Concert Band Joan Dealbuquerque, Conductor
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Luther College Concert Band Joan deAlbuquerque, conductor Winter 2008 Concert Tour A 2013 Norway and Iceland Tour LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT he Luther College Concert Band is on the move. This spring they have the honor of perform- Ting at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Con- ference and then they travel to Iceland and Norway, a tour of historic significance for Luther College. The Concert Band is Luther’s oldest ensemble, being founded in 1876. In 1914, they sailed across the ocean to perform in Norway, Iceland, and Italy. As the oldest Norwegian-American college in the NORWEGIAN TRANSLATION United States, it was particularly meaningful for Luther’s Concert Band to participate in the 100th Musikkorpset fra Luther College, The Luther anniversary celebration of Norwegian independence. College Concert Band, er igjen på farten. Today’s ensemble, under the superb direction of Dr. Denne våren får korpset det ærefulle opp- Joan deAlbuquerque, is excited to repeat the journey drag å opptre på Iowa Bandmasters Associa- to Norway and Iceland on the threshold of Norway’s tion- konferansen, og deretter reiser de til Island og bicentennial syttende mai celebration. Norge, en tur av stor historisk betydning for Luther College. Like the generations of students before them, the young Korpset er Luthers eldste ensemble. Det ble grunn- men and women who make up the Luther College Con- lagt i 1876. I 1914 reiste de med båt over havet cert Band come from a variety of places and are studying for å holde konserter i Norge, Island og Italia. Som a range of academic disciplines. Because we believe self- det eldste norskamerikanske colleget i USA var det expression through the arts is fundamental to a liberal viktig for skolens korps å delta i hundreårsjubileet arts education, music flourishes on the Luther campus. for den norske grunnloven. Musikerne i dagens en- Nearly 1,000 student musicians participate in one of semble, under ledelse av Dr. Joan deAlbuquerque, three bands, three orchestras, six choirs, and two jazz gleder seg til reisen til Norge og Island, på terskelen til Norges 17. maifeiring, to hundre år etter at bands. It all adds up to one of the largest collegiate music grunnloven ble undertegnet i 1814. programs in the world. Som generasjoner av studenter før dem, kommer de I am delighted you are able to hear the talented young unge studentene, som i dag utgjør Luther College Concert Band, fra en rekke steder og studerer ulike men and women who continue a long and impressive fag. På Luther College legger vi vekt på at hver en- Luther College Concert Band legacy. Dr. deAlbuquerque kelt student skal få utfolde seg gjennom kunst i en exemplifies two pillars of effective teaching—discipline humanistisk fagutdannelse. Derfor blomstrer musik- and inspiration—and the music she elicits from these klivet på Luther College der nesten 1000 studenter musicians is by every measure exceptional. I hope you deltar i sang og musikk. Her er tre orkestre, tre are stirred by their artistry and skill. korps, seks kor og to jazz-band. Til sammen utgjør dette ett av de mest omfattende tilbud innenfor musikkutdanning på collegenivå. Jeg er glad for at mange nå får denne sjansen til å høre de talentfulle studentene, unge kvinner og Richard L. Torgerson, Ph.D. menn, som fortsetter en lang og rik tradisjon på Lu- President ther College. I sin ledelse legger Dr. deAlbuquerque vekt på både nødvendig disiplin og inspirasjon og det er imponerende hva hun får de unge musikerne til å yte. Jeg er sikker på at alle som hører dem, vil sette pris på The Luther College Concert Band. Richard L. Torgerson, Ph.D. President (rektor) 1 PROGRAM AND NOTES JOAN Scarecrow Overture DEALBUQUERQUE Joseph Turrin (b. 1947) Scarecrow Overture first existed as the opening toThe Scare- Joan deAlbuquerque, was appointed director crow, a two-act chamber opera with music by Joseph Turrin of bands at Luther Col- and libretto by Bernard Stambler. The opera is based on the lege in 2011. She also short story “Feathertop: A Moralized Legend,” published conducts the Luther Col- by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1852, which tells the tale of a lege Concert Band, Wind scarecrow named Feathertop brought to life by a witch to and Percussion Ensemble, do ill will to the daughter of a judge with whom she has a and teaches conducting. grudge. Needing puffs of smoke from a pipe to stay “alive,” Prior to Luther College, the scarecrow falls in love with the judge’s daughter and deAlbuquerque served as comes to realize that he is a scarecrow, not a human. Upon the associate director of this realization, he destroys his pipe, thus reducing himself bands at California State University, Long Beach and to a lifeless heap of straw. Although Scarecrow Overture is as interim director of bands at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. An experienced public school not overtly connected to the Feathertop story like the teacher, she was Director of Bands at Pinckney High theatrical production, it is still useful in achieving proper School in Michigan, where she directed the wind mood and affect. The piece was originally written for a symphony and marching band, and taught instru- chamber group of only 18 wind players. The full wind band mental and general music at the elementary and version was premiered in March 13, 2010, by the California middle school levels. State University Symphonic Band under conductor Joan As a student of Eugene Migliaro Corporon, deAlbuquerque. deAlbuquerque earned a doctor of musical arts degree in wind conducting from the University of Vanity Fair North Texas. She holds a master of music degree in wind conducting from Michigan State University, Percy Fletcher (1879–1932) where she studied with John Whitwell. A graduate ed. Brant Karrick of Macomb Community College, deAlbuquerque Vanity Fair is a concise and refreshing overture that is a earned a bachelor of music education degree from wonderful example of Fletcher’s light melodic style and Michigan State University. first-rate scoring. Described by the composer as “a comedy As a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, overture in which several characters from Thackeray’s novel deAlbuquerque has worked with middle school and are portrayed,” the fast-slow-fast, single movement form high school bands in Iowa, Michigan, New Mexico, includes three main thematic ideas. The opening vivace A Colorado, California, and Israel. She has presented section features a vigorously energetic melody that is perme- clinics and workshops for the Southern California ated with scales, sequences, repeated motives and a variety School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) of color. The second theme, in the dominant key of F, is and Tau Beta Sigma, and has conducted at confer- ences for the SCSBOA, California Band Directors somewhat slower and delightfully pompous in character. The Association, College Band Directors National Asso- highly romantic middle section, now in D♭ Major, showcases ciation national conference (CBDNA), and the Music a beautiful melody complemented by exquisite scoring and Educators National Conference (MENC). is to be played “with sentimental expression.” A transition leads to the return of the opening vivace theme with some Professor deAlbuquerque is a regular contributor to the Teaching Music through Performance in Band variety of harmony and scoring. The stately second theme, series, published by GIA Publications and has also now in tonic, leads to an extended and electrifying coda that written for the Kappa Kappa Psi/Tau Beta Sigma gains tempo and places the highest technical demands upon publication, The Podium. She is on the board of musicians, particularly the upper woodwinds. Vanity Fair, the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association as the one of those uniquely remarkable pieces that is immediately college affairs representative and is a member of revered by audiences and musicians alike, was first published the Iowa Bandmasters Association, CBDNA, Pi Kappa for band by Hawkes and Son in London in 1924, and was Lambda, Phi Kappa Phi, and Tau Beta Sigma. From later transcribed for orchestra. The aim of this edition is 2008–11, she was on the national board of Tau Beta to not only make this decidedly precious work available to Sigma as vice president of professional relations. modern concert bands, but also to elevate it to its rightful position among the standard wind repertoire. —Brant Karrick 2 The Spheres WEB GEHRING ’16 Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) Galesburg, Ill.; euphonium Gjeilo provides the following notes: music, education minor This score is the wind band version of material taken from How did you end up at my mass for choir and string orchestra, called Sunrise (2008). Luther? I was looking for In the first part ofThe Spheres, I use a kind of overlapping a place to major in music fade-in/fade-out effect; this is meant to give a sense of float- before going to seminary to ing in space, in relative darkness and silence, as if surrounded become a pastor. After see- by stars and planets light-years away. The theme was in- ing a Luther billboard while fluenced by Alan Silvestri’s wonderful score for the 2007 visiting Des Moines, I called Robert Zemeckis movie Beowulf. I remember coming home Admissions at 10 p.m. and the next day showed up at the premiere night from the theater, feeling very touched noon to beautiful skies and and inspired, and improvising my way into what would end extremely helpful and happy people. A great audition up being the chorale theme that The Spheres is based on, experience sealed the deal, and here I am! starting with the five notes that comprise the first phrase of the work. What has your experience with Concert Band been like? Outstanding! The professional, talented musicians of LCCB along with Dr.