Texas
Music Educators Association
2003
Class AAA Honor Band Concert
Canton
High School
Symphonic
Band In Concert
Program
Texas
Music Educators Association
2003
Class AAA Honor Band Concert
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Canton
High School
Symphonic
Band In Concert
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Program
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| A Festival Prelude | Alfred
Reed |
| A Festival Prelude was written in 1956 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Enid (Oklahoma) Tri-State Music Festival and was premiered by the Phillips University Band with Reed conducting. The music is built up entirely from one main theme and two fanfare like figures that occur throughout the score. The scoring of this work embraces the modern concept of the integrated symphonic band with the brasses separated into three distinct color groups and the woodwind writing centered around the clarinet choir | |
| Notes by Norman E. Smith | |
| Emblem of Unity March | J.
J. Richards
|
| This brilliant march, Richards’ most popular, was written while he was living in Sterling, Illinois. A classic and exciting composition, this work is played by hundreds of school and professional bands each year. Some of the composition’s unique features include: the chord changes which precede the snare drum forzando in the introduction, the short lower-brass breaks, and the final strain, which sounds correct at either a constant, slower, or accelerating tempo. | |
| Notes by Norman E. Smith | |
| Discovery | John
Gibson
|
World Premier Performance Commissioned by the Canton High School Symphonic Band in celebration of the life of Rick Badgett and in honor of the town of Canton, Texas |
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| Mark Reeves, Pianist | |
| Salvation is Created | Pavel
Tschesnokoff
|
| This piece is a fine example of the choral literature of the Russian Orthodox Church, where Tschesnokoff was composer. Because of the government’s power over what composers could write, and to protect his family from communism, this would be his only piece of sacred music. After his death and the fall of communism, however, the Russian Orthodox Church reopened and Salvation is Created becomes the unofficial anthem. The simple text of the hymn is as follows:
Salvation is created
in the midst of the earth, |
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| Ronald Todd, Conductor | Notes by Karen Berry |
| Diversion | Bernard
Heiden
|
| This work for alto saxophone and wind ensemble was written during World War II when Heiden, a native German and immigrant to the United States, was serving as assistant bandmaster with the 445th Army Service Forces Band. The seven-minute Diversion is rather conventional in impact, though its straightforward vigor is pleasantly embracing. | |
| Michelle Lynn Smith, Guest Soloist | Notes by Karen Berry |
| October | Eric
Whitacre
|
| Written because the composer believed there wasn’t enough lush beautiful music written for winds, October reflects a quiet beauty of the crisp autumn air and the subtle change in light. The simple melodies and subsequent harmonies are inspired by the great English Romantics (Vaughn Williams, Elgar), and capture the natural and pastoral soul of the season. | |
| Notes taken from the composer | |
| Folk Dances | Dimitri
Shostacovich/ H. Robert Reynolds
|
| Composed in Shostakovich’s light-hearted style, this single movement work is filled with the joy and exuberance of the Russian people. The many folk melodies are combined in a string so that musical energy abounds and the sprit of fold dances can easily be imagined. The first version of Dimitri Shostakovich’s composition was instrumented by M. Vakhutinsky for Russian bands. | |
| Notes taken from the composer | |