Hello and welcome!  We simply cannot believe we are here yet again!  The time keeps on flying by!  Check out our extended approach to more program notes and details.

At a glance! In February Mr. Veren lead a group of student musicians for the pit of Chicago - The Musical!  It was a blast!  The students did very well!  Some of the seniors said it was the best musical ever!

In March, Lane Tech Band and Orchestra Department hosted their own Solo Contest here at school.  It was an all day affair and involved over 400 of our students.  Students performed solos and ensembles in front of judges and received ratings. The students scored very well, with a record number of “Superior” ratings.

April 27th Lane Tech hosted the CPS Arts Band and Orchestra Festival.  Over 14 schools brought their different ensembles to perform and be rated upon.  The Orchestra received an “Honors Superior” rating and the Band received a “Superior Rating.”  It was an honor to showcase both our school and our students.

May came here before we knew it.  Some students in Band joined the Orchestra for their Six Flags Music in the Parks competition where students performed and had an option to hang out at the amusement park for the day to enjoy themselves. The Orchestra won the high school division of the competition!

May 17th the LT Band Department welcomed back one of our most distinguished alums Victor Garcia from class of 2001.  Mr. Garcia plays trumpet professionally and came by to be featured at our world music showcase concert in room 154.  It was an intimate affair and featured some pieces selected by Mr. Veren and Mr. Flygt.  The students from Varsity and Symphonic Band took a break from their traditional repertoire to perform some styles of music of different origin.  Students played a Serbian Brass Band Song, a Banda Tune, 2 styles of traditional drumming and dancing from Ghana West-Africa, a large combined samba demonstration with Evanston Escola de Samba, and ended with an Afro-Pop Medley with bits of Borborbor drumming and dancing. There was a guest appearance from Denny Carlson, bari saxophone, and percussion from the pianist Dennis Luxion (who toured and performed regularly with Chet Baker in Europe).  Be sure  to check out  Mr. Garcia’s website and stay posted because we hope to bring him back.

Program Notes:

Flag Corps: "Treasure" by Bruno Mars

The students have choreographed their last routine for you to enjoy tonight.  This is the last time we will see the seniors and also this is the first large task the new captains will be taking a more direct role in.  I would like to thank captains Alex Tuser, Jessa Malicdem, and Alyssa Matias for leading us to a new chapter of the Flag Corps in Varsity Band.  These ladies navigated an early homecoming and a challenging parade season!  I cannot be more happy for each of them and their willingness to help the other members stay on task.  Let’s be sure to thanks them for all of their contributions!  Shout out to their parents!!  And now let’s welcome in the new captains Jordan Gates and Khari Fakhrid-Deen.  Here we go ladies!!  Their selection “Treasure” by Bruno Mars is catchy and has an excellent message.  Here are the lyrics to the chorus: “Treasure, that is what you are, Honey, you're my golden star, You know you can make my wish come true, If you let me treasure you, If you let me treasure you"

Majorette/Majorettes: Rihanna Medley

This is a group of new girls and the returning underclassmen.  Thank you to the senior captains Kylisha South and Amaya Spencer! Their contributions this year have been truly inspiring.  Traditionally the Majorettes have enjoyed letting the seniors work on another project and incorporate the new members in the end of the year concert.  By doing so the new members have an opportunity to bond with the old members, see the other bands perform, and try to get excited about what is to come.  This routine is a medley of some of their favorite Rihanna tunes.  Please enjoy the following tunes and welcome the new members and new captains Seniyah Tribble, Bianca Condurache, and Asia Felton

Varsity Band:

"Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock, arr. Victor Lopez

The drumline will introduce this tune with the cadence “You Do It” which is a popular cadence within the online drumline community.  We decided to use this as an intro to “Chameleon” because it offered the challenging concept of doubles throughout the ensemble and especially the bass drums.  Herbie Hancock first released his funk classic “Chameleon” in 1973 on the album Head Hunters.  This is widely considered one of the most recognized jazz standards throughout time because of its recognizable bass line over an extremely fresh and funky beat.  The original recording was nearly 16 minutes long!  This one not so much!  .

Medley: "...Neck" by Cameo, "Power" by Kanye West

"Neck” is a tune transcribed by Mr. Veren and brought to us to try to inspire the band to groove and have fun.  This song has long been covered by HBCU Marching Bands and is considered to be a benchmark when judging the quality of HBCU style marching bands.    After taking some lines and melodies from the original tune “Talkin' out the Side of Your Neck,” Mr. Veren then composed a transition to get us into the new key for “Power.”  Cameo is a soul-funk group from the 1970’s and initially was called the New York City Players.  However, once The Ohio Players began to grow in popularity it made sense to change the name of the group.  You may recognize some of their other hits “Shake Your Pants” and also “Word Up.”  See if you can hear the band sing.  Some of them are!  Go Irish Sy! You are the best!

Concert Band 1:

"Great Locomotive Chase" by Robert W. Smith

(Program notes by Mr. Bill Rank)

The Great Locomotive Chase is inspired by a military raid of the same name, also known as Andrews’ Raid, that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army stole a train in an effort to disrupt the vital Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A), which ran from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee. They were pursued by other locomotives, and the raiders were eventually captured. A few of the captured men were executed as spies, though other participants in the raid became the very first recipients of the Medal of Honor. Robert W. Smith’s creative interpretation of these events showcases extended techniques not commonly used on band instruments.

Selections from "Dear Evan Hansen" arranged by Michael Brown

(Program notes by Hal Leonard)

Praised by critics and embraced by Broadway lovers, Dear Evan Hansen is a powerful and moving show that touches on the complex issues of social connectivity and suicide. Featuring a contemporary pop/rock score, this terrific medley for band includes For Forever, Waving Through a Window, and You Will Be Found.

This performance will feature solos by Michael Komenda on baritone, Seamus Moore on alto saxophone, Bale Duragos and Graciela Torres on trumpet, Dana Campos on flute

Concert Band 2:

"Bandante" by M.L. Daniels

This group dug out an old song I have never heard of.  We started looking through other tunes at the beginning of the Library in the “A” Section.  I pulled out “Bandante” and immediately enjoyed the play on words.  Andante is an italian musical word that simply means “to play at a moderately slow tempo.”  What happens when you put a “B” in front?  You are about to hear it! Enjoy this selection where all sections of the band get an opportunity to play the melody. 

A Whole New World is a classic tune pulled from the Disney movie Aladdin.  In honor of the remake which just came out last week we decided to play this easy listening arrangement.

Full Concert Band:

Cajun Folk Songs by Frank Ticheli

1. La Belle et Le Capitaine

2. La Belle

Cajuns are descendants of the Acadians, a group of early French colonists who began settling in Acadia (now Nova Scotia) around 1604.  In 1755 they were driven out by the British, eventually re-settling in South Louisiana.  Today there are nearly a million French-speaking descendants of the Acadians living in Louisiana and parts of Texas, preserving many of the customs, traditions, stories, and songs of their ancestors.  Although a rich Cajun Folk Song tradition exists, the music has become increasingly commercialized and Americanized throughout the twentieth century, obscuring its original simplicity and directness.  In response to this trend, Alan and John Lomax traveled to South Louisiana in 1934 to collect and record numerous Cajun Folk Songs in the field for the Archive of Folk Music in the Library of Congress.  By doing so, they helped to preserve Cajun music in its original form as a pure and powerful expression of Louisiana French Society.  La Belle et le Capitaine and Belle can both be heard in their original versions on the Lomax recordings.  La Belle… tells the story of a young girl who feigns death to avoid being seduced by a captain.  Its Dorian melody is remarkably free, shifting back and forth between duple and triple meters.  In this arrangement the melody is stated three times.  The third time an original countermelody is added in flutes, oboe, clarinet, and trumpet.  Belle is about a man who goes away to Texas only to receive word of his sweetheart’s illness, forcing him to return to Louisiana.  Finding her unconscious upon his return, he pawns his horse to try to save her, to no avail.  The folk melody is sometimes varied rhythmically, texturally, and coloristitcally, and an original melody is added for variety.

Lassus Trombone by Henry Filmore

(from Program Notes for Band)

Lassus Trombone was John Philip Sousa’s favorite smear. He programmed the tune on every concert of one of his final tours. It was also Fillmore’s favorite. Delegates who attended the 1949 Southern Division meeting of the Music Educators' National Conference in Tampa, Florida, may have forgotten most of the other details, but they will never forget "Uncle Henry,” dressed in his customary white suit and wielding a huge baton, conducting a line of trombonists stretched across a football field playing his Lassus Trombone. The sheet music arrangement has sold over two million copes.

March to the Scaffold by Hector Berlioz arr. Calvin Custer

The “March to the Scaffold” is the fourth of five movements in Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.  The symphony as a whole tells the story, in music, of a troubled young artist and his quest for his true love.  The true love is represented musically by a melody known as the idee fixe (fixed idea).  This melody appears in every movement of the symphony.  The first movement introduces the idee fixe and chronicles the beginnings of the young artist’s quest.  The second is a waltz, moving the action to a fabulous-sounding ball.  The third moves to an imagined countryside where a storm is brewing, reminiscent of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. The fourth movement takes on a nightmarish character: having taken opium, the young artist dreams that he has killed his true love and is about to be executed for his crime.  This movement thus depicts the artist’s forced march to the scaffold.  The idee fixe appears only once, as a sudden remeniscence just before the guillotine strikes the young man’s head right off and the movement comes to a perversely joyous conclusion.  The symphony’s final movement imagines the young artist, still in his opium dream, transported to hell.  Here he sees his true love, now grotesque and distorted in comically demonic fashion.  The creatures of hell amass around the artist, gleefully celebrating his demise.

Beginning Band

Furioso by Robert W. Smith

Furioso a musical term, indicates that the music is to be played with vigor and passion. This composition was written to capture the never-ending energy of young musicians.

Ancient Voices by Michael Sweeney

“Ancient Voices was composed in 1994 and was written to suggest moods and sounds of early civilizations to young musicians and audiences. The piece was written using many contemporary composing techniques such as singing, use of recorders, tone clusters, pencil tapping, and blowing air through a detached mouthpiece. Percussion plays a large role in the delivery of the early civilization sounds and players are asked to use their imaginations to visualize the distant eras of prehistoric cultures.”

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen arr. Paul Murtha

Perhaps one of the most popular songs ever written, Bohemian Rhapsody was written almost exclusively by Freddie Mercury. It tells the story of Freddie Mercury's inner battle to be open about who he really was. The original song was over 6 minutes long, an unprecedented length for a single in the 1970's. Freddie Mercury insisted that the record remain untouched, and it became a hit overnight! This arrangement is a "best of;" it takes the highlights from each section of the original and passes the melody across the ensemble. We've had a lot of fun preparing this arrangement, and we hope you enjoy listening to it!

Symphonic Band:

These 3 selections are perhaps some of the most exciting and appealing wind band repertoire out their today.  Please get ready for a monumental moment of music.

Molly on the Shore is a combination of two Irish Cork Reel tunes; the first is a reel with the same name, Molly on the Shore, and the second, Temple Hill Reel. Grainger found both melodies in The Complete Petrie Collection of Ancient Irish Music, an Irish music collection containing over 1,500 melodies compiled by Charles Villiers Stanford.  As with any Irish reel, the music should portray an energetic pace that never seems to end.  However, a breathless and exhausting tempo makes technique and rhythm subdivision problematic.  This is where the strings have an edge over the wind players.  Most wind conductors will dip below the given quarter note +112 tempo to achieve clarity of articulation and style.  Choosing a lesser tempo would be preferable to a sloppy performance, unless the tempo becomes too slow and uncharacteristic.  Tempo variance of quarter note equals 98-108 are frequently heard among more experienced and professional ensembles.

Second Suite in F

“Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a British composer and teacher.  After studying composition at London’s Royal College of Music, he spent the early part of his career playing trombone in an opera orchestra.  It was not until the early 1900’s that his career as a composer began to take off.  Around this same time he acquired positions at both St. Paul’s Girls’ School and Morley College that he would hold until retirement, despite his rising star as a composer.  His music was influenced by his interest in English folk songs and Hindu mysticism, late-Romantic era composers like Strauss and Delius, and avant-garde composers of his time like Stravinsky and Schoenberg.  He is perhaps best known for composing The Planets, a massive orchestral suite that depicts the astrological character of each known planet.  His works for wind band (two suites and a tone poem, Hammersmith) are foundational to the modern wind literature.  The Second Suite in F was written in 1911, but not performed until 1922.  Each of its four movements uses one or more folk songs as its melodic material.  For those interested in singing along with some Holst, many of the folk songs used in the Second Suite have their lyrics published on the internet.  From the “March” Morris Dance is an instrumental dance, “Swansea Town” starts with the euphonium solo, “Cloudy Banks” is the 6/8 section.  In the IV section the Dargason itself is an instrumental dance tune, related to popular melodies like “The Irish Washerwoman.”  This movement also includes “Greensleeves,” which is usually a sad sounding song but in this setting is rather a joyous interlude and a powerful climax.”

“American Faces.” Originally commissioned by Bands of America for the 1995 Honor Band of America and the Guest Conductor, Eugene Corporon.  Holsinger, the composer, has attempted in American Faces to pay tribute to the multifarious qualities and standards that make up the “faces” of America.  It is not a patriotic montage, but rather an overture of diverse themes, original and borrowed; each conveying the composer’s impression of the American exuberance, pioneering spirit, and underlying faith.

Lane Tech Auditorium

7:00 PM

December 13th, 2018

Welcome to our online, all-inclusive program! In an effort to save paper, this will serve to provide some additional, behind-the-scenes information for tonight's concert

Concert Program

Mr. Flygt and Mr. Veren, directors

Mr. Jack Breen, student teacher

Varsity Band Flag Corps

"Sleigh Bells Remix" -The Ronettes

Varsity Band Majorettes

"Oh Santa" -Mariah Carey

"Underneath the Tree". -Kelly Clarkson

Varsity Band

"Sleigh Ride" -Leroy Anderson, arr. Mike Story

"Fire" -Jimi Hendrix, arr. Jay Bocook

Symphonic Band

Arabesque -Samuel Hazo

Mr. Jack Breen, Guest Conductor

Theme from "Schindler's List" -John Williams arr. Calvin Cluster

Maddie Udelhofen, Flute Soloist

A Christmas Festival -Leroy Anderson

Lincoln Portrait -Aaron Copland

Matthew Nelsen, Narration

Concert Band

A Night in Tunisia -Dizzy Gillespie, arr. Paul Murtha

Mr. Jack Breen, Guest Conductor

...To Realms of Endless Day -Johnnie Vinson

A Celtic Christmas -arr. Richard L. Saucedo

Festival Band

Angels We Have Heard on High -Traditional, arr. Chip Davis, adapted by Jay Bocook

A Little Christmas Jazz Suite -arr. Kris Dorsey & Bill Holcombe

Lane Tech Music Students Selected for ILMEA All-State Festival!

We would like to formally congratulate Daniel Dardon (tuba), Madeline Kusar (cello), and Natalie Zajczenko (bass) on being selected for the All-State Music Festival in Peoria. These students auditioned in early Fall, and were chosen as the top performers in the district on their respective instruments. This is the first time Lane Tech has sent a band student to the state festival! Congrats to Daniel, Madeline, and Natalie! We are proud of your hard work!!!

Program Notes

Sleigh Ride (1948):

by Leroy Anderson, arranged by Mike Story

“Sleigh Ride” is a classic holiday tune by Leroy Anderson. Leroy Anderson is one of the most famous contributors of light, quirky orchestral music. Anderson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; some believe Sleigh Ride to be one of the most widely performed and recorded pieces of all time. Some of the unique features of this piece include sleigh bells, woodblocks to imitate horse clomping, and a slapstick meant to imitate a whip crack. Initially scored as an instrumental work, lyrics were added in 1950 by Mitchell Parish. The 1949 recording of the Boston Pops playing “Sleigh Ride” is the most recognizable today. One interesting thing about the lyrics to “Sleigh Ride” is that they do not even mention a holiday!  

Fire (1970):

by Jimi Hendrix, arranged by Jay Bocook

“Fire” is a driving tune for those with a cold spirit. The tune was originally released in 1970 on the seminal album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience entitled "Are You Experienced. This arrangement features the drumline early on, then goes on to feature the trumpets playing the role of Jimi's guitar. The title of the tune can of course allude to many things but actually is meant to recount a specific situation where Jimi Hendrix was hanging with Noel Redding (the bass player) at his house.  Noel’s mother was there warming by the fire and Jimi was cold.  He asked if he could move in closer to the fire but their family dog (a great Dane) was taking up too much space!  According to AllMusic critic Matthew Greenwald, the song can been described as “an exercise in soul, psychedelic rock, and polyrhythmic jazz-inspired drumming.”

Arabesque (2008)

by Samuel Hazo (1966-)

(from the composer):

Arabesque is based on 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 bitonal harmonic minor scales, and even bends one note to capture the microtonality (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 drumbeat, 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 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. 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.

Theme from "Schindler's List" (1993)

John Williams (1932-), arranged by Calvin Cluster

(from the San Fransisco Symphony Program):

John Williams is perhaps the most famous composer of Hollywood film music of all time. His father was a film-studio musician, and raised John to do the same; by age 18, John was playing piano, trombone, trumpet and clarinet at a professional level. He went on to study composition at UCLA and became fully immersed in the television and movie industry.

Schindler’s List (1993), based on a novel by Thomas Keneally (itself drawn from factual occurrences), tells the story of an industrialist in Germany—a member of the Nazi party—who managed to save the lives of more than a thousand Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories, navigating astonishing political and economic challenges in doing so. Appearing at a concert at Boston’s Symphony Hall in 2009 (at which Spielberg was also in attendance), Williams told the audience that he was flabbergasted when he first saw a rough cut of the film. “I had to walk around the room for four or five minutes to catch my breath,” Williams reported. “I said to Steven, ‘I really think you need a better composer than I am for this film.’ And he very sweetly said, ‘I know, but they’re all dead.’” Violin virtuoso, Itzhak Perlman, has been connected to this music from the start. He performed this subdued yet curiously hopeful piece on the soundtrack, and it has become a frequently visited item in his concert repertory.

A Christmas Festival (1950)

by Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)

A Christmas Festival is a famous medley of traditional carols written for the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1950, including "Joy to the World," "Deck the Halls," "O Come, O Come, Emanuel," "Good King Wenceslaus," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Silent Night," "Jingle Bells," and "Adeste Fidelis." Leroy Anderson masterfully weaves these melodies together in a masterful way; by the end of the song several tunes are played simultaneously.

Lincoln Portrait (1942)

by Aaron Copland (1900-1990), transcribed for band by Walter Beeler

Narration by Matthew Nelsen

(from The President's Own Marine Band):

Of all the tributes, paeans, and monuments created in honor of Abraham Lincoln, almost none is more iconic than Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait. Considering its unparalleled success, it is hard to believe that, according to the composer, “I had no love for musical portraiture, and I was skeptical about expressing patriotism in music—it is difficult to achieve without becoming maudlin or bombastic, or both.” In spite of his reservations, in Lincoln Portrait Copland achieved the goals of both portraiture and patriotism in his own unique and tasteful manner. Although he never intended it to be a “strictly musical work” in the same vein as his other orchestral compositions, it has become one of his most popular and frequently performed titles. And the work has resonance far beyond American shores, as evidenced by the translation of the text into Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Greek, Hindu, Hungarian, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese!

Lincoln Portrait was composed in 1942, in the early days of the United States’ involvement in World War II. In this challenging time many Americans were eager to do their part for their country, and Aaron Copland was no exception. He was honored to learn of such an opportunity a few weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when he received a letter from conductor Andre Kostelanetz requesting that the composer consider contributing a work to a musical “portrait gallery” of great Americans. Copland originally hoped to portray Walt Whitman, but when Jerome Kern chose Mark Twain as the subject of his project, Kostelanetz asked Copland to consider focusing on a statesman instead of another man of letters. They both agreed that Lincoln was the obvious choice, although fellow composer Virgil Thomson warned Copland that in his opinion, “No composer could hope to match in musical terms the stature of so eminent a figure as Abraham Lincoln.” Copland decided his key to success was to use Lincoln’s own words as the basis for the work, and he read through many of Lincoln’s speeches and writings in order to find thoughts most appropriate to the situation America faced during World War II. He intentionally avoided the temptation to use Lincoln’s best-known speeches and phrases, allowing himself only one segment from Lincoln’s best-known piece of oratory, the Gettysburg Address. Copland’s approach to the music was similar; it is largely original, with the exception of recurring oblique references to “Camptown Races” and “Springfield Mountain,” melodies that help to give the music a familiar and distinctly American sound.

Full Narration Text (via NPR):

"Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history."

That is what he said. That is what Abraham Lincoln said.

"Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation. We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility." [Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862]

He was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana, and lived in Illinois. And this is what he said. This is what Abe Lincoln said.

"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we will save our country." [Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862]

When standing erect he was six feet four inches tall, and this is what he said.

He said: "It is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. It is the same spirit that says 'you toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it.' No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle." [Lincoln-Douglas debates, 15 October 1858]

Lincoln was a quiet man. Abe Lincoln was a quiet and a melancholy man. But when he spoke of democracy, this is what he said.

He said: "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy."

Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of these United States, is everlasting in the memory of his countrymen. For on the battleground at Gettysburg, this is what he said:

He said: "That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth."

A Night in Tunisia (1942)

by Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993), arranged by Paul Murtha

Originally composed by Dizzy Gillespie while he was playing with Benny Carter's band, this song quickly rose to become a "jazz standard." Gillespie originally named the tune "Interlude" but later changed it at the suggestion of one of his bandmates. He would frequently perform it with his Bebop Big Band, and it has been recorded by hundreds of artists since. The tune itself switches back and forth between a Latin feel and a traditional swing feel and is characterized by large big-band style background hits across the ensemble. In this arrangement, the saxophone section is featured playing a modified version of a saxophone solo that was originally recorded by Charlie Parker.

...To Realms of Endless Day (2011)

by Johnnie Vinson

from the composer:

Eleven year-old Kathleen Grace “Katie” Dunn and her mother, Millie Sue Dunn, lost their lives as the result of a terrible automobile accident on May 30, 2009.  Katie was a rising seventh grader at Thompson Middle School in Alabaster, Alabama.  She was an honor student, a member of the cheerleading squad, and played flute in the Thompson Middle School Band.  Millie was a dedicated Christian, wife, mothers, and homemaker. 

During early 2010 I was asked by Tim and Connie Hammond, directors of the T.M.S. Band to write a composition in memory of Katie and Millie.  Tim wrote, “We want to do something to permanently keep their memory here at Thompson Middle School.”

Writing a piece of music in memory of someone is a daunting task.  As a composer, one feels a tremendous sense of responsibility to make the music appropriate and appealing.  Getting started was difficult.  I actually sketched the beginning of the piece four times, but none of the ideas really “worked”: and non seemingly had any relationship to Katie and Millie Dunn.  Finally, on the fifth attempt, it occurred to me to try basing the main theme on the names “Katie” and “Millie,” and that idea provided the melodic rhythm for the first two measures.  After that, the music began to come together and flow.

Then began the search for a title.

A poignant phrase in the published obituaries of both Katie and Millie said that they, “...went to Heaven together,” and I felt that this moving thought should somehow be reflected in the title of the composition.  After considering a number of possibilities, I finally thought about the previous commissioned work I had written for the TMS Band in 2007.  It was a setting of an old hymn tune called Nettleton which in modern hymn books is known as “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”  Today, this hymn is usually printed having three stanzas, but I discovered that the original text contained five.  Reading through the lyrics, the fifth stanza caught my attention: “O that day when freed from sinning, I shall see Thy lovely face; clothed then in blood washed linen How I’ll sing They sovereign grace; Come, my lord, no longer tarry, Take my ransomed soul away; Send thing angels now to carry me to realms of endless day.”

Celtic Christmas (1998)

Arranged by Richard L. Saucedo

In a similar style to Leroy Anderson's "A Christmas Festival," Saucedo weaves in between several traditional carols with a Celtic twist. He begins by stating all three tunes in the beginning, jumping back and forth between 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures, as different instrument groups pop out of the texture. The first tune is "Wexford Carol," a traditional Irish Christmas carol. The piece then transitions into "Love Came Down at Christmas." This was originally written as a poem by Christina Rossetti, and is often (as it is in this piece) set to the traditional Irish tune, "Garton." This section features the clarinet section. The final section of the piece is "Deck the Halls." Saucedo turns the popular Christmas tune into a round, passing the melody across the ensemble very quickly. See if you can hear every time an instrument group starts a new statement of the melody!

Angels We Have Heard on High (1995)

Traditional, arranged Chip Davis, adapted for band by Jay Bocook (1995)

In 1995, Manheim Steam Roller released their album Christmas in the Aire and shocked the world with their rendition of the traditional Christmas carol, "Angels We Have Heard on High." The arrangement starts with a brass fanfare that is supposed to imitate the many synthesizers playing in the original recording. The drum line is featured on the transition into the second section, which is significantly faster in tempo. We hope you enjoy this unique take on a traditional tune!

A Little Christmas Jazz Suite (1989)

arranged by Kris Dorsey & Bill Holcolmbe

Simply put, this is a fun, swing-ified mashup up of some of our favorite holiday selections (in order of appearance): "Joy to the World", "Deck the Halls", "Good King Wenceslas", "Jolly Old St. Nicholas", "We Three Kings of Orient Are", and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"

Senior Shout-Outs/Words of Wisdom

Thank you Mom and Dad for always coming out to support me in band concerts! Go Lane Tech Band!

-Sydney Chanen, Flute

Thank you to my family for always supporting me in anything I do. I love you guys so much. Thank you for raising me right and always helping me get back on my feet. Los quiero mucho.

-Luisa Carillo, Trombone

I am so grateful for the lasting friendships and memories that have been made over my four year in the band program! The support from parents, friends, and the directors is so immense and I'll miss it so much.

-Krissi Poelsterl, Flute

True happiness is everlasting, find yours through connections you make along the way. 

-Jacob Lozano, Alto Saxophone

I want to thank my family and friends who have given me motivation and have challenged me in life. I would like to thank my siblings and friends who taught me about passion in music and have helped me move forward. I want to thank my Mami who has gone to each of my concerts and has always complimented the band. Also thank you Mr. Flygt and Mr. Veren, for having lots of patience for the band! 

-Jasinaremi Robledo, Flute

Shoutout to my loving crazy fam and my Lulu-Mae Baby.

-Ashley Soto, Alto Saxophone

You can never do something if you don't go out and do

-Mia Peric, Percussion

Family, thank you for coming to hear me play the music that I already made you listen to a thousand times before

-Jackie Tremmel, Trumpet

Hi Mom & Dad :D

-Gerardo Amaro, Percussion, Bassoon

Thanks Ben for being the best co-section leader, and thanks Jackie for always making band funner!

-Audrey Calkins, French Horn

Mom, dad, I just want to thank you so much for always believing in me and always telling me to try. You’ve made me who I am today and I love you guys.

-Ethan Doyle, Trombone