PROGRAM NOTES
Entry March Of The Boyars, Opus 17
by Johan Halvorsen
arr. by by Frederick Fennell
From the 10th through the 17th centuries, the Boyars were the highest ranking members of the Bulgarian, Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes. Halvorsen’s Entry March of the Boyars depicts the ceremonial entrance of these aristocrats in a theatrical setting. A solo clarinet introduces the regal theme, and more instruments are added to represent the approach of the entourage. Woodwind ornamentation complements the brass fanfares. This piece did not receive national recognition until Grieg, who was the uncle of Halvorsen’s wife, created an arrangement for piano in 1898.
Halvorsen describes his inspiration for this composition:
Got hold of an encyclopaedia to find out what Bucharest was like. There I read about the art-loving Queen Carmen Sylva and the descendants of the rich, distinguished Boyars who invaded Bucharest so and so many years ago. ‘This would look good in the newspapers,’ I thought. And then there was the Queen! She would immediately summon me to the palace with my quartet. I had to find release, so I wrote a march and called it The March of the Boyars, and just when I had finished it, the same afternoon, Edvard Grieg came in. ‘Now, how are you doing? Already in full swing I see.’ He saw the manuscript on the piano, looked at it carefully and said: ‘That is good!’
A Simple Song From MASS
by Leonard Bernstein
arr. by Michael Sweeney
From Leonard Bernstein's masterwork Mass, this tuneful ballad has become its best-known and most often recorded song. Here is a beautifully poignant setting for band, authentically transcribed by Michael Sweeney, that features a trumpet soloist (or flugelhorn) as well as short solo spots for baritone or trombone.
MASS (formally, "MASS: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers") is a musical theatre work composed by Leonard Bernstein with text by Bernstein and additional text and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy, it premiered on September 8, 1971, conducted by Maurice Peress. The performance was part of the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Originally, Bernstein had intended to compose a traditional Mass, but instead decided on a more innovative form. The work is based on the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Catholic Church. Although the liturgical passages are sung in Latin, Mass also includes additional texts in English written by Bernstein, Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz, and Paul Simon (who wrote the first quatrain of the trope "Half of the People"). The work is intended to be staged theatrically, but it has also been performed in a standard concert setting.
Initial critical reception, including a review in the New York Times, was largely negative, but the Columbia Records recording of the work enjoyed excellent sales.
All My Heart
by Michael Markowski
I was lying in bed one night, scrolling rather lifelessly on my phone, when I came across a video a friend had shared. It was from a taped performance at the Regional Cultural Centre in Donegal, Ireland, featuring Séamus McGuire lovingly playing his fiddle and Steve Cooney tenderly accompanying on his guitar. The pair had started playing a centuries-old love song from the Petrie Collection of Irish Music called With Her Dog and Her Gun. As I lay there listening for the first time, something inside me stirred. I could feel my heart begin to swell. Something about this song was immediately captivating and timeless and simple and easy and familiar -- like I had known it all my life. I went to bed with this recording running wild in my head, with fragments of it endlessly echoing every corner of my tired body.
The next day, I listened again -- perhaps to see if the magic I felt the night before was still there -- and again, my heart swelled. Soon enough, I realized I couldn’t get this tune out of my head! I became obsessed with it -- and the striking beauty of this performance in particular -- and after a while, I felt as if it was bursting my heart wide open in a way my heart hadn’t been opened before. No other melodies or themes or songs that I had been listening to or composing myself had moved me with the magnitude that this one had. It had ingrained itself deep within me, and I was completely under its spell. Within such a short time, this beautiful Irish melody had entirely consumed me and all my heart.
First Symphony, Opus 9
by Samuel Barber
trans. by Guy M. Duker
The Symphony in One Movement was composed in 1936 and revised in 1942. ... Barber's mastery of form and balance is exemplified in this powerful early work. His ingenious synthesis of the classical four-movement symphony form combines variety with a remarkable economy of means.
The dramatic opening presents three themes upon which the entire work is based. The first is characterized by an upward octave leap; the second is a more subdued, lyrical utterance; the third is a twisting, circling impassioned melody that builds to a modest climax before trailing off into a compact development section. The Scherzo (Allegro molto) is based on a transformation of the first idea. The slow movement develops the moody second theme before giving way to a concluding passacaglia built on the first theme. The Finale serves as a recapitulation of the entire symphony. The work's directness and tremendous emotional depth demonstrate the ability of this master composer.
When The Stars Began To Fall
Traditional song, arranged by Fred J. Allen
Dr. Matthew Lamm, Guest Conductor
My Lord, What a Mornin' is one of many anonymous spirituals sung in the fields and in worship by African-American slaves in the 19th century. In this setting, sonorities of the band are utilized that express a longing for the end of time, when there will be no sorrow, no pain. The last line of the refrain serves as the title for this setting.
Trittico
by Vaclav Nelhybel
i. Allegro maestoso
ii. Adagio
iii. Allegro marcato
Trittico was composed in 1963 for Dr. William D. Revelli who gave the first performance of the work in the spring of 1964, in Ann Arbor, with the Symphonic Band of the University of Michigan.
The first and third movements are, in several ways, related to one another: their character is brilliantly forward-moving and energetic; the main theme of the first movement reappears in the culmination point of the third movement, and the instrumentation of the movements is identical (standard), with the individual instruments themselves being used quite similarly.
The second movement is a strongly contrasting dramatic scene with turbulent recitatives and expressive woodwind solos, punctuated by low brass and percussion. The emphasis is on the woodwinds and the low brass; cornets and trumpets enter only at the very end with an extremely intense phrase to conclude the movement. The dramatic character is underlined by the strong use of percussion which is extended by a second timpani player, piano and celesta.
A Christmas Suite
Traditional songs, arranged by Terry Crummel
Terry Crummel, Guest Conductor
Ding Dong, Merrily on High is originally a 16th century French dance tune. In 1924 English composer George Ratcliffe Woodward added lyrics to it. It opens with a bell-tone statement played by woodwinds, low brass and mallet percussion followed by the melody in the trumpets, as it is passed around different sections in the band. The middle section you will hear the original melody stated in a quirky 5/8 meter section modulating through various keys. The tune winds down as the oboe presents it in a slow lyrical setting.
Silent Night was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818, in Salzburg, Austria. A priest, Joseph Mohr wrote the lyrics and brought it to Franz Grueber the choir director, and asked him to write the melody and a guitar accompaniment for that night's mass, after a fire destroyed the organ and chapel. In this version the flute and clarinet are featured over a very lush chordal setting. Franz Grueber composed the "Stille Nacht" melody for Mohr in just a few hours on that cold night in December 24, 1818.
Deck the Halls is a traditional Christmas carol. The melody is Welsh, dating back to the 16th century, while the English lyrics written by a Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant, date back to 1862. The melody is featured in various sections of the ensemble with bold brass and sparkling woodwinds. Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la la la la la!
