a high resolution downloadable photo.)

Upcoming Yale Bands Performances • Saturday, February 26, 2022: Yale Concert Band, Thomas C. Duffy, Music Director. Premiere: Gustav Holst’s (The) Planets with graphic projections by Yale School of Drama students Camilla Tassi ’22 and John Horzen ’24; (5523) Luminet 1991 PH8 (Thérèse Brenet). Woolsey Hall, 7:30 p.m. Free.

• Monday, March 7, 2022: Yale Jazz Ensemble, Wayne Escoffery, Music Director. Celebrating the Centennial of bassist and composer Charles Mingus. Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Memorial Hall, 7:30 p.m. Free.

• Thursday, April 14, 2022: Yale Concert Band, Thomas C. Duffy, Music Director. Program TBA. Woolsey Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Free.

• Sunday, April 24, 2022: Yale Concert Band, Thomas C. Duffy, Music Director. Special Tribute Concert. Details TBA. Woolsey Hall, 2:00 p.m. Free.

Current Audience Policy. Per Yale University COVID-19 guidelines, in-person concert attendance at Yale Concert Band performances is currently limited to asymptomatic, fully vaccinated individuals. Guests will be required to show proof of vaccination and a matching photo ID at the door. Other individuals are invited to view the live stream at https://bands.yalecollege.yale.edu/listen-yale-bands-0. Audience permissions are subject to change.

YALE CONCERT BAND 2021-2022 THOMAS C. DUFFY, Music Director STEPHANIE HUBBARD, Business Manager

Piccolo Salena Huang GSAS 26 Flutes Rosa Kleinman BF 23* Emily He DC 24 Seb Seager SM 23 Yaa Owusu JE 22 Katie Handler TC 22 Elijah Bakaleynik DC 24 Denise Peng ES 25 Oboes Ana Rodrigues BR 25 Ryan Tie-Shue SM 22 Zara Ashford SY 25 Eb Clarinet Benjamin Swinchoski BF 24 Bb Clarinets Jalen Li PC

Keith L. Wilson Principal

Clarinet Chair*† Daphne Zhu ES 22 Joshua Rothbaum TD 23 Jessica Liu GH 25 Daniel Denney ES 24 Kayleigh Hackett SY 25 Bb Bass Clarinet Margalit Patry-Martin GH 25 Bassoons Pax Ryan BK 25 Katia Osorio YSM 22 Soprano Saxophone Tony Ruan BF 25

Alto Saxophones Tony Ruan BF 25* Sahil Mane TC 24 Matthew Fan BF 24 Dennis Lee DC 24 Alina Martel TC 23 Bb Tenor Saxophones Aaron Yu MC 25* Esteban Figueroa MC 25 Eb Baritone Saxophone Michael Chen GH 23 Cornets/Trumpets Connor Holland YSM 22 Joshua Bialkin YSM 22 Ethan Olim MY 25 Izzy Lopez MY 24 French Horns Ava Conway YSM 22 Stephanie Fritz YSM 23 Keenan Miller DC 24 Kyle Thompson YSM 22 Trombones Theo Haaks BR 24 Aaron Smith BF 25 Cody Uman MC 25 Euphonium John Liu TD 25 Tubas Bridget Conley YSM 23 Vivian Kung YSM 22

String Bass Nico Hernandez YSM 23 Piano Noah Vinogradov TC 25 Organ Ethan Haman YSM 22 Percussion Jacob Gutierrez YSM 22 Sijia Huang YSM 22 Makana Medeiros YSM 23 Yukiko Nakamura YSM 23 Etai Smotrich-Barr DC 25 Max Su SY 25 Michael Yeung YSM 22 Triangles Isabella Canava JE 23 Maansi Dasari JE 22 Eli Gilbert BF 24 Mary Jiang BF 24 Allie Liebmann JE 23 Jacob Mansfield MY 25 Aram Russell BF 23 Annie Sidransky DC 25 Joe Wang MY 24

* Principal † Friends of Keith L. Wilson (Director of Yale Bands from 1946-1973) honored him by endowing the principal clarinet chair in the Yale Concert Band in his name. If you would like information about naming a Yale Concert Band chair, please contact the Yale Bands Office.

YALE CONCERT BAND OFFICERS

President: Alina Martel General Managers: Matthew Fan, Jalen Li

Publicity Chair: Seb Seager Social Chairs: Katie Handler, Joshua Rothbaum

YALE UNIVERSITY BANDS P.O. Box 209048, New Haven, CT 06520-9048 ph: 203-432-4111 stephanie.hubbard@yale.edu

www.yale.edu/yaleband