Program Notes

Chase Scene (1998) (1’) presents the Donald Hill (b. 1953)

Symphonic Band Previously, Donald Hill was director of bands at Plantation High School, Plantation, Florida; and Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, Florida; where the bands were Monday, April 10, 2017 recognized for their consistently outstanding performances in the areas of concert, jazz and marching. During this period he arranged music for Hal Leonard Publications and Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall many competitive marching bands throughout the country. Don also served as the Brass Caption and Music General Effect Chairman for Drum Corps International from 1993 to Michael Robinson, conductor 1999. Chase Scene (1998) Donald Hill Don currently lives in Ventura, CA., where he is engaged as a composer, arranger, (b. 1953) and clinician. He has received commissions from high school and university bands throughout the United States and has had works performed at the National Band Association meeting, the College Band Directors National Association Southern Division meeting and the Bands of America National Festival. Donald has been a Bloom (2004) Steven Bryant member of The American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) since 1994, and (b. 1972) five times has received recognition from the ASCAP Special Awards Panel for his works. He is currently being published by Great Works Publishing, Inc. and Ludwig Music. Jonathan Poquette, guest conductor About the piece, the composer writes, “Chase Scene evokes the relentless intensity of a chase utilizing swiftly changing musical scenes. The piece is built out of the opening four-note motive which appears in different permutations throughout the work. After the introduction, an urban “street feel” is created by low winds and percussion. A mysterious melody emerges in saxes and double reeds which is briefly developed by the Suite of Old American Dances (1949) brass with the “street feel” being interspersed like quick edits in a movie. The music I. Cakewalk (1894-1981) intensely grows to a feverish excitement as the chase rushes to a dramatic conclusion.” II. Schottische III. Western One Step IV. Wallflower Waltz V. Rag Bloom (2004) (6’) Steven Bryant (b. 1972) -intermission- Jonathan Poquette, guest conductor

Steven Bryant is an active composer and conductor with a varied catalog, including works for wind ensemble, , electronic and electro-acoustic creations, Lauds, Praise High Day (1991) Ron Nelson , and music for the web. He was also Distinguished Visiting Professor of (b. 1929) Composition at the University of North Carolina Greensboro for the 2014-2015 academic Jonathan Poquette, guest conductor year. Steven studied composition with John Corigliano at The , Cindy McTee at the University of North Texas, and Francis McBeth at Ouachita University, He resides in Durham, NC with his wife, conductor Verena Moesenbichler-Bryant.

Bloom (2004) was commissioned by the Northwest North Carolina Bandmasters In Memoriam: Kristina (2002) Bruce Yurko Association for the All-District Middle School Symphonic Band. The composer offers the following about the work: “It is a celebration of springtime. The bright, sunny (b. 1951) days, with nature in bloom all around, give me a powerful sense of well-being, simultaneously tranquil and exuberant. Bloom is my attempt to recreate that feeling.”

Galatic Empires (1998) David R. Gillingham I. Battlestar of the Andromeda Nebula (b. 1947) II. Evenstar of the Magellanic Cloud III. Earthstar of the Milky Way Suite of Old American Dances (1949) (15’) Lauds, Praise High Day (1991) (5.5’) I. Cakewalk Ron Nelson (b. 1929) II. Schottische Jonathan Poquette, guest conductor III. Western One Step IV. Wallflower Waltz After earning all three music degrees from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School V. Rag of music by the age of 28, Ron Nelson joined the faculty of Brown University in 1956, where he served as Chairman of the Department of Music from 1963 to 1973, and was Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981) named professor emeritus in 1993. Throughout his compositional career, Nelson has contributed greatly to the wind band repertoire with works such as Rocky Point Holiday Robert Russell Bennett began learning music from his parents until 1926, when he (1969), Resonances I (1990), and Courtly Airs and Dances (1995). began studying composition with Nadia Boulanger. Most of his career was spent as an orchestrator for over 300 Broadway musicals from the 1920s into the 1960s. Examples Lauds (Praise High Day) is an exuberant, colorful work intended to express feelings of of these include Show Boat, Girl Crazy, Of Thee I Sing, Annie Get Your Gun, South praise and glorification. Lauds is one of the seven canonical hours that were selected by Pacific, The King and I, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, and Camelot. Bennett also St. Benedict as the times the monks would observe the daily offices. Three of the daily hosted his own radio show and wrote the book Instrumentally Speaking on scoring for offices (terce, sext, and none) were the times of the changing of the Roman guards and theater groups. His original works include seven for orchestra, an , four offices (matins, lauds, vespers, and compline) were tied to nature. Lauds, subtitled and several works for band. In addition, he also has arranged works such as Porgy and Praise High Day, honors the sunrise; it is filled with the glory and excitement of a new Bess, Oklahoma!, and The Sound of Music for band. day. Suite of Old American Dances was inspired after the composer heard a performance by the Goldman Band in 1948. The original title was Electric Park, an amusement park Bennett attended while growing up in Kansas City. Each movement of the work is based on a dance from the beginning of the 20th Century.

The Cakewalk dance originated on the southern plantations, where slaves often imitated their plantation owners. The dance of “strut” was danced to jig-like banjo/fiddle music, In Memoriam: Kristina (2002) (8.5’) usually done by couple who, with a backward sway, strutted in a medium high step or Bruce Yurko (b. 1951) low kicking fashion. Plantation owners would encourage their workers by presenting prizes for the best couples. The prize was often a cake, usually shared with the other Bruce Yurko received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Wilkes College participants. The men would often dress in long coats with high collars and the women and his master’s degree in performance/composition from the Ithaca College School of in frilly gowns, to mimic their owners. Music. As a French horn player, he has studied with Douglas Hill and John Covert and he is a composition student of . From 1974-1981, Yurko was Director of Bands Although the title of this dance suggests that its roots lie in Scotland, the Schottische at Madison High School in Madison, New Jersey. In 1981, Mr. Yurko began serving as is actually a German variant of several Bohemian dances that later developed into the the Director of the Wind Ensemble at Cherry Hill High School East in Cherry Hill, New polka. The schottische features quick shifts from foot to foot and striking of the heel. Jersey, where he conducted the Cherry Hill High School East, Chamber Wind Ensemble, These movements resemble the Scottish reel and may have inspired the name. Because Brass Ensemble and Orchestra, until his retirement. Currently, Yurko is the Director of the polka was at one time called the “Scottish Waltz,” it is also possible that this earlier Music for the Wenonah Presbyterian Church. dance inspired its namesake. Either way, the dance came to the United States by way of England when polka dancing became the rage among continental society in the 1840s. Yurko has guest conducted throughout the United States and his compositions have The music for the early schottische was usually written in 2/4 time, and many describe been premiered by some by some of the most prestigious wind ensembles. Yurko’s the dance as simply a slow polka. compositions are published by C. Alan Publication, Ludwig Music Company, and Southern Music Company. The Western One Step included in the Suite of Old American Dances is a somewhat misleading title. As Frederick Fennell explained, “The composer informed me that In Memoriam: Kristina was written following the death of a young French horn player this is also a dance known as the Texas Tommy, an obviously bright-eyed tune with in 1995 named Kristina Damm who perished following a walk on a beach in Virginia an equally bright-eyed tempo.” Little is known about the Texas Tommy, one of the with her father. A storm had just passed, the sky had cleared and a bolt of lightning obsolete forms of the one-step. This dance, from the early 20th century, is believed came out of the blue and hit them both. Her father was unharmed, but Kristina to have originated in brothels and saloons, where ladies of the evening were known as succumbed to her injuries the following day, two days before she was to return to “tommies.” There is a record of the Texas Tommy appearing in the New York Lafayette her high school for marching band camp. Being her tutor on French horn, Yurko was Theatre production of Darktown Follies in 1913. compelled to write this piece in her memory, and specifically wrote important horn parts for her. Although the beginning of the 20th century represented a new cultural era, replete with new dance steps, the time-honored tradition of the Wallflower Waltz still reigned as king of the ballroom dance scene.

It seems fitting that Bennett chose to end his suite with a Rag. Although there is no one specific dance that can be associated with the rag style, Bennett’s choice of music is representative of the era as a whole. The ragtime era coincided with the beginning of the century, and with a new generation which was harshly criticized by its elders for embracing novel ideas. Galactic Empires (1998) (12’) Symphonic Band Personnel I. Battlestar of the Andromeda Nebula II. Evenstar of the Magellanic Cloud III. Earthstar of the Milky Way Michael Robinson, conductor David R. Gillingham (b. 1947)

David Gillingham is an American composer. He earned Bachelor and Master Degrees in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the PhD Flutes Alto Saxophone Trombone in Music Theory/Composition from Michigan State University. Many of his works for Vicki Lu Claire Haley Marley Gilbert winds are now considered standards in the repertoire. Shana Stone Allison Chenard Matt Knox Haley Sue Long John Mark Hatfield Brandon Shook Currently, Dr. Gillingham is a Professor of Music at Central Michigan University and has been the recipient of an Excellence in Teaching Award (1990), a Summer Fellowship Sarah Deal Dalton Bynum (1991), a Research Professorship (1995), and most recently, the President’s Research Sarah Kljucaric Tenor Saxophone Mackenzie Britt Investment Fund grant for his co-authorship of a proposal to establish an International John Woody J.P. Presley Drew Bodney Center for New Music at Central Michigan University. He is a member of ASCAP and has Corrine Skinner Greer Blackmon been receiving the ASCAP Standard Award for Composers of Concert Music since 1996. Jenna Embrey Baritone Saxophone Dustin Breitkruz Millie Kraft Mack Brown Brady Szymanski My lifelong fascination with the mysteries of the universe has come to fruition Emily Holbrook Euphonium in Galactic Empires. Our understanding of distances on Earth, which have clear Jade Nielson French Horn Max Grand beginnings and endings, makes it inconceivable that the universe is endless. Galactic Elizabeth Barlow Aakash Patel Cecilia DeFurianni Empires is a musical journey through only three of an infinite number of galaxies, two Isis Owusu Nic Aquila Brandon Ramcharran foreign and one which is our own “Milky Way”. To gain the inspiration for this work, Lindsay Hamilton Caroline Cook Harrison Stenson I let my imagination run wild and envisioned each galaxy as having a particular aura Anamaria Lleras Carine Cerny Paige Healey which is reflected in the music. Jordan Lockridge Rachel Gadra Tuba The work is set in three connected movements, each representing a “star” in a Daniel Geisler Luke Iddings Antonio Del Sesto particular universe: Abby Callaway Sarah Butler Derrick Wright I. Battlestar of the Andromeda Nebula - Within the Andromeda Nebula Galaxy Alison Goddard Anna Lambert Gavin Stuart lies a star where hate radiates into its atmosphere creating a smoky, black cloud Lauren Laney Brenton Kelley forming a ring around the angry sphere. Close to the surface, one can hear the incessant Clarinet Tyler Boyd Chuma Atunzu drumming rhythms of war, for this is an empire bent on destruction of all other life James Watkins Hannah Norton Carrie Hazard forms in the galaxy. Across the jagged, dark, cold landscape are thousands of doomed Hannah Shuman Ashton Boyd Justin Smith bases housing troops and weapons of annihilation. Multitudes of amphibious-like alien Sebastian Adams Bradley Barber Mark Wong creatures clad in silver and black armor move in and out of the domes while hundreds Adam Kin Jessie Rankin of disk-shaped airships land and take off from the surface. All this occurring against the Abigail Fitts Trumpet Nicholas Findley backdrop of a sky lit with explosions from other stars of the galaxy as they are one by Hnuter Bitanisky Joel Garcia one destroyed by the empire of the Battlestar. Maddie Jones Zach Griffin Percussion Tyler Johnson Cameron Gwynn Joshua Bearden II. Eveningstar of the Magellanic Cloud - In stark contrast to the Battlestar is the Rachel Nissen Hannah DeLoach Christian Cremo Eveningstar found in the center of the galaxy of the Magellanic Cloud. This is a place Katie Howard Tyrone Griffin Tory Do of beauty beyond words. Four suns of multiple colors shine upon this star making the Meagan Morales John Weidner Travis Ferguson sky appear as a huge domed rainbow. Life on the Eveningstar is one of tranquility and Thaddeus Paulsel Julia Jefferson Emma Lowery peace. The aliens of this star are thin, stick-like beings with oversized heads and large Alexis Cheffen Noah Barulic Sydney Loverde silver and oval slanted eyes reflecting warmth, understanding, and superior knowledge. The inhabitants of this star are the most advanced of the entire universe and exist in a Joshua Truitt Chris Steiner Chandler Mann sort of utopic state. Nick Borkovich Anna Zurawski Bass Clarinet Emily Culpepper III. Earthstar of the Milky Way - The Earthstar is the most vibrant and eclectic Aubrey Blakley Hannah Shaffer Piano star to be found in any galaxy of the universe. The humans who inhabit this star have Elise Tallent Chandler Mann a most interesting history that reflects both the most hideous atrocities and the most Bassoon Nicholas Byrd marvelous achievements of its people. It has the potential to achieve a status equal to Chloe Bragg Synthesizer the Eveningstar of the Magellanic Cloud, but must begin to learn from the mistakes of Branden Annakie Sydney Loverde the past. Still, a sense of joy and celebration radiates from the surface of the Earthstar... Campbell Cona an energy field created by unabounding faith and hope for humankind.