Wind Orchestra Program Notes

Nov. 23, 2023

Paul Dukas, a French composer known for his meticulous craftsmanship and a penchant for evocative orchestration, occupies a prominent place in the late Romantic and early 20th-century music. His Fanfare pour précéder La Péri is a brilliant testament to his innovative orchestral technique and his ability to transport listeners to far-off, mythical realms through the sheer power of music.

Composed in 1912, the Fanfare serves as the prelude to Dukas' ballet "La Péri" (The Peri), a work inspired by Persian mythology and the enchanting allure of the mystical Peris, beautiful, winged creatures akin to fairies. While "La Péri" is an enticing portrayal of love, longing, and transcendence, the Fanfare sets the stage with an unforgettable flourish.

- Program Note by Generative AI, ChatGPT

James L. Hosay is an American composer from Nashville, Tennessee. He joined the United States Army as a trumpet player and graduated from the U.S. Armed Forces School of Music. After his first three-year enlistment he landed a job as music copiest for the United States Army Band (Pershing's Own) in Washington, D.C. Having aspirations of becoming a professional composer and arranger, he used this time to develop his writing skills, and in 1981 he earned the position of Staff Arranger for the United States Army Band.

His stirring composition, Persis, is a remarkable and passionate work for concert band that transports audiences to a realm of ancient mystique and grandeur. Originally composed in 2000, it has since become a cherished and frequently performed gem in the contemporary wind band repertoire. The title "Persis" hints at its historical and geographical inspiration: Persia, the land that once boasted a majestic empire spanning three millennia, an empire famous for its opulence, culture, and enduring influence on the world.

Persis tells the story of a modern-day American man who travels back through time to the ancient Persian city of Persepolis. He begins a wild and wonderful adventure as he is suddenly surrounded by magnificent architecture, grand marble statues, and beautiful works of art in one of the earliest known cultured civilizations. Then, he turns and sees a beautiful Persian woman in a flower-laden courtyard. She is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in his life, and he is completely captivated by her. He carefully approaches her, and miraculously, she recognizes him as someone she had known before in another place and time. They embrace and share a brief, blissful moment together. But his presence in the royal courtyard is forbidden and he finds himself being chased by armed warriors. As he runs frantically through the corridors of the city, he reflects sadly on the romance that might have been.

This composition serves as a reminder of the remarkable ability of music to transport us through time and space, immersing us in the beauty and complexity of culture and human imagination.

- Program Note by Generative AI, ChatGPT and composer

Florence Beatrice Price was an African American composer whose music holds a significant place in the annals of American classical music history. Born at a time when racial prejudice and discrimination were pervasive, Price overcame numerous obstacles to achieve recognition as a composer and pianist. Price's catalog of works boasts an impressive array of symphonies, concertos, chamber music, various symphonic works, choral works, piano music, and music for the organ. Her composition, Adoration, was originally conceived as a work for solo organ and stands as powerful symbols of her enduring legacy.

"Adoration," originally composed in 1951, is a piece that captures the essence of Florence Price's unique compositional style, often characterized by a fusion of traditional Western classical forms with the rich textures and rhythms of African American spirituals and folk music. It begins with a solemn and meditative introduction that leads into a lyrical, flowing melody. The piece alternates between moments of introspection and bursts of radiant, heartfelt expression.

Cheldon Williams has taken it upon himself to bring Florence Price's music to a broader audience- wind band. His transcription of "Adoration" preserves the sincerity of the original piece while expanding it into new dimensions through orchestration.

- Program Note by Generative AI, ChatGPT

Katahj Copley is an American saxophonist, composer and educator from Carrollton, Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and composition from the University of West Georgia, a master's in music composition at the University of Texas at Austin and is currently attending Michigan State University for his DMA in composition.

Copley's Serenade for Wind Nonet composed in 2019 is a captivating four movement work that invites listeners into a world of the growth of a person from relationship heartache. Listeners may find themselves transported to moonlit gardens, a hopeful mood, starry nights, or tender moments shared between lovers. This composition, written for a nonet of wind instruments, showcases Copley's unique ability to blend lyrical melodies with intricate harmonies, creating a sonic tapestry that is both elegant and engaging.

The serenade genre, with its historical associations of romance and nocturnal contemplation, serves as a foundation for this contemporary piece. The composition opens with a gentle and enchanting melody that is passed among the various wind instruments, creating an intricate web of melodic lines that seem to converse and entwine. Throughout the work, the music explores a range of emotions, from introspective moments of quiet reflection to passionate and fervent passages. These shifts in mood are achieved through dynamic contrasts, harmonic tension, and rhythmic variation, all expertly orchestrated to draw the listener deeper into the musical narrative. Copley brings all the instrumental forces together in a powerful and emotionally charged finale. The intricate counterpoint, lush harmonies, and the nonet's unified voice create a breathtaking culmination, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

- Program Note by Generative AI, ChatGPT

Halcyon Hearts composed in 2021 is an ode to love and how it affects us all. Halcyon denotes a time where a person is ideally happy or at peace, so in short Halcyon Hearts is about the moment of peace when one finds their love or passion.

The piece centers around major 7th and warm colors to represent the warmth that love bring us. The introduction – which is sudden and colorful – symbolizes the feeling of the unexpected journey it takes to find love. Using the colors and natural energy of the ensemble, we create this sound of ambition and passion throughput the work. No matter what race, gender, religion, nationality, or love, we all are united with the common thread of passion from the heart. This piece was written in dedication to those who love no matter which negativity is in the world; do not allow hate and prejudice to guide the way we live our lives. Always choose love and the halcyon days will come.

- Program Note by composer

Sir Edward William Elgar was an English composer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Elgar is widely regarded as one of the most important composers in British classical music history and his works encompass a variety of musical forms, including orchestral compositions, choral music, chamber music, and songs.

Nimrod, the ninth variation from Elgar's masterpiece Op. 36, "Enigma Variations" (1898-99) is possibly the most recognized work in the Classical repertoire. It is a tribute to Elgar's dear friend, Augustus Jaeger, who was an influential figure in the composer's life. This masterpiece captures a series of musical portraits depicting the essence of Jaeger's character and the depth of their friendship. There are so many adjectives to describe this piece of genius: Stately, majestic, serious, solemn, moving, noble, languid, stoic, enduring and sublime. There are few works in the repertoire that bring forth such strong emotions as this work, which is often performed for funerals and for Remembrance Day services.

Jim Tempest's arrangement, for moderately advanced performers is scored for an 11-part Brass Ensemble. Whether you are experiencing "Nimrod" for the first time or revisiting it, its timeless beauty and emotional depth are sure to leave a profound and lasting impression.

- Program Note by Generative AI, ChatGPT

Timothy Broege is an American composer and organist. He attended and studied composition, piano, and harpsichord at Northwestern University earning a Master and Bachelor of Music. Broege taught in the Chicago and New Jersey Public School Systems. He currently holds the positions of Organist and Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Belmar, a position he has held since 1972, and Organist and Director of Music at the historic Elberon Memorial Church in Elberon, New Jersey.

Commissioned by Madison High School in New Jersey, The Tango Disappearing was composed during the winter of 2005 and was premiered there the following spring. The music is dedicated to the Maroon Band of Madison High School and its band director, Mr. Robert Seibert. This work embodies Broege’s penchant for blending traditional and contemporary influences as it masterfully captures the essence of the tango, a genre characterized by its passionate and sultry dance, and simultaneously infuses it with a modern twist.

This one-movement work begins and ends with a tango that is touched with melancholy. In the middle, an anachronistic march "invades" the melancholy mood and attempts to banish all traces of the tango. And yet the tango and its mood of regret return. No longer capable of much energy, however, the sad dance gradually fades away.

This piece was written as a companion movement to the composer's Prelude & Fughetta.

- Program Note by Generative AI, ChatGPT and composer

Harrison J. Collins is an American composer, bassoonist, and student at Texas Christian University who also attended Illinois State University. He began composing at the age of fourteen and has made a name for himself across the United States. He combines his musical studies in academic settings with years of self-teaching and a strong intuition to write music that challenges and connects to performers and listeners alike.

O rose of May is a musical response to Hamlet, the world famous and deeply influential play by William Shakespeare. The work focuses on the character arc of Ophelia, Hamlet’s would-be love interest, and her internal struggle amongst the external conflict of the play. In the play’s early stages, Ophelia is torn by her love for Hamlet -- her brother, Laertes, and her father, Polonius, urge her not to pursue him further, and Hamlet himself begins acting strangely towards her. She is pushed further and further by Hamlet’s confusing and seemingly insane actions until he kills Polonius. Overcome with grief, Ophelia is driven mad, and in her last appearances in the play she is hysterical, singing songs and sharing flowers with other characters. Before it is announced that she has died (likely by suicide), Laertes sees her in this state and calls to her, saying:

O rose of May,

Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia!

O heavens, is ’t possible a young maid’s wits

Should be as mortal as an old man’s life?

Represented by a solo clarinetist, Ophelia is depicted as singing a solitary, peaceful song in the opening of the work. After this introduction, an agitated melody takes over, representative of the conflict between the characters of the play. Ophelia’s song reappears -- but every time it is more and more twisted. A brief respite suggests relief from the conflict, but the song is unable to begin again. It bends to the will of the conflict, the voices of the surrounding characters overpower her, and as Ophelia descends into madness, her song becomes a hysterical celebration. The final bars are a wild chromatic descent into the last note of the work -- a reflection on Ophelia’s final moments, falling from her tree branch into the brook in which she drowns.

-Program Notes by composer