Program Notes

BERNIE'S TUNE | Bernie Miller (1954) Arr. Wolpe (2013)

Bernie's Tune is a 1950’s jazz standard written by American pianist Bernie Miller, with lyrics added later by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The song was popularized on a recording by American saxophonist and composer Gerry Mulligan on the 1952 album of the same name, which also featured Chet Baker on trumpet. The tune was a popular choice for musicians jamming at the time. This arrangement features tenor saxophone and trumpet soloists,  arranged by one of the best, Dave Wolpe.

BAYOU FAREWELL | Graham Breedlove (2007, 2012)

The title for this composition was adapted from the book Bayou Farewell: the Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast by Mike Tidwell. I happened to be reading this book whe i began work on this pieces, and much of the book served as inspiration for the composition. It's a fascinating read, and as a Louisiana native in this post-Katrina world, I highly recommend it.

Our arts, and specifically our music, are what make us unique as a nation. You are truly a guardian of our culture, and without you artistic American music will surely wither and die. Much like Louisian's vanishing coastline, music education is under a constant and unyielding assault from a multitude of outside forces. Thank you for being a soldier on the front lines for our children's future!

- Program Note by composer

BIG TIME | Gregory Yasinitsky (2018)

Big Time is a great funk chart with a hot melody that's fused with a swinging bass line and a half-time, hip hop groove. It includes a fun saxophone soli and an exciting ensemble section which grows from a whisper to a roar! Gregory Yasinitsky, has written music especially for David Sanborn, Sean Jones, Clark Terry, Jeff Coffin, Dave Liebman and the USAF "Airmen of Note" big band. Yasinitsky’s music is performed in forty countries world-wide and he has performed with Randy Brecker, Marcus Printup, Tom Harrell, Ed Calle, Alex Acuna, Kirk Whalum, Claudio Roditi, Conrad Herwig, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Louis Bellson, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, Lou Rawls, Manhattan Transfer, and many others.

RIPPLING WATERCOLORS | Brian Balmages (2015)

Many often underestimate the extensive colors, harmonies, and emotional range that are often achievable in younger ensembles. It is in this spirit that the musical lines of Rippling Watercolors was born. This was not meant to be a lyrical piece for younger ensembles; rather, it was written as a fully expressive lyrical work that happens to be playable by younger ensembles. I believe there is a significant difference. No phrases were truncated, no ranges were “limited,” and no rhythms were watered down for the sake of playability. This piece just happens to be attainable by younger groups, yet the music exists exactly as it would even if I had written this for a college group.

The title comes from a range of inspiration. I often get asked about my last name. As most can imagine, there are very few of us left in the world. At present, my wife and I are one of only two couples in the United States that can carry on our family name. My cousins Ben and Carrie on the West Coast are the other couple, and they now have two beautiful girls. We all share a lot of beliefs -- we encourage our children to be creative, spontaneous, and we enjoy watching where their imaginations take them.

The idea for this piece came from a simple set of watercolors. When children get hold of these and use their imagination, the most amazing things can happen. Children can see things that adults never see. They open our minds while we help them grow and learn. With a little imagination, these watercolors can become a magnificent sunrise or sunset over the ocean, a gorgeous view from a mountaintop, or an image of a supernova in space. The smallest drop can change the pattern and create something entirely new, either with a brush or entirely within nature. It is my hope that Lily and Charlotte grow up with an infinite palette of watercolors, and that every drop creates a new, fantastic world.

- Program Note by composer

BLUE SKY HORIZON | Randall Standridge (2022)

I live with cyclical depression. 

What does that mean? It's a lot like clouds

Some days the sky is a little cloudy. Some days it is scattered and changes rapidly. and some days (or weeks...or months) there are thunderstorms.

But, Some days, I wake up and the sky is completely clear. I feel energized, i feel joyful, I feel ready to take on the entire world!

I know it won't last. And that's okay.

Blue Sky Horizone was written on one of my "good days" when the sun was out and i felt trult happy and at peace. The work uses catchy rhythms and a pops inspired styyle to create a feeling of unbridled joy.

Not Every day will be a great day...but we should make the most of the ones that are.

Peace, Love, and Music.

- Program Note by composer

WILLIAM BYRD SUITE | Gordon Jacob (1923) ed. Andrew Trachsel (2006)

Keyboard music formed one of Byrd's main compositional endeavors, and the fruit of these labors provided the impulse for an entire school of Elizabethan keyboard composition. Most of these works were intended for performance at the virginal, a small relative of the harpsichord in many timbral and mechanical aspects (so named because it was often found in the bedrooms of unmarried young 17th century ladies). Although Byrd's keyboard works first appear in the 1570s, they only circulated in manuscript until the publication of My Ladye Nevells Booke (1591) and Parthenia (1611). However, the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book languished in obscurity until 1899 before receiving publication. This collection comprises the largest set of Byrd's keyboard works -- around seventy -- and is also regarded as England's foremost collection of keyboard works. All of the movements Gordon Jacob set in William Byrd Suite have the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book as their source.

Gordon Jacob considered William Byrd Suite "freely transcribed," as virginal players had no means of creating dynamic shading or timbral contrast on their instrument. Composers created dynamic intensity by adding voices above and/or below the melody. Similarly, composers created musical intensity by adding lines of increasing complexity, ornamenting the melody. Jacob remained mostly faithful to Byrd's original melody, harmony, form and figuration, but added his own orchestrational color and dynamic shading to intensify the aforementioned expressive qualities of the music.

It is an overstatement to describe each movement simply as growing louder and more complex due to layers of ornamentation, variation and imitation. Although Byrd utilizes these compositional devices in all the works represented, his genius lies in how he utilizes these effects in varying degrees to avoid monotony. In The Earl of Oxford's March, devices of crescendo, ornamentation and imitation are clearly evident. This movement, marked un poco pomposo, begins its stately procession through the two iterations of its form simply and very quietly, growing steadily stronger and more complex into the climactic final sections. Although originally attributed to Byrd, the slow, stately "Pavana" is now placed within Anthony Holborne's works list. Jacob alters the harmonic scheme of this movement, beginning each phrase in a different tonality, yet emphasizing Bb-major in them all.

- Program Note by Brian K. Doyle

WILDERNESS | Cait Nishimura (2021)

My fascination with the natural world began in childhood, and it wasn't long before I learned about the harmful impacts of human activity on the environment. Old growth forests and essential ecosystems like wetlands were being replaced by housing developments and highways. As a child, I felt helpless about it all; now, as an adult, I know that there is so much we can all do to be part of the solution. Sometimes, we just need to feel empowered first, and I believe art is one of the most effective ways to inspire others.

This piece was commissioned by the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic in celebration of their 75th anniversary. Wilderness celebrates and honours Earth's remaining wild spaces and the people who fight to protect them. Through this music, I explore the range of emotions I experience as an environmentalist, and I express my gratitude for all that nature has given me. This piece is a call to action for all of us to do our part in spreading awareness about climate change, to reflect on our relationship with nature, and to deepen our respect for the stewards of this land.

- Program Note by composer

Wilderness was commissioned in celebration of the 75th Midwest International Clinic.