Goshen College Symphony Orchestra Fall Family Concert Friday, November 21, 2014 • 7:30 P.M
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GOSHEN COLLEGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FALL FAMILY CONCERT Friday, November 21, 2014 • 7:30 p.m. Sauder Concert Hall PROGRAM Carnival of the Animals Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Introduction and Royal March of the Lion Hens and Roosters Wild Donkeys: Swift Animals Tortoises The Elephant Kangaroos Aquarium Beasts with Long Ears The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods Aviary Pianists Fossils The Swan Finale Kathryn Schmidt & Matthew Hill, piano Paul Keim, narrator Selected movements from Tchaikovsky & Ellington’s Nutcracker Suites P.I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Dance of the Reed Pipes Duke Elington (1899-1974) Toot toot tootie toot March Peanut Brittle Brigade The Fable of Old Turtle Linda Tutas Haugen Linda Tutas Haugen, narrator Keith Bear, Native American flutes Please turn off all noisemaking electronic devices prior to the start of the concert. The use of unauthorized audio, video, and photographic equipment is strictly prohibited. GOSHEN COLLEGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DR. CHRISTOPHER FASHUN, CONDUCTOR Violin I Piccolo Trumpet Jorge Abreu Toyens Kelsey McKinnell Lydia Good Matthew Chen Ardys Woodward Leah Landes * Hillary Harder † Wade Troyer † Vince Kurtz ^ Flute Peter Paetkau * Kelsey McKinnell * Trombone Sam Smucker ^ Becky Snider ^ Quinn Brenneman Josh Yoder § Ardys Woodward † Isaac Godshalk Katrina Kennel * Violin II Oboe Peter Wise † Garret Ahlgrim ^ Leah Amstutz Mikhail Fernandes ^ Miranda Earnhart Madeleine Yoder * Gretchen Geyer † Tuba Emily Gibbs ^ English Horn Charlie Westra § Hayley Mann Leah Amstutz Monica Miller * Piano Alisa Murray Clarinet Wade Troyer Jessie Smucker ^ Kenan Bitikofer Kendall Friesen Timpani/Percussion Viola Stephen Graber * Micah Detweiler † Philip Bontrager * Malinda Slabaugh Cristian Good * Melanie Drinkwater Matthew Maggert Joanna Epp Bass Clarinet Jacob Shetler ^ Abbie Kaser † Kendall Friesen Peter Meyer Reimer ^ Student Assistants Bryan Yoder ^ Alto/Tenor Saxophone Katrina Kennel Jacob Penner Malinda Slabaugh Cello Becky Snider ^ Abby Deaton ^ Bassoon Sam Smucker ^ Benjamin Ganger † Ken Hanson § Peter Wise Jacob Greaser ^ Ashley Westra § Maddy Keener Reuben Ng ^ Horn Nathan O’Leary Reid Brace Max Stauffer ^ Brenner Burkholder † Benjamin Wiebe * Emily Vogt * Matt Wimmer Erin Yoder § * denotes principal Bass † denotes assistant principal Bill Mateer * § § denotes faculty or community member ^ denotes off-campus for SST, student teaching, or extension semester PROGRAM NOTES The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux) Camille Saint-Saëns After a disappointing concert tour in 1885, Saint-Saëns retreated to a small Austrian village and wrote Carnival of the Animals with the purpose of creating a work for his own enjoyment. Reluctant as he was to perform it, even for small parlor audiences, it gained much favor from his friends. He resisted publishing it during his lifetime, fearing he would be criticized for composing music that was not “serious.” Little did he know that it has become one of his most famous and adored works, especially fitting for family concerts. In 1949, American poet Ogden Nash, who is best known for his light verse, wrote satirical verses to ac- company each movement. Saint-Saëns in his own way created his own humor and fun by quoting several themes from his contemporaries’ music (Rossini, Offenbach, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, and himself). Selected movmements from The Nutcracker Suite P.I. Tchaikovsky & Duke Ellington The sounds of The Nutcracker have become synonymous with Christmas not only because the ballet is most often performed during the Christmas season, but also because of the setting and plot of the story itself. The ballet was the second collaboration between Tchaikovsky and the director of the Imperial Theatre Ivan Vsevolozhsky who used Alexandre Dumas’ adaptation of the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Perhaps the most interesting detail of The Nutcracker Suite is that it was completed before the ballet. It was Tchaikovsky’s intention that it be performed as a concert work apart from the ballet. The reason for this was twofold. His primary motivation was to upstage his contemporaries by being the first composer to feature the celeste in an orchestral work. Secondary to this was his growing skepticism and concern in how to effectively adapt and convey the story to the stage. By creating a concert piece of the music, Tchaikovsky had a failsafe if the ballet had an unenthusiastic reception at its premiere. The suite was performed a month earlier than the ballet under the Tchaikovsky’s direction on March 19, 1892 at an assembly of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Music Society. Additionally, Tchaikovsky suggested the performance be a double billing that would include his last opera Iolanta, to further divert attention away from the ballet. In the music of The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky exhibits his gift of melody, his inventiveness and colorful orchestration that displays the influences of 19th century harmonic practices and characteristics as well as French dance forms. Because it is dance music, symmetrically balanced phrasing is omnipresent, and phrases occur usually in eight or sixteen measures. Another characteristic trait in his ballet music is the juxtaposition of groups of instruments (winds and strings) or the grouping of instruments with similar tessituras (high, medium, low) in contrast with another. All of these elements are exhibited in the two movements in this performance. The name Duke Ellington is synonymous with jazz. Jazz standards such as Sophisticated Lady, Take the A Train, Satin Doll, and Caravan are but a few his most popular tunes. As he matured as a composer, he began to write jazz music that was either influenced by classicalmusic or music that was intended to be serious. In 1960, Ellington took Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a and Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suites and adapted and arranged them for his big band. He was a master at colorful orchestration which is on full display in his version of the Nutcracker. His thematic transformation of Tchaikovsky’s themes is masterfully clever through his use of instrumentation, rhythm and meter, and timbral effects from the various mutes in the trumpets and trombones. The full orchestral adaptation was written by Jeff Tyzik who is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic. The Fable of Old Turtle Linda Tutas Haugen Old Turtle, written by Douglas Wood with watercolors by Cheng-Khee Chee, and published in l992, is a fable. It begins long ago with different animals and elements of nature arguing that God is like themselves. Old Turtle interrupts the argument and helps them all to realize that the essence of God is greater than their own personal characteristics. She foretells the arrival of human beings in the world: “they will come in many colors and shapes, with different faces and different ways of speaking.” The people come and soon begin to argue about God. They kill each other and harm the earth. Finally, the mountain, the ocean, stone, breeze and star, who argued earlier, speak to the people. Echoing Old Turtle’s words, they cause the people to un- derstand their relationship to each other and to all of nature. The book powerfully teaches peace, tolerance, and stewardship of the earth. The musical setting The Fable of Old Turtle by composer Linda Tutas Haugen portrays the drama found in the book. It begins by depicting each animal or element of the earth with its own musical theme or motive. After each of these creatures gives its own statement of who or what they think God is, they begin to argue. The music reflects this with increasing dissonance and tension. This is interrupted by the solo cello, representing “Old Turtle” who insists they stop. The cello continues with cadenza-like material interspersed with instru- mental accompaniment. During this section previous musical themes and motives are re-introduced as “Old Turtle” describes the arrival of people in the world. The Native American flute begins with a Hidatsa friend- ship song, echoed in duet with solo cello. This song develops into a joyful, gigue-like dance. As the people forget about who they are and begin to argue, kill and hurt the earth, the music continues to grow in intensity reaching a climax of destruction and death. But it is the creatures of the earth who plead for the people to stop. They echo musical ideas previously stated by “Old Turtle” and the people listen. The final coda section represents the hope and understanding the people eventually realize between each other and the earth. The composition closes with a prayerful improvised Native American flute solo, reflecting calm and peace. This concert is made possible in part through generous support from the Goshen College Music Center and Horizon Education Alliance. Goshen College is a nationally-recognized liberal arts college in Northern Indiana known for leadership in intercultural and international education, sustainability and social justice. The college offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 65 areas of study, as well as select master’s degrees. Goshen enrolls approximately 900 students from 33 states and 38 countries, and is recognized for its innovative, life- changing study abroad program (Study-Service Term) and exceptional educational value. Rooted in the historically peaceful Mennonite church, the college’s Christ-centered mission produces passionate learners, compassionate peacemakers, global citizens and servant leaders. Visit goshen.edu. BIOGRAPHIES An incredibly diverse and versatile conductor and performer, Christopher Fashun is an Assistant Professor of Music on the faculty of Goshen College where he conducts the Symphony Orchestra, directs the All-Campus Band, serves as the Coordinator for the Music Education Program, conducts the orchestra for musicals and opera, and teaches applied percussion. An accomplished percussionist and violist, he has several years of orchestral and chamber music experience and has enjoyed success in both areas as a soloist by winning three concerto competitions. During the past decade, Dr. Fashun has concentrated his study of world percussion in Brazilian and Afro-Brazilian music and dance.