Perpetua (2018/2019)
Peter Meechan (b. 1980)
Perpetua was written in between two other works that deal with dark subject matters, Close to the Sun (written for a friend whose brother’s life was lost tragically early) and let this place (a work that bridges the Holocaust, the current rise of anti-Semitism, and the current lack of humanity in society), and wanted – and personally needed – Perpetua to be something that was joyful, hopeful, energetic, exciting and fun. In that Close to the Sun and let this place were reflections of what I saw around me in my community, Perpetua is the world I want to live in. Perpetua was commissioned by Foothills Concert Band (Calgary, AB, Canada) and their conductor Anthony Reimer.
- Composer, Peter Meechan
THE COMPOSER
The music of Canadian-British composer Peter Meechan is extensively performed throughout the world. His music has been commissioned, recorded, broadcast and performed by some of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, wind ensembles, brass bands, conductors and soloists, including: “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, The United States Air Force Band, The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra brass, The Dallas WindsBlack Dyke Brass Band, The Band of the Coldstream Guards, RNCM Wind Orchestra, Bramwell Tovey, Jens Lindemann, Ryan Anthony, David Childs, Steven Mead, Patrick Sheridan, Les Neish, Peter Moore, Linda Merrick and many more.
Meechan’s music is featured on over 130 commercial recordings and has been featured at festivals and clinics globally, including the Midwest Clinic, The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) Conference, CBDNA, the International Trumpet Guild, the International Tuba and Euphonium Association, BASBWE conferences, and in 2014 his work The Legend of King Arthur was used as the set test piece at the British National Brass Band Championships, held in the Royal Albert Hall, London. His works for brass band have been used as compulsory and own choice selections at music contests across the world.
His work Perpetua won the 2021 Sousa-ABA-Ostwald Composition Contest, and Meechan has also been a finalist in the National Band Association William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest for Waves Towards the Pebbled Shore. His first concerto for tuba, Episodes and Echoes, won the ITEA Harvey G. Phillips Award for Excellence in Composition.
LEARN ABOUT THIS WORK
In his review of the 2011 Taiwan WASBE Conference, noted conductor Timothy Reynish wrote: “Chang Su Koh was for me one of the most impressive composers ... with two fine works played. Lament for Wind Orchestra [is] one of those extremely rare wind works, a slow unsentimental piece, full of sentiment, first rate. This was also to my mind an object lesson in how to use a traditional musical language in a contemporary way. Some of this work was, dare I say it, beautiful, especially the development of a wind and then brass motif which reminded me of Shostakovich. This is a real piece of music, probably nearer Grade 5 than Grade 4 in its exposed writing and intensity.”
- Timothy Reynish
Lament is a single-movement work commissioned in 2002 by the All-Japan Band Association as a required piece for the All-Japan Band Contest, and it also won the 13th annual Asahi Composition Award.
"Lament" is a musical term meaning grief or song of mourning. It is my hope that the title does not become a mere decoration for the performance.
- Composer, Chang Su Koh
MORE ABOUT SINFONIETTA
Sinfonietta is a thoroughly modern work that retains a sense of humor and a strong appeal to audiences. Despite the composer's usage of serialism and other modern techniques, he has carefully applied these methods to promote a connection with listeners. Dahl starts and finishes the work in the often perceived "band" key of B-flat, and there are references to marching band throughout. It is a technically difficult work with disjunct melodic lines and several exposed solos, requiring an ensemble with skilled musicians in every position.
- Notes from Great Music for Wind Band
Sinfonietta was commissioned by the Western and Southwestern Divisions of the College Band Directors National Association. The composer states:
"When I received a commission to write a work for band, there were many things to be considered. First of all, I wanted it to be a piece full of size, a long piece, a substantial piece -- a piece that, without apologies for its medium, would take its place alongside symphonic works of any other kind. But, in addition, I hoped to make it a ‘light’ piece, something in a serenade style, serenade tone, and perhaps even form. This was the starting point. You will remember that in many classical serenades the music begins and ends with movements which are idealized marches... From Haydn's and Mozart's march-enclosed divertimenti to Beethoven's Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola (and beyond), this was a strong tradition, and it was this tradition which motivated at least the details of the beginning and ending of the Sinfonietta (a work in serenade tone but with symphonic proportions, hence the title). The quiet beginning, the backstage trumpets, and at the very end an extremely quiet ending with backstage trumpets -- this is the form of the work...
"Arthur Honneger once was commissioned to write an oratorio (King David) for chorus and an ill-assorted group of wind instruments. He asked Stravinsky, ‘What should I do? I have never before heard of this odd combination of winds.’ Stravinsky replied, ‘That is very simple. You must approach this task as if it had always been your greatest wish to write for these instruments, and as if a work for just such a group were the one that you had wanted to write all your life.’ This is good advice and I tried to follow it. Only in my case it was not only before but after the work was done and the Sinfonietta was finished that it turned out to be indeed the piece I had wanted to write all my life."
- Program Note from University of North Texas Wind Symphony concert program, 5 April 2017
Humoresque (2003)
Kimberly Archer (b.1973)
Douglas Tiller, graduate assistant conductor
ABOUT HUMORESQUE
Humoresque is the first movement of a three movement piece, which the composer Kimberly Archer wrote as her doctoral dissertation called Symphony No. 2.
"At this significant point in my life and career, I felt it important to offer a tribute to three people who have been critical in my getting this far, both personally and professionally:
"Symphony No. 2, I. March (sold separately as "Humoresque") is dedicated to Andy Waggoner, my first composition teacher in graduate school. By form it is a march, but by style, a scherzo. It is intended to be playful and humorous (reflective of our personal relationship), but also makes use of several of the concepts and skills he taught me, including how to use octatonic collections."
- Composer, Kimberly Archer
"Kimberly Archer has done what few composers achieve which is to write a really amusing march, to be put alongside the great march by Marcel Wengler or those commissioned by the Norwegian Military to celebrate the millennium. I would love to hear the whole Symphony."
- Review by Timothy Reynish
Robert J. Ambrose
Conductor Robert J. Ambrose enjoys a highly successful and diverse career as a dynamic and engaging musician. His musical interests cross many genres and can be seen in the wide range of professional activities he pursues. Dr. Ambrose studied formally at Boston College, Boston University and Northwestern University, where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting.
Dr. Ambrose has conducted professionally across the United States as well as in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. His interpretations have earned the enthusiastic praise of many leading composers including Pulitzer Prize winners Leslie Bassett, Michael Colgrass and John Harbison. Dr. Ambrose is considered an authority on Arnold Schoenberg’s landmark piece Pierrot Lunaire, having conducted it several times in three different countries. He has conducted over two dozen premiere performances including works by Michael Colgrass, Jonathan Newman, Joel Puckett, Christopher Theofanidis and Joseph Turrin. In addition, a recent performance of Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms under his direction has been given repeated airings on Georgia Public Radio.
Dr. Ambrose is founder and music director of the Atlanta Chamber Winds a professional dectet specializing in the promotion of music by emerging composers as well as lesser-known works of established composers. Their premiere compact disc, Music from Paris, was released in 2009 on the Albany Records label and has received outstanding reviews in both Fanfare and Gramophone magazines.
As a guitarist, Robert Ambrose has performed in dozens of jazz ensembles, combos, rock bands and pit orchestras. His rock band “Hoochie Suit,” formed with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, received rave reviews throughout the Chicago area and performed for such distinguished guests as Yo-Yo Ma and Daniel Barenboim.
Dr. Ambrose currently serves as director of bands, associate professor of music and associate director of the School of Music at Georgia State University, a Research I institution of 32,000 students located in Atlanta, GA. As director of bands he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, maintains a highly selective studio of graduate students in the Master of Music in wind band conducting degree program, and oversees a large, comprehensive band program comprised of four concert ensembles and three athletic bands. He lives in Peachtree City, GA with his wife Sarah Kruser Ambrose, a professional flute player, and daughters Isabelle and Hannah.
Douglas Tiller
Graduate Assistant Conductor
Douglas Tiller is an avid conductor, educator, and instrumentalist active throughout Georgia. Most recently, he served as the Academy Band Director at Strong Rock Christian School where he oversaw a vibrant concert band program in grades fifth through eighth, in addition to serving as the Assistant Director for the award-winning Marching Patriots. Douglas also overhauled the jazz program to include a full jazz band and several combos.
Douglas received his Bachelor of Music from Georgia State University, experiencing success as a competitive chamber musician in the Augmented Triad Mixed Woodwind Trio and the Centennial Saxophone quartet, both groups placing in University and MTNA competitions in addition to presenting at conferences nationwide. Currently, Douglas has returned to Georgia State University to pursue his Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting under Dr. Robert Ambrose.