HerStory

Star Spangled Banner: Francis Scott Key, arr. Thomas Palmatier

Is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort M’Henry," a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in the Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.

The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a men's social club in London. To Anacreon in Heaven, with various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. Set to Key's poem and renamed The Star-Spangled Banner, it would soon become a well-known American patriotic song. With a range of one octave and one fifth (a semitone more than an octave and a half), it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the poem has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today.

Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein: A Modern Promethean Tango by Erika Svanoe

Erika Svanoe has written a fantastic fun piece that intertwines literature, theatrics, and ignites the imagination in Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein: A Modern Promethean Tango (2024). Thornton Community Band is excited to collaborate with two Colorado State University dancers to enhance the visual aspect for the audience’s enjoyment. From the literary aspect Mary Shelley writes in Frankenstein, "I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other." In the theatrical and imaginary realm the composer states, “Imagine a scenario where the young author meets her own creation, the monster brought to life whom we colloquially refer to as "Frankenstein" They meet, circling each other in a dance reflective of a tango. Mary is initially curious and sympathetic, while the creature pleads for compassion. In the moment when the two come together, Mary's sympathy is overwhelmed by horror and she begins to panic, while the creature becomes furious with her rejection. With the final notes, we are left asking ourselves-who is the real monster?” - Erika Svanoe

Kalos Eidos by Carol Brittin-Chambers

Kalos Eidos (2019) was named the winner of the Women Band Directors International (WBDI) 2019 Composition Competition and was premiered by the University of Southern Mississippi Wind Ensemble with Dr. Catherine Rand conducting. Kalos Eidos is a programmatic work meant to musically portray the characteristics of a kaleidoscope. I originally intended to title the piece, simply, Kaleidoscope, but as I began to learn more about the origin of the work, I became very intrigued. Most people know that a kaleidoscope is an optical device, or tube, containing mirrors and bits of colored glass or paper. When the tube is rotated, an endless variety of patterns can be seen. But the word itself is derived from the Greek words “kalos” (beautiful) and “eidos” (form or shape.) The word scope refers to seeing and observing, thereby forming the complete definition: the observation of beautiful forms or shapes. As I related this to music, I began to envision with my ears various colors and patterns, similar to what one sees with the eyes when viewing a kaleidoscope. Right from the very beginning, I try to convey the image of a kaleidoscope being turned or spun and colors/patterns starting to mix together. The four colors I use throughout the piece (musically known as timbres) are these: upper woodwinds, upper brass, low-surrounding instruments, and percussion. There are many percussion instruments incorporated throughout, including an ocean drum in the middle slow section. The ocean drum very much reminds me of the undulating sounds one might hear as the kaleidoscope is being turned. Throughout the piece you will hear two main patterns of a 3-note slurred motif contrasted by a more angular articulated motif. The overall form of the piece is Fast, Slow, Fast, depicting 3 main episodes. These episodes are somewhat different from each other, but they also share similar colors and pattern, as all kaleidoscopes do. The very ending is a reverse bookend of the beginning; in other words, the beginning starts simply and continues to get busier and more complex, while the ending gradually winds down until the kaleidoscope eventually stops spinning and comes to rest. - Carol Britten Chambers

Under a Winter Sky by Yukiko Nishimura

Composer, Yukiko Nishimura describes her love for the winter season and snow. Her first name ‘Yukiko’ means snow girl and was given to her because it was snowing outside on the day she was born. In the description of Under a Winter Sky (2021) Nishimura describes a scenery of a snowy morning where there is no wind, no sound, and it is a very clear morning. She heard the sound of an organ playing a traditional chorale somewhere in the distance of this scenery in her mind. During Under a Winter Sky you will hear many intertwining parts with inner melodies, dialogues and conversations happening between the instruments. - Yukiko Nishimura

Italian Rhapsody by Julie Giroux

Italian Rhapsody (2008) was commissioned by Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel and dedicated to his loving parents. This work is a collection of Italian folk songs and a few operatic excerpts scored with Italian gusto! Solo clarinet opens this work with a certain Mafioso flair developing into a devious rendition of “The Italian Wedding Song #2” (The Wedding Tarantella). “Caderna,” composed by A. D. Arcangelo, is presented in both an Italian street band and contemporary march style. Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème “Quando m’en vo” (Musetta’s Waltz) makes an appearance as an accordion player serenading young lovers in the moonlight. The finale features Luigi Denza’s “Funiculi! Funicula!,” Giuseppi Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” (Act II – Anvil Chorus) and Gioacchino Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”. Italian operatic and folk song musical quotes are interlaced throughout the work. See if you can find them all! Scored with an Italian passion for family and feasting, Italian Rhapsody is definitely one very Spicy meatball! - Julie Giroux

Women of the Podium March by Virginia A. Allen

Women of the Podium March (1986) was written by composer, Virginia A. Allen. This march is the official march of the Women Band Directors National Association (WBDNA). The United States Army Band premiered the march on July 8, 1986 during the WBDNA’s summer meeting in Washington, D.C. Virginia Allen was in the U.S. Army and became the first woman to command and conduct an active military band since the integration of women in the military band program. Captain Allen went on to conduct the military’s premier touring band, The U.S. Army Field Band at Fort Meade, Maryland and work as the Chief of Public Affairs at the Pentagon as a Staff Officer in the Media Relations Division.

Hambone by Libby Larson

Hambone by Libby Larsen, is a rhythmically driven piece that uses hambone rhythms, early Rock N’ Roll patterns, and cakewalk melodies as inspiration. The composer drew on three important African-American cultural traditions in composing Hambone (2001). The term hambone comes from bones that enslaved Africans used to make music when they were denied use of traditional instruments. Later, the term was used to describe the hand clapping game played by African-American children as they clapped, patted thighs and slapped various parts of the body to accompany singing. Another tradition, the cakewalk, refers to an 18 th century plantation dance. In a cakewalk, the dancers hold their upper bodies stiff while improvising fancy dance steps with their lower bodies that allowed individual dancers to display their best moves. The dance was performed to syncopated melodies. The third tradition – rock and roll – developed out of rhythm and blues. Bo Diddley was an important innovator in the development of this American popular style of music; the syncopated accompaniment used in Hambone was one of his trademarks. - Libby Larsen

The Red Balloon by Anne McGinty

The Red Balloon (1993) by Anne McGinty is based off of a painting the composer saw just once. The painting shoed a small child and a grandfather, facing away. The people and the background were done in white on white. The only color in the painting was the red balloon being held by the child. The piece depicts the balloon floating in the air. The phrases are connected without any gaps in the music. This is to depict the idea of keeping the balloon afloat as the melody passes around the band to different instruments. - Anne McGinty

Rhythm Stand by Jennifer Higdon

Rhythm Stand (2004) by Jennifer Higdon, pays tribute to the constant presence of rhythm in our lives, from the pulse of a heart beating to the rhythmic sounds of the world around us. Celebrating the “regular order” we all experience, Higdon incorporates traditional and non- traditional sounds with a 4/4 meter American style swing to heighten student awareness and enhance their creativity. Organized in unique compositional and rhythmic patterns, this work invites students to explore multiple ways of organizing sounds and making music. In the composer’s own words: “Since rhythm is everywhere, not just in music (ever listened to the tires of a car running across pavement, or a train on railroad tracks?), I’ve incorporated sounds that come not from the instruments that you might find in a band, but from ‘objects’ that sit nearby… music stands and pencils! Music stands are played with pencils, which are both ‘objects’ at hand. Not only that, but some of the performers in this piece get even more basic… they snap their fingers. Because music can be any kind of sound arranged into an interesting pattern, I decided to add sounds that you wouldn’t normally hear coming from band instruments, sounds which are created out of ordinary things that might be sitting nearby. Composing is merely the job of combining interesting sounds into interesting patterns. And interesting patterns create cool rhythms. So… I’m making a STAND FOR RHYTHM!” - Jennifer Higdon

Salon Morisot by Jodie Blackshaw

This work was commissioned by Clarkston Schools Instrumental Music Association in recognition of Shelley Schwaderer Roland’s many years of dedication to the Clarkston School Music Program. Salon Morisot (the Morisot Exhibition) (2022) is inspired by three artworks by Berthe Morisot, that represent a challenging time in her life: 1869-1884. Morisot was torn between her passion for art and the desire to marry and become a mother. It is this tension that forms a central theme. The first movement, ‘Majesty’ is inspired by the artwork, ‘The Harbor at Lorient’ painted in 1869. The artwork beautifully captures the reflective nature of water and features a lone female figure observing the grandeur of the tall ships. The woman is her sister Edma, who had recently married and moved away from the family home. The sisters were both avid painters and consequently were very close. They found their separation very difficult. Hence in this movement, Blackshaw has attempted to capture not only the majesty of the ships, but the profound sense of loss as displayed by the sole woman sitting on the wall. The second movement, ‘Devotion’ is based off of Morisot’s painting ‘The Cradle’ painted in 1873, which again represents her sister Edma with a newborn infant. The baby is Edma’s little girl Blanche, Berthe’s niece. Again, the painting represents tension. This can be found in Edma’s expression and how she holds her fingers in her right hand. The juxtaposition of the light background behind her sister and the dark background surrounding the bassinet may also suggest the inner battle both sisters contended regarding societal expectations and their artistic pursuits. In this movement Blackshaw has attempted to capture the thoughts of Edma Morisot at this time – joy, apprehension, hope and pure love whilst also capturing Berthe’s anxieties regarding marriage. In movement three, ‘Enchantment’ brings about a release from the tension with the artwork ‘The Garden at Bougival’, which represents the changes that occurred in Berthe’s life in the decade following ‘The Cradle’. Morisot married Eugene Manet, Edouard’s younger brother, in late 1874. Eugene was himself a painter but gave up his pursuits to support Berthe, thus relieving her inner struggle. The Manet’s expanded their family in 1878 with the birth of a baby girl, Julie. From 1881-1884 the Manet’s predominantly lived in Bougival. They were very happy there and thus the music in ‘Enchantment’ is strikingly different, representing not only the whimsical change in painting style but also Berthe’s newfound love brought about by marriage and motherhood. The first impressionist Salon came about in 1874 featuring works by Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and one woman, Berthe Morisot. Morisot had dedicated her life to painting and had been fortunate to have some works exhibited in the Paris Salon from an early age. However, her subject matter was viewed as common and unimportant and as a result, her works were often overlooked. That said, Morisot was held in high regard by her artistic colleagues, in particular, Edouard Manet. All of the ‘masters’ owned Morisot originals (Claude Monet owned 5) and there are particular schools of thought that suggest that her experimentation significantly influenced the ongoing development of the Impressionist style that culminated with the famous ‘Waterlily’ collection by Claude Monet. - Jodie Blackshaw

La Fiera Asturiana by Michele Fernández

Composer, Michele Fernández, states that in her mid 20’s she promised her father, Jorge, that she would someday write a piece for his mother who succumbed to cancer at age 34 (when he was only 6 years old). Her grandmother, Armanda Martinez Pajares, was a Flamenco dancer in Asturias, Spain, and mother to three young children. She had a generous, loving, yet fiery personality, and struggled quite valiantly to stay. The whole family traveled from Spain to Cuba to secure her surgery with a renowned specialist, even with bare financial means… The composer states that after finally retiring and now devoting all her professional efforts to composing, it was finally time to keep that promise and share part of her family’s story of devotion and resilience through a passionate 3/4 Spanish March with a Flamenco flavor and a Paso Doble spirit titled La Fiera Asturiana (2024). In order some of the depictions from the beginning of La Fiera Asturiana are a joyous street festival/Flamenco dance scene; a tiny boy looking up dreamily, smiling in wonder at his mom dancing; the desperation of the struggle and anguish at the inevitable; her grandfather’s voice in the melody’s return as he encourages the kids to carry on; the feeling of triumph symbolizing the children growing up to be the jovial, loving adults and wonderful parents themselves that her grandmother fought so hard to stay and raise; the ending symbolizing the composers own relief of finally keeping the promise to her father to write a piece about the grandmother she never met. - Michele Fernández

Albanian Dance by Shelley Hanson

Eastern Europe has had a long tradition of brass bands, some of which also include clarinets and, since the twentieth century, saxophones. Although the instruments now commonly used by concert bands look and sound somewhat different than some of the instruments used by Eastern European bands, this setting of the popular Albanian tune “Shota” seeks to re-create the festive mood of a raucous village dance, where just such a folk band would have provided the music. Present throughout the piece is the rhythmic pattern of long-long-short, which is a very common folk dance rhythm in many cultures. Albanian Dance (2003) by Shelley Hanson is based on part of the finale of the accordion concerto Accor Dances, which was written for accordion virtuoso, Mark Stillman. This version was commissioned by Jane Church and the East Lansing High School Concert Band who premiered the piece with the composer conducting. - Shelley Hanson

My Soul to Keep by Julie Giroux

My Soul to Keep (2019) is written for band, choir, and audience participation. Gun violence has become a plague in America. Mass shootings and deaths by guns in this country have become commonplace. As musicians, besides voting, music can be our loudest, strongest voice. Music can help us remember those we have lost and those who are forever impacted. Music is a bridge across all ethnic, social, racial & religious divides. Music can heal. Music can help bring about the changes we so desperately need. The time for change is now. - Julie Giroux

OFF THE EDGE by Alex Shapiro

OFF THE EDGE (2019) was commissioned by James Mobley and the Brownstown Middle School Band along with many schools as members of the N-BEAM consortium. N-BEAM stand for New Band Electro-Acoustic Music and was created in 2016 with the mission of fostering the creation and performance of new EA concert band literature for younger musicians. A trio of established composers – Benjamin Taylor, Daniel Montoya, Jr., and Alex Shapiro were selected to bring their unique musical talents to this project.

What happens when a composer who loves the pop music of the ‘80s and ‘90s hangs out in dance clubs blasting house music in the 2010s? OFF THE EDGE offers a 140 bpm-thumping, EDM-jumping clue! OFF THE EDGE is an electroacoustic piece in which the band plays along with a prerecorded track, with the goal of creating one seamless, sonic entity. - Alex Shapiro

Roma by Valerie Coleman

Roma (2010) was commissioned by the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) and a consortium of colleges. This group was assembled by the CBDNA Committee on Gender and Ethnic Issues to promote and highlight the accomplishments of ethnicities usually underrepresented in the classical music world. The goal was to commission a minority composer who had already established a top-tier reputation, and to give the premiere to a high school with a largely minority student body whose music program was exemplary. The premiere was by Roma High School in Roma, Texas. The composer states, this commission featured two trips to Roma, a small town on the Mexico- US border, where a good number of students cross the divide daily in order to attend the school. The residency was a true musical exchange of minds. In the first residency, I attended a rehearsal to observe the full breadth of the band’s ability. The enthusiasm of the students was infectious and their humble demeanor was endearing. The second visit focused on the commissioned work itself: the cultural aspects, the ostinato rhythms, and style. Between visits, internet correspondence was kept, as the band would send sound recordings of the rehearsals in progress. It was an exciting process to work with such talented young minds in a band program that sets such a high standard with discipline, musicality, and integrity. A nation without a country is the best way to describe the nomadic tribes known as gypsies, or properly called, the Romani. Their traditions, their language (Roma), legends, and music stretch all over the globe, from the Middle East, the Mediterranean region, and the Iberian peninsula, across the ocean to the Americas. Roma is a tribute to that culture, in five descriptive themes, as told through the eyes and hearts of Romani women everywhere: “Romani Woman,” “Mystic,” “Youth,” “Trickster,” and “History.” The melodies and rhythms are a fusion of styles and cultures: Malagueña of Spain, Argentine Tango, Arabic music, Turkish folk songs, 3/2 Latin claves, and Jazz). “Romani Woman” is a dolce introduction that sets the scene in a descriptive way: an old woman fortune teller reading the palm of a client, giving the sense of romantic mysticism, or even tragedy. She is frail, but within her is the strength and fire of the Romani. Theme I, “Mystic”, serves as a mysterious quality to the melody. Theme II, “Youth”, is a more youthful, playful melody depicting a young Romani girl in Spain. Theme III, “Trickster”, is a jazzier section and has a persona of mischief and thievery that stereotypically depicts gypsies as tricksters. Theme IV, “History”, represents the proud Romani nation through the horn melody. The end depicts successive spinning of belly dancers, veils flying through the air, with turns getting faster and more intense ending with a drum roll and dramatic pose. - Valerie Coleman