America the Beautiful    by Samuel Ward, arr. by Carmen Dragon

 

The rich musical legacy that Carmen Dragon left the world usually includes his solid reputation as a consummate orchestrator. He is best remembered for the iconic arrangement of America, the Beautiful for both symphony orchestra and symphonic band. Samuel Ward's familiar tune enjoys a sumptuous feast of harmonic color and instrumental nuance.

 

American Overture     by Joseph Wilcox Jenkins

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The work was dedicated to the Army Field Band's conductor, Chester E. Whiting. It was written in a neomodal style, being flavored strongly with both Lydian and Mixolydian modes. Its musical architecture is a very free adaptation of sonata form. The musical material borders on the folk tune idiom although there are no direct quotes from any folk tunes. The work calls for near-virtuoso playing by several sections, especially the French horns, and is a favorite of advanced high school and university bands. Although American Overture was Jenkins's first band piece, it remains his most successful work and, in his words, he is "hard-pressed to duplicate its success."

 

Shenandoah      by Omar Thomas

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Shenandoah is one of the most well-known and beloved Americana folk songs. Originally a river song detailing the lives and journeys of fur traders canoeing down the Missouri River, the symbolism of this culturally significant melody has been expanded to include its geographic namesake -- an area of the eastern United States that encompasses West Virginia and a good portion of the western part of Virginia -- and various parks, rivers, counties, and academic institutions found within.

Back in May of 2018, after hearing a really lovely duo arrangement of Shenandoah while adjudicating a music competition in Minneapolis, I asked myself, after hearing so many versions of this iconic and historic song, how would I set it differently? I thought about it and thought about it and thought about it, and before I realized it, I had composed and assembled just about all of this arrangement in my head by assigning bass notes to the melody and filling in the harmony in my head afterwards. I would intermittently check myself on the piano to make sure what I was imagining worked, and ended up changing almost nothing at all from what I’d heard in my mind’s ear.

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This arrangement recalls the beauty of Shenandoah Valley, not bathed in golden sunlight, but blanketed by low-hanging clouds and experiencing intermittent periods of heavy rainfall (created with a combination of percussion textures, generated both on instruments and from the body). There are a few musical moments where the sun attempts to pierce through the clouds, but ultimately the rains win out. This arrangement of Shenandoah is at times mysterious, somewhat ominous, constantly introspective, and deeply soulful.

 

Shortcut Home     by Dana Wilson       Guest Conductor, Rebecca Friesen

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American composer Dana Wilson completed Shortcut Home in 1998, in fulfillment of a commission by the Hillsboro (New Jersey) High School Band.  Showcasing each section of the ensemble, this jazz-influenced fanfare hovers around the “home” of C Major for the entirety of the piece.  This “home” tonality is implied from the work’s very first note, but is obscured and clouded throughout with dense harmony, changing meter, and surprising flourishes.  Utilizing devices such as pitch bends, walking bass lines, and drum set patterns, Wilson creates a stylized and energetic “shortcut” toward the satisfying final note -- the only pure major triad to be found in the piece.

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Overture to Candide       by Leonard Bernstein/ trans. by Clare Grundman

 

Candide was Leonard Bernstein’s third Broadway musical, following On the Town and Wonderful Town. Adapted by Lillian Hellman from Voltaire’s 18th-century satire on blind optimism, Bernstein’s Candide is an operetta set in the castle of the Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh in the mythical European land of Westphalia. Within these walls live the Baron and Baroness; Cunégonde, their beautiful and innocent virgin daughter; Maximilian, their handsome son; Candide, their handsome bastard nephew; and Paquette, the Baroness’ buxom serving maid. They are taught by Dr. Pangloss, who preaches the philosophy that all is for the best in “The Best of All Possible Worlds.”

 

The sparkling overture captures the frenetic activity of the operetta, with its twists and turns, along with Candide’s simple honesty. From the very beginning, though, the overture was a hit and swiftly became one of the most popular of all concert curtain raisers. Brilliantly written and scored, flying at breakneck speed, it pumps up the adrenaline of players and listeners alike. It features two of the show’s big tunes: the sweeping romantic one is Candide’s and Cunégonde’s love duet “Oh Happy We,” while the wacky up-tempo music is from Cunégonde’s fabulous send-up of coloratura soprano arias, “Glitter and Be Gay.”

 

Lux Aurumque       by Eric Whitacre

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Commissioned by the Texas Music Educators Association for their 2005 All-State Band, Lux Aurumque is a lush and poignant adaptation of one of Eric Whitacre’s most popular choral works. Simple triads melt from one chord to the next, creating a slowly evolving wash of aural color. After deciding upon the poem by Edward Esch (I was immediately struck by its genuine, elegant simplicity), I had it translated into Latin by the celebrated American poet Charles Anthony Silvestri. A simple approach is essential to the success of the work, and if the tight harmonies are carefully tuned and balanced, they will shimmer and glow.

 

Chester     by William Schumann

 

The tune on which this composition is based was born during the very time of the American Revolution, appearing in 1778 in a book of tunes and anthems composed by William Billings called The Singing Master's Assistant. This book became known as Billings' Best following as it did his first book called The New England Psalm Singer, published in 1770. Chester was so popular that it was sung throughout the colonies from Vermont to South Carolina. It became the song of the American Revolution, sung around the campfires of the Continental Army and played by fifers on the march. The music and words, both composed by Billings, expressed perfectly the burning desire for freedom which sustained the colonists through the difficult years of the Revolution.

 

Rolling Thunder March      by Henry Fillmore/ed. by Frederick Fennell

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The fast-paced march Rolling Thunder draws upon two important influences in Fillmore’s life: an early involvement in the circus and a lifelong fascination with the trombone. When the young Fillmore displayed an interest in the slide trombone, his father, a conservative partner in a religious music publishing firm, declared the instrument uncouth, sinful, and off-limits to his son. Fillmore’s mother snuck her son a secondhand instrument to practice in an attempt to keep him out of bigger trouble. The deception was serendipitous since Fillmore became an innovative composer for the instrument, writing signature trombone rags and often featuring the trombone section as he does in Rolling Thunder.

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Fillmore’s conservative father also likely disagreed with his decision to join the circus, but this choice also resulted in innovative music. Fillmore’s role as circus bandmaster gave him the opportunity to amplify the circus experience for the audience by using music to intensify suspense or heighten the excitement. A fast and exciting show-stopper like Rolling Thunder makes hearts race and feet tap, whether in the circus ring or the concert hall.