Concert Program

Originally written for orchestra, American Salute has become a favorite of the concert band repertoire. Using the familiar tune When Johnny Comes Marching Home as the sole melodic resource, Morton Gould demonstrates his skill in thematic development, creating a brilliant fantasy on a single tune.

Written in 1942 in the early days of World War II, it was composed at the request of a government radio program producer who wanted a “salute to America.” The composer insisted that he had no idea that the work was destined to become a classic: “It was years before I knew it was a classic setting. What amazes me is that critics say it is a minor masterpiece, a gem. To me, it was just a setting. I was doing a million of those things.” A million may be an exaggeration, but not by much. The pace of Gould’s schedule in those days was astounding. By his own account he composed and scored American Salute in less than eight hours, starting at 6 p.m. the evening before it was due (with copyists standing by), and finishing at 2 a.m. Although the ink couldn’t have been dry, the score and parts were on the stand in time for rehearsal the next morning and ready for broadcast that evening.

- Program Note from U.S. Marine Band concert program, 24 August 2016 (Windrep.org)

Largo was originally written as a short piece for solo piano. I first heard the piece, it occurred to me that t the simple chords and lyrical melody lend well to be scored for band, so I decided to write it out and use it as a warm-up in class.  Since it is such a simple piece, the challenge was to create interest through the use of the various tone colors that the band is capable of producing. I decided to utilize the traditional wind chamber ensembles of the woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon), and brass quintet (two trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba) as a basis.  From there, I utilized the full woodwind ensemble, full brass, and eventually tutti ensemble, with the dynamics being accentuated by the percussion.  Even though it started as a warm-up, I think it turned out well enough to include as a last minute addition to the program.  You never know where inspiration may come from!

-Z

2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the First Suite in E-flat by Gustav Holst, now considered one of the masterworks and cornerstones of the band literature. Although completed in 1909, the suite didn't receive its official premiere until 11 years later on June 23rd, 1920, by an ensemble of 165 musicians at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall. However, the work was originally conceived to be performed by ensembles significantly smaller than the one at Kneller Hall. During this time period there was no standardized instrumentation among the hundreds of British military bands of the day, and as a result no significant literature had been previously written for the band medium; most British bands up to then performed arrangements of popular orchestral pieces. In order to ensure the suite would be accessible to as many bands as possible, Holst ingeniously scored the work so that it could be played by a minimum of 19 musicians, with 16 additional parts that could be added or removed without compromising the integrity of the work.

There are three movements in the suite: Chaconne, Intermezzo, and March. Holst writes, “As each movement is founded on the same phrase, it is requested that the suite be played right through without a break.” Indeed, the first three notes of the Chaconne are Eb, F and C, and the first three notes of the melody when it first appears in the Intermezzo are Eb, F, and C. In the third movement, March, Holst inverts the motive: The first note heard in the brilliant opening brass medley is an Eb, but instead of rising, it descends to a D, and then a G; the exact opposite of the first two movements.

The Chaconne begins with a ground bass reminiscent of those written by Henry Purcell or William Byrd. It is performed by tuba, euphonium and string bass and is repeated throughout the ensemble sixteen full times as varying instrumental textures and variations of the theme are layered within it. Following a delicately scored chamber setting of the theme, the music steadily builds to a brilliant Eb Major chord that concludes the movement.

The Intermezzo is light and brisk and features soloistic passages for the cornet, oboe and clarinet. Holst prominently displays the agility and sensitivity of the wind band through transparent textures and passages where the melody and accompaniment are woven into a variety of instrumental settings.

The March begins suddenly. It consists of two themes, the first of which, performed by brass choir and percussion, is a march light in character. The second theme is dominated by the woodwinds and is composed of a long, lyrical line reminiscent of the original Chaconne melody. The movement concludes with both themes intertwining as the band crescendos to a climax.

- Program Note by Esmail Khalili (Windrep.org)

Bottom of the Ocean is a piece from Robert Paulsen, a Junior in the Concert Band. The piece is a about the unexpected yet interesting fact that  95% of the Ocean remains undiscovered, and the 2 contrasting parts of the piece represent what we as people think is down there. 

-Robert Paulsen

Based on a theme from Robert Schumann, known variously as The Jolly Farmer and The Happy Farmer's Return from Work, this delightful work will bring smiles to all! The piece takes this cheery tune all throughout the ensemble, creating opportunities for every section to shine.

-Note from publisher

Linden Lea, the first published composition of Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1902, is a setting for voice and piano of a poem by William Barnes (1801-1886):

Within the woodlands, flowery gladed, by the oak trees’ mossy moot;

The shining grass blades, timber shaded, now do quiver underfoot;

And birds do whistle overhead, and water’s bubbling in its bed;

And there for me, the apple trees do lean down low in Linden Lea.

The lyric folk song quality of the tune makes it an irresistible choice for the concert band idiom. While the tune remains intact, and a few of the composer’s harmonic shadings have been retained, most of the accompaniment is original to this arrangement, written specifically to enhance performances by younger players.

-Note from wind repertory project

Shine is an exploration of brighter instrumental colors within a world of softer, more muted textures. For me, the imagery of light becomes all the more striking when rationed against these darkly romantic landscapes.

You can hear this sort of rationing throughout the piece. For example, the piece begins with a tight, sustained, three-note cluster that is meant to induce a kind of quiet, harmonic friction. The saxophones enter first, flickering, and are soon joined by the French horns, whose flutter-tonguing intensifies the aural electricity. The rhythmic and melodic energy builds to several short, brighter moments, but these joyful moments don’t stay for long as we quickly submerge back into more meditative tones.

-Note by composer 

From Disney's blockbuster animated feature, here is a terrific medley for the concert stage featuring plenty of Latin excitement. Includes: The Family Madrigal • We Don't Talk About Bruno • Dos Oruguitas • Surface Pressure • and Waiting on a Miracle. 

-Note from publisher 

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy adventure film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), and the most well-known and commercial adaptation based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Notable for its use of Technicolor filming technology, fantasy storytelling, musical score, and unusual characters, over the years it has become one of the best known of all films and part of American popular culture. It also featured what may be the most elaborate use of special effects in a film up to that time.

The musical numbers and songs of The Wizard of Oz remain among the most notable and memorable songs of all time in American musical film/theater. This compilation includes In the Merry Old Land of Oz, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, We're Off to See the Wizard, If I Only Had a Brain, and the Academy Award winning Somewhere over the Rainbow.

- Program Note by Gold Coast Wind Ensemble (Windrep.org)

Arabesque was commissioned by the Indiana Bandmasters Association and written for the 2008 Indiana All-State Band. Arabesque is based in the mystical sounds of Middle Eastern music and it is composed in three parts. “Taqasim” (tah’-zeem), “dabka” (dupp-keh) and “chorale.” The opening flute cadenza, although written out in notes, is meant to sound like an Arabic taqasim or improvisation. Much the same as in jazz improvisation, the soloist is to play freely in the scales and modes of the genre. In this case, the flute plays in bi-tonal harmonic minor scales, and even bends one note to capture the micro-tonality (quarter-tones) of the music from this part of the world. However, opposite to jazz, taqasim has very little change to the chordal or bass line accompaniment. It is almost always at the entrance to a piece of music and is meant to set the musical and emotional tone.

The second section, a dabka, is a traditional Arabic line dance performed at celebrations, most often at weddings. Its drum beat, played by a dumbek or durbake hand drum is unmistakable. Even though rhythmically simple, it is infectious in its ability to capture the toe-tapping attention of the listener. The final section, the chorale, is a recapitulation of previous mystical themes in the composition, interwoven with a grandeur of a sparkling ending.

Both sets of my grandparents immigrated to the United States; my mother’s parents were Lebanese, my father’s mother was Lebanese and his father was Assyrian. Sometimes in composition, the song comes from the heart, sometimes from the mind, and sometimes (as in this case) it’s in your blood. The Indiana Bandmasters Association asked for a piece that was unique. I had not heard any full-out Arabic pieces for wind orchestra, and I knew of this culture’s deep and rich musical properties … so I figured that one might as well come from me.(Plus, my mom asked if I was ever going to write one.) I hope you enjoy Arabesque.

- Program Note by composer (Windrep.org)