Declaration Overture (1976) - Claude T. Smith (1932-1987) arr. Earp
Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon (1936) - Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961)
Appalachian Air (2003/2021) - Nathan Daughtrey (b. 1975)
A Little Tango Music (2007/2021) - Adam Gorb (b. 1958)
Declaration Overture (1976)
Declaration Overture was dedicated to the composer’s wife, Maureen. The work was premiered by the North Central Bandmasters Honors Band at the 25th Anniversary Concert, November, 1975, in Chillicothe, Missouri. The overture includes numerous variations of the opening five note motif.
Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon (1936)
Grainger’s arrangement of the Scottish song The Caledonian Hunt’s Delight became Ye Banks and Braes O Bonnie Doon. The river Doon flows gracefully between the Loch Doon and the Firth of Clyde in Stirlingshire, Scotland. It was inspired by Robert Burns poem, The Banks of Doon, written in 1783. The piece was originally scored in 1903 for a chorus of women’s unison voices, accompanied by men’s voices, whistlers, and harmonium or organ at will. This was one of Grainger’s earliest folk-music arrangements, and it was dedicated to his dear friend Sigurd Fornander. The setting for band was completed in 1936 (British Folk-Music Setting Nt. 31) and could be combined with the original choral arrangement.
Appalachian Air (2003/2021)
Appalachian Air is based on the classic folk tune The Poor Wayfaring Stranger. With roots from an old Irish melody, this song was passed on by word of mouth throughout the Appalachian Mountains for many years. The message carried by the song is a powerful one -- although life may be full of woe and sorrow now, there is hope for salvation and a much brighter tomorrow.
A Little Tango Music (2007/2021)
A Little Tango Music is a short sequence of melodies inspired by the curvaceous, melancholic and dangerous dance from Argentina that is the tango. I have always been greatly inspired by the tango in all its guises, ranging from the Habanera in Bizet’s Carmen, through its more mysterious deployment in the music of Debussy and Ravel, and a more satirical approach adopted by Stravinsky and Kurt Weill, and perhaps most vividly conveyed in the seductively violent music of Astor Piazzolla. This miniature suite of three movements attempts to show in a trio of snapshots the varied moods and colors of the tango.
-Program Note by Composer
November 28th, 2023 | Wind Ensemble and Choral Union Joint Concert
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