Belligerance: John Pasternak Belligerence, not to be confused with belligerent, means "aggressive or warlike behavior." The beginning of this piece starts with the march to battle. at measure 25 a battle begins between the upper and lower voices. at measure 31 the whole group is suddenly soft crescendoing to a climax at measure 39. Then, the whole ensemble regroups for another battle which is followed by a restatement of the introduction Stand by Me
Symphonic Band
Sundance: Frank Ticheli While composing Sun Dance, I was consciously attempting to evoke a feeling: bright joy. After completing the work, I found that the music began to suggest a more concrete image – a town festival on a warm, sunwashed day. I imagined townspeople gathered in the park, some in small groups, some walking hand in hand, others dancing to the music played by a small band under a red gazebo. Throughout the composition process, I carefully balanced the songlike and dancelike components of “bright joy.” The oboe’s gentle statement of the main melody establishes the work’s songlike characteristics, while in the work’s middle section, a lyrical theme of even greater passion appears. Several recurring themes are indeed more vocal than instrumental in nature. The work’s dancelike qualities are enhanced by a syncopated rhythmic figure. … The figure is used not only in the main melody, but also as a structural building block for virtually everything in the piece, including other melodies, accompaniment figures, and episodes. -Program Notes by the composer
Fragile: Randall Standridge "I live with depression. I am not afraid to say this. However, too many suffer in silence, shame, and fear. We must tear down these walls and normalize discussions about mental health issues. We owe it to each other." - Randall Standridge, composer "unBroken"
This mature work for young ensembles is a meditation on the lives of those who live with mental health conditions. At times melancholy, terrifying, triumphant, and confused, this work was carefully tailored to be accessible to younger ensembles. Beautiful melodies, limited ranges, colorful scoring, and an aleatoric moment create a stunning work that will leave an impact on players and audiences alike.
Unraveling: Andrew Boysen One melody is passed around the ensemble repeatedly, and as the music becomes progressively faster the piece seems to unravel in front of the listener. This exciting and challenging piece is perfect for the young group ready to move into more demanding literature!
Wind Ensemble
Joy is a Bird: Giovanni Santos The title of the work, taken from a short poem by R. H. Greenville, speaks of hope and new beginnings. The bird represents and institution, ready to soar to new heights. Musically Joy is bird is a fanfare for wind ensemble. This celebratory piece highlights melodic ideas that rise, fly and soar. The strong and steady beat throughout signifies hard work and dedication. The second half of the piece, in a faster tempo and full of flare, celebrates new beginnings, innovation, inspiration, and unity. Joy is a Bird, A Fragile Thing, Poised on a Starry, Bough in Spring
Content is a Kitten, Snug and Warm, By the Cottage of Hearth On a Night of Storm
Voicing a music all her own Long Months after The Bird has flown
Pavanne: Morton Gould The Pavanne is one of Morton Gould's most often performed and recorded works, but is actually the second movement of his American Symphonette No. 2, a symphonic suite written with a jazz tinge and intended for radio performance. The Pavanne is written as a short allegretto, lasting roughly four minutes. It opens with a jazzy trumpet tune superimposed over a subtle, walking bass-like ostinato. Different instruments join in, and the work builds to replicate the sounds of a 1940s big band. The structure is loosely ABACDCABA, with the C section introducing a melancholy flute fragment that could be an homage to Gabriel Fauré’s even more famous Pavane. Fragments of Gould’s Pavanne were later worked into such jazz pieces as John Coltrane's "Impressions," Dizzy Gillespie's "Bebop" and "April B," and David Baker's "Wes Montgomery in Memoriam."
Gould recorded an orchestral version of this composition about three years after the release of Bill Finnigan’s more widely known dance band arrangement was featured on the flip-side of Glenn Miller’s Little Brown Jug. Gould transcribed the piece for band in 1961. Relatively unknown by today’s young audiences, it is a delightful little swing number for band. - Program Note by David Holsinger
Glitter and Be Gay: Leonard Bernstein Cunegonde's aria Glitter and Be Gay from Leonard Bernstein's operetta Candide is a performance of a performance, a show-stopping coloratura solo in which the character describes how she has been "forced to bend my soul to a sordid role" of being the caged slave of the Grand Inquisitor and Don Issachar. The character switches back and forth between her disgust at her situation and her temptation at the jewelry, furs, and champagne that come with her new status. - Program Note by Alice Boone
Pulse: Randall Standridge Pulse is a work for concert band which uses minimalistic and pointillistic writing to create a tapestry of pulsing rhythms and colors. The work was inspired by the painting techniques of the pointillism movement during the impressionistic art period, as well as artists such as Georges Seurat, Charles Angrand, Henri Delavalée, and others. The unrelenting rhythm depicts the constant, sharp motions of the painter's brush, each note a point of color on the canvas. Pulse (formerly titled "Pointillism") was originally part of a larger work entitled "Art(isms)," which was commissioned by Dr. Tim Oliver and is dedicated to him, his associate Dr. Kenneth Carroll, and the Arkansas State University Wind Ensemble. In its original form, it was premiered at the 2010 CBDNA conference in Las Cruces, New Mexico by that ensemble, with Dr. Carroll conducting. - Program Note from score