presents

March 27, 2021 Macel Falwell Recital Hall MUSIC 305 7:00 PM

Sonata, Op. 19, Movement I Paul Creston (1906-1985)

Scaramouch, Movement III Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)

Sonata Bernhard Heiden (1910-2000)

Superstition arr. Joseph Henson Mr. Joseph Henson, piano

My Little Boat (O Barquinho) Roberto Menescal (b. 1937) Alex Harmon, piano; Caleb Gordon, electric guitar; Kalena Ramirez, electric bass; Andres Carrera Del Rio Weir, drums

In A Mellow Tone Duke Ellington (1899-1974) Alex Harmon, piano; Caleb Gordon, electric guitar; Kalena Ramirez, electric bass; Andres Carrera Del Rio Weir, drums

This is My Father’s World Franklin L. Sheppard arr. Sean Slaney Alex Harmon, piano; Caleb Gordon, electric guitar; Kalena Ramirez, electric bass; Andres Carrera Del Rio Weir, drums

Ancient of Days Ron Kenoly arr. Sean Slaney Alex Harmon, piano; Caleb Gordon, electric guitar; Kalena Ramirez, electric bass; Andres Carrera Del Rio Weir, drums

Sonata, Op. 19, Movement I Paul Creston was a self-taught composer in the mid 1900’s. Creston finished composing his Sonata for Eb Alto Saxophone in 1939, and it was first performed a few months later in 1940. It did not take long for the piece to be recognized as a classic, and after a few years, it gained status as a standard repertoire piece for alto saxophone players. Since he wrote this sonata in the late 1930s, Creston was heavily influenced by music. This is noticeable in the sturcture of the chords throughout the piece.

Scaramouch, Movement III Bernhard Heiden wrote his Sonata for Alto Saxophone in 1937. This composition was originally intended for and dedicated to Larry Teal, who is considered the father of American orchestral saxophone. As you will hear, Heiden was a master of taking musical ideas and trading them between the saxophone and piano. These motifs will be modulated and combined throughout the three movements to create the unique sound of this sonata. In a similar manner to the Creston Sonata, you will notice that the chords in this piece are at times structured similarly to jazz songs of this era.

Superstition Superstition was released by Stevie Wonder in his Talking Book in 1973. Wonder recorded this song during his time at Electric Lady Studios. His bass player, Scott Edwards, once said in an interview that Stevie Wonder would keep the studio booked and wait for inspiration to hit. Edwards commented that since Wonder was blind, he was not confined by the daylight. The band used to receive 4am phone calls to come and record.

My Little Boat (O Barquinho) My Little Boat (O Barquinho) was released in 1961 by Brazillian composer Roberto Menescal. While stranded at sea in a boat with a broken motor, Menescal played around on his guitar to write this tune. He had the piece mostly finished by the time their rescue boat arrived. Since its release, there have been many covers of O Barquinho recorded in the original Portuguese, in English, and instrumentally.

In A Mellow Tone In A Mellow Tone is a tune composed by Duke Ellington. Duke was known for taking the chord changes of old standards, adding melodic hooks and solos, and creating a new piece from it. In this case, Ellington took the chords from “Rose Room” (1919) and turned them into In A Mellow Tone. The piece became famous and achieved standard status which is credited to the melodic ideas of Duke Elington and the solo played by saxophonist Johnny Hodges.

This is My Father’s World Though the hymn is credited to Franklin L. Sheppard, This is My Father’s World was originally written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock. Being fond of nature, Babcok used to regularly go on walks and gaze at the beauty of what he called “the Father’s World.” After he died in 1901, his wife released a number of his writings included his poem This is My Father’s World. The poem was originally much longer than the hymn we know today. It was finalized and put to music in 1915 by Franklin L. Sheppard who was a friend of Babcock.

Ancient of Days Ancient of Days is a song based off of a passage from Daniel 7. Verses 22-27 describe the Kingdom of Heaven, “His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the empires will serve and obey him” (v27 NASB). Ron Kenoly released this song in his album Lift Him Up in 1992. I remember when I was a child my parents had a copy of this album that they would play often in the car. Because of this, Ancient of Days and some of the others from that album hold special value to me.

I would like to thank my musicians for helping me to bring you this recital. The night would not have been the same without the incredible talent that I had backing me up. I would also like to thank my family for always being there for me throughout my musical career. A special thanks must go to my immediate family (Mom, Dad, and Elizabeth) who for many years have put up with me practicing in their house. Thank you to my wonderful fiance, Torie. Your consistant love and support has been crucial to me this semester. Finally, thank you to all of my professors, especially Mr. Henson. I have learned so much during my time here at Liberty. Thank you for always helping me and encouraging me to work hard and improve myself.

Of course, none of this would be at all possible if it were not for the grace of God. I understand that the phrase is cliché in the Christian community, but He has truly been my rock throughout my college education. There were many times when I was feeling stressed, and He comforted me. Worshipping Jesus has been what has kept me sane amidst all of the due dates and deadlines. I dedicate this night to Jesus and give Him the credit and honor for everything.

Sean Slaney is a student of Professor Joseph Henson.

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Music in Worship Leadership degree.

We would like to thank the Liberty University Administration for their faithful support of the School of Music.

Dr. Jerry Prevo, President Dr. Scott Hicks, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Stephen Müller, Dean, School of Music The School of Music Administration, Faculty, and Staff