From Sea to Sky: Program Notes

Oct. 24, 2025

Chanteys

Chanteys by Robert Sheldon “is an original work that recalls the music of the sea and its sailors. A jaunty opening sparkles with character and style before yielding to a pensive "Andante." The piece closes with a spirited juxtaposition of thematic material.”

(Source: The Wind Repertory Project)

The Tempest

The Tempest by Robert W. Smith “The dictionary tells us that a tempest is "a violent windstorm, frequently accompanied by rain, snow or hail." In the hands of Robert W. Smith, the scoring supplies all of the fury and rage within the instruments of your band. The brass has a strong, rugged sound underneath rhythmic woodwind ostinatos.”

(Source: The Wind Repertory Project)

Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond by Frank Tichelli highlights a time in Scottish history when the now classic “Loch Lomond” tune was still new. After their defeat at the Battle of Culloden Moor on April 16th, 1746 many Scottish soldiers were held at England’s Carlisle Castle near the border of Scotland. “Loch Lomond” tells the story of two Scottish soldiers imprisoned. One of these men was to be executed and the other to be set free. In Celtic legend, it is said that if one dies in a foreign land, their spirit will travel home by the “low road”, and the living by the “high road” with the latter arriving home after the dead.

“Loch Lomond is from the point of view of the soldier who will be executed. … He remembers his happy past: “by yon bonnie banks … where me and my true love were ever wont to gae”, and he sadly accepts his death: ‘the broken heart it ken nae second Spring again.’ “The Lyrics and their melodies intertwine the “sadness of the soldier’s plight with images of Loch Lomond’s stunning natural beauty.”

Tichelli, keeping this context in mind, tried to preserve the folksong’s simple charm, while also suggesting. Sense of hope, and the resilience of the human spirit. In the final statement of this piece, he combines the Scottish tune with the well-known Irish folksong “Danny Boy.”

(Source: Program Notes by Composer)

Lyrics:

By yon bonnie banks,
And by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright, on Loch Lomond
Where me and my true love
Were ever wont to gae
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond

Chorus: Oh! Ye’ll tak’ the high road
And I’ll take the low road,
An’ I’ll be in Scotland afore ye’
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond

‘Twas then that we parted,
In yon shady glen,
On the steep, steep side of Ben Lomond
Where in purple hue
The Highland hills we view,
And the moon coming out in the gloaming.

(Chorus)

The wee birdies sing
And the wild flowers spring,
And in sunshine the waters are sleeping.
But the broken hear it kens
Nae second Spring again,
Tho’ the waeful may cease frae their greeting.

(Chorus)

Kirkpatrick's Muse

Kirkpatrick’s Muse by Jay Bocook “begins with a slow, Irish style flute solo, and moves seamlessly to a brisk allegro in the style of an Irish reel. The melodic material is a 16-bar theme loosely derived from the Appalachian fiddling tune Glory in the Meeting House, which originated in the Kentucky river basin, and has been attributed to fiddler Luther Strong.

In Irish dance music, the rhythmic tendencies of a reel are similar to the swing style of American jazz. However, rather than referring to these rhythms as “swing,” Celtic musicians typically say the music is performed “with a bounce.” Traditionally, the treble reel is danced in hard shoes so that the musicians can hear the bounce in each step. In Kirkpatrick’s Muse, a bodhrán, rather than dancers, creates and maintains the rhythmic drive throughout. The bodhrán, an Irish frame drum played with either a bare hand or a “tipper,” is traditionally played while seated, and is held vertically, with the left hand placed on the back of the goatskin head and used to manipulate pitch. If a bodhrán is not available for performance, the part can be performed on any frame drum or concert tom, so long as the player pays careful attention to the accent patterns written.

Kirkpatrick’s Muse highlights the simple charm of traditional Irish music in a new and interesting setting through many variances in harmony, texture, and color. The use of the bodhrán and other colorful percussive instruments emphasizes the dance-like nature of this lively piece for concert band.”

(Source: The Wind Repertory Project)

Perthshire Majesty

Perthshire Majesty by Samuel R. Hazo is “a Scottish ballad for wind band, Perthshire Majesty finds its musical roots in the heritage of David Gregory, the conductor who led the premiere. A gentle, elegant work with a broad, cinematic lyricism, Perthshire Majesty evolves with a sense of engaging inevitability.”

(Source: Hal Leonard)

Nature of Trees

Nature of Trees by Cait Nishimura “is dedicated to everyone in the music education community. To [her], the nature of trees is love, resilience, patience, strength, adaptability, interconnectedness, and so much more. The nature of trees is to co-create an environment in which everyone can thrive, and [she] think this is a perfect metaphor for what we do in music education.

This piece was commissioned by the National Band Association at Indiana University to be premiered by the IU Concert Band, conducted by Dr. Jason Nam. The students asked [her] to create a piece that would explore the emotional experience of returning to band after an extended hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [She] wanted to give them something hopeful, but [she] also wanted to be honest. This chapter of our lives has been tumultuous, heartbreaking, and transformative; we are not returning to the world we knew before. Writing this piece meant facing these feelings and allowing them to exist alongside gratitude and optimism. And so, this piece includes a wide spectrum of emotions, including moments of joy, yearning, hesitation, nostalgia, and of course, hope.“

(Source: Cait Nishimura Music)

Three Ayres From Gloucester

Three Ayres From Gloucester by Hugh M. Stuart, arranged by Robert Longfield is “A three-movement suite written in the early English folksong style, this piece came into being as a result of the composer's fascination with an old 10th century couplet:

There's no one quite so comely
As the Jolly Earl of Cholmondeley.

The resulting three compositions, The Jolly Earl of Cholmondeley [pronounced "Chumley"], Ayre for Eventide and The Fiefs of Wembley, are in early English folk song style and are designed to capture the mood of the peasants and their life on the fiefs of Wembley castle.” (Source: Program Notes)

Ember Skies

Ember Skies by Kevin Day is “a Grade I composition for young band that depicts a red-orange-colored sky that awakens from the darkness of night, bringing forth the first light and signaling the start of a new day.”

(Source: Program Notes by Composer)

Into the Clouds

Into the Clouds by Richard L. Saucedo is a depiction of one of his life long dreams which was to be a pilot. He says “As a pilot, you join the ranks of those less bound by conventional limits on time, distance and personal freedom. You take off to wide-open skies in any direction on the compass. But more than that, it’s freedom as you’ve never known it, far from the commonplace. Finally, being a pilot symbolizes individualism and self-reliance. You are in control and you make the choices. There’s nothing like the experience of flight, except possibly the experience of music, and I hope the enthusiasm of both can be found in this piece.” (Source: Program Notes)