Concert Band Symphonic Band
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PENN STATE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE _____________ School of Music presents Concert Band Brett Penshorn, conductor and Symphonic Band Dennis Glocke, conductor • Thursday, December 10, 2015 8:00 p.m. Eisenhower Auditorium Program Allegro Barbaro Béla Bartók (1881-1945) arr. Tom Wallace Chorale and Shaker Dance II John Zdechlik (b. 1937) The Willows of Winter BJ Brooks (b. 1975) March of the Belgian Paratroopers Pierre Leemans (1897-1980) Song of Lir Fergal Carroll (b. 1969) The Rakes of Mallow Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) Concert Band Intermission Scarecrow Overture Joseph Turrin (b. 1947) Variations on America Charles Ives (1874-1954) arr. William Schuman trans. William Rhoads Russian Christmas Music Alfred Reed (1920-2005) Symphonic Band j Program Notes Allegro Barbaro: Bela Bartok (1881-1945) The Hungarian composer Béla Bartók is best remembered for his infusion of folk songs of his native county into his compositions. Originally written for solo piano, Allegro Barbaro combines a set of Romanian and Hungarian melodies into a brief, dance like piece. First performed in 1921, Allegro Barbaro has become a favorite among professionals, students, and orchestrators alike. Chorale and Shaker Dance II: John Zdechlik (b. 1937) The originalChorale and Shaker Dance was commissioned in 1971 and has become John Zdechlik’s most popular work. The main melody, taken from the Shaker folk song Simple Gifts, was originally popularized by Aaron Copland in his masterwork Appalachian Spring. A slightly altered edition of this piece, Chorale and Shaker Dance II, was published in 1989 to broaden the work’s accessibility. The Willows of Winter: BJ Brooks (b. 1975) A professor at West Texas A&M University, BJ Brooks is nationally recognised for his unique rehearsal techniques and compositional abilities.“If trees could sing, this might be their theme song! The 5/4 meter adds a special touch of sweeping lyricism to this charming work, and clarinets and French horns are given the opportunity to feature their darker sonorities.” (From the publisher’s website). March of the Belgian Paratroopers: Pierre Leemans (1897-1980) Pierre Leemans, a former member of the Belgian Army, is well known for his military-style marches. Composed over a single night during World War II, March of the Belgian Paratroopers was written by request of the then newly-formed Belgian Parachute Brigade. The piece, set in the style of a traditional European march, mimics the approach and passing of a military band. Song of Lir: Fergal Carroll (b. 1969) Fergal Carroll is a native of Ireland and has established himself as both a military-band conductor and composer. “Song of Lir suggests an Irish lament, or caoine, and much of the material is derived from a 17th Century Irish harping tune Captain O’Kane. According to legend, Lir himself was a king in the western part of Ireland at the time of the Celts. He had four beautiful children, a daughter and three sons. When their mother died he married again, but his new wife was evil and jealous, and cursed the children of Lir, changing them into swans. They lived for 900 years as swans until they heard the sound of the first Christian bell coming from a monastery newly built beside their lake. At the sound of the bell the curse was lifted and they were restored to human form, but were now ancient, frail people. A monk baptized them, whereupon they were able to die in peace.” (From the publisher) The Rakes of Mallow: Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) Described by John Williams as “one of the great American masters of light orchestral music,” Leroy Anderson is remembered for his chart-topping pop-tunes such as Blue Tango and Sleigh Ride. Taken from his larger Irish Suite, Anderson based Rakes of Mallow on a traditional 18th century Irish polka. Adopted as a fight song by Notre Dame University, the polka has subsequently been featured in the films 1941,The Quiet Man, and Rudy. Scarecrow Overture: Joseph Turrin (b. 1947) Joseph Turrin’s music has been performed internationally by premiere symphonic ensembles, Broadway theater, and Hollywood cinema. Scarecrow Overture is taken from Turrin’s 2006 opera, The Scarecrow. This opera is based on a short story written byThe Scarlet Letter author Nathaniel Hawthorne. In Hawthorne’s story, a scarecrow named Feathertop comes to life and subsequently struggles with the emotional complexity of human society. Variations on America: Charles Ives (1874-1954) Though Charles Ives is considered to be a pioneering American composer, he spent most of his life outside of the musical limelight. While Ives received formal musical training at Yale University, the composer made his living as an insurance clerk and church organist in New York City. Only towards the end of his life, with the premiere of his Second Symphony by the New York Philharmonic, did Ives’ forward-thinking compositions receive widespread acclaim. Variations on America, originally penned for solo organ, was composed by Ives at the age of seventeen. Frequently quoting the American folk tune My Country Tis of Thee, certain historians have viewed the abstract variations of this piece as “musical satire.” First orchestrated for symphony orchestra in 1964 by William Schuman, Variations would be transcribed for band by professor William E. Rhoads in 1968. Russian Christmas Music: Alfred Reed (1921-2005) Alfred Reed was a military veteran and professor at the University of Miami, and is credited with the composition of over 200 works for concert band. Premiered in 1944, Russian Christmas Music was commissioned for an NBC Radio national broadcast of Soviet and American. Inspired by the traditions of Eastern Orthodox music, the melody is largely based on the traditional folk song Carol of the Little Russian Children. Completed in a mere 11 days, Russian Christmas Music has become one of the most popular pieces of concert band literature..