Dusk: Seven Pieces for Solo PianoSteven Bryant is an American composer and conductor. He studied composition under a number of notable artists including John Corigliano, Cindy McTee, and Francis McBeth. Bryant has received numerous awards for his compositions, most notably the American Bandmasters Association Sousa/Ostwald Award for his Concerto for Alto Saxophone. He has commissioned works for wind band, orchestra, chamber groups, and electro-acoustic ensembles. Bryant composed Pendulum, a six-movement symphonic work, for the sesquicentennial celebration of the Illinois Bands program.
Dusk: Seven Pieces for Solo Piano is a newly-released compilation of selections of Bryant's instrumental works set for solo piano. Bryant pairs each work with a nature-themed photograph from Bryant's collection. The Low Arc of the Sun (Movement IV) is adapted from the fourth movement of Bryant's Minature Suite. Bryant describes this movement as "a simple, short chorale." The cover photo for this movement depicts a tree lifeless amid the snow of winter, much like the approaching season ahead this winter. Dusk (Movement V) is one of dozens of adaptations that Bryant has done of his original 2004 work for wind ensemble, one of his most popular for concert band. Bryant beautifully articulates his intentions with this work through the following program note: "This simple, chorale-like work captures the reflective calm of dusk, paradoxically illuminated by the fiery hues of sunset. I'm always struck by the dual nature of this experience, as if witnessing an event of epic proportions silently occurring in slow motion. Dusk is intended as a short, passionate evocation of this moment of dramatic stillness." The cover photo for this movement depicts the sun setting over a pastoral landscape. (Program note compiled from windrep.org and the composer's website) My Connection to This Work I have grown up playing piano and would often have lessons where I would play my lesson pieces with extensive rubato... enough to where I had to learn to tone it down. My teacher, Bev Sheridan, always encouraged my freedom musically, reminding me that while I had to follow some structure of time and meter, I should never forget how to be musical and free with my expression. This work takes everything I love about wind band repertoire (the freedom, expression, and raw vulnerability) and gives it right back to the piano in a way that gives me agency to phrase and shape it the way I have learned to do over the past sixteen years of my life. |
Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C Minor, BMV 1060RJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and one of the most famous of the late Baroque era. His compositions for orchestra, solo strings, voice, and countless others have been, and continue to be, played throughout the world. As an organist himself, Bach's works for keyboard and organ are among his most popular, including The Well Tempered Clavier, two volumes of piano music composed in every musical key. His music was not popular during his lifetime, only growing in fame after his death.
Adapted from a concerto written for two harpsichords, Bach's Concerto for Violin and Oboe is a popular duet that is also commonly performed by two violins. The second movement, Adagio, is a conversation between the two instruments represented by the trading line of eighth notes. The accompaniment in the piano contrasts this line with a separated "pizzicato" line that keeps the music moving forward. (Program note compiled from classicfm.com and the San Francisco Symphony) My Connection to This Work: My sister, Margot, is a fantastic violinist and has been playing for almost ten years. She and I played the first movement of this concerto for our honors solo recital back in 2019. It was our first time playing and working on a duet together in a performance setting. We really enjoyed the interactions we were able to have musically and eventually performed the second movement informally for a local church service. When I was brainstorming ideas for this recital, I thought of no better "full circle" moment than to have Margot and I perform this second movement "officially" almost four years after performing the first movement. We have both grown as musicians and we're excited to create some beautiful music through this movement! |
West Side Story for Saxophone EnsembleLeonard Bernstein was an American conductor, composer, educator, and humanitarian. He composed works for orchestra, musical theater, and other mediums throughout his life. He became the music director of the New York Philharmonic in 1958, having been the assistant conductor the NY Phil beginning in 1943. Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic aired for over fourteen season on CBS, and were groundbreaking for connecting students with classical music. He holds a Tony Award, Kennedy Center Honor, and countless other awards for his musicianship.
West Side Story debuted on Broadway in 1957 and has since been adapted into two film adaptations, transcriptions for band, jazz ensemble, concert suites for orchestra, and a 2020 Broadway revival. It tells the story of Romeo & Juliet set in the mid-1950s. The music, including numbers such as Tonight, America, Somewhere, Gee Officer Krupke, Cool, and others have been performed in concerts of all musical genres and arranged for any ensemble imaginable. This arrangement of Bernstein's songs from the iconic musical was arranged specifically for the 2022 Marching Illini Saxophones as the Band 154 Saxophone Section Feature. It pulls themes from Tonight, One Hand, One Heart, Finale, and Somewhere to showcase the power behind Bernstein's iconic score. (Program note compiled from the composer's website, leonardbernstein.org) My Connection to This Work: West Side Story has been one of my favorite, if not my favorite, musicals of all time. The story both breaks and heals my heart and has taken me through many emotional roller coasters over the last eight years of my life. The more time I spend with the music and the story, the more my interpretation and emotional connection diversifies. I expanded this arrangement from an alto saxophone quartet that I composed during December 2021 and found that the present version represents a fuller and more mature version of my heart and musicianship, as both have vastly evolved in the past 12 months. |
Early LightCarolyn Bremer was an American composer and educator. Her studies of composition took her through schools including the Eastman School of Music and the University of California Santa Barbara, with Bremer receiving a Ph.D at the latter. She was very interested in "exploring the intersections of many fields--of music, creativity, and meaning" and connecting the music back to the diverse group of learners that the ensemble is comprised of. Her compositions have roots in feminist symbolism, postmodern theory, and even sports. At the time of her death in 2018, she served as chair of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University in Long Beach.
Commissioned for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Early Light was premiered in July 1995. The piece depicts a growing anticipation for the beginning of a baseball game, hence the widespread quoting of The Star Spangled Banner. The ensemble trades melodic and rhythmic ostinatos throughout a fast-moving fanfare. Percussive elements, including a slapstick, emulate aspects of the baseball game itself, creating a joyful overture for a program. (Program note compiled from windrep.org) My Connection to This Work: My friends and colleagues know that I am a huge fan of conferences, festivals, and professional development opportunities. The social and musical aspects of band come together and make experiences that are worthwhile for me as a growing musician. I first heard Early Light during the 2020 Illinois Music Education Conference (right before the pandemic), my first time attending the conference as a college student. At this conference I spent time in clinics, watching performances, and observing All-State ensemble rehearsals. What I remember vividly about hearing Early Light was the energy that Cynthia Johnston Turner, the honors band conductor for 2020, had when teaching this piece and how the students responded. I was a freshman in college at the time, and seeing the magic of a large rehearsal of such talented students allowed me to catch a glimpse of the future possibilities of my career. Reflecting back on this piece and this experience makes me so grateful for the opportunities I've had to grow and most importantly, change throughout the last four years. It is a celebration of my journey and how I have never been alone in it--I am always among wonderful friends. |
This Cruel MoonJohn Mackey is an American composer who writes for wind band, orchestra, theater, and dance. He has been commissioned by a number of ensembles including the Dallas Winds and soloists including Joseph Alessi. In 2014, Mackey became the youngest composer ever inducted into the American Bandmasters Association. His 2009 work, "Aurora Awakes," won both the ABA Ostwald Prize and the NBA William D. Revelli Award. Mackey lives in San Francisco with his partner and two cats, Noodle and Bloop.
This Cruel Moon was adapted from the second movement of Mackey's Wine Dark Sea: Symphony for Band. The piece, entitled Immortal thread, so weak in the symphony, tells the story of the nymph Kalypso, who finds the voyager Odysseus near death and spends seven years with him in an intense relationship. Suddenly, one day Odysseus remembers his homeland and family and decides to leave Kalypso, brushing off all that she had given him. The music traces Kalypso's heartbreak from the initial shock through her weaving of his sail for his departure, all the way to Odysseus leaving her and not looking back. (program notes compiled from windrep.org and the composer's website, johnmackey.com) My Connection to This Work: I first heard this work during a fieldwork day at Mundelein High School, where their top group was rehearsing this piece for festival season. I was looking for a piece to use for my conducting final in MUS 332 and I was immediately drawn to the work for score study. As I spent more time with This Cruel Moon, I realized that it helped me pull out some deep personal struggles that I had been dealing with for some time. To this day, this work is the best representation of my emotions, struggles, and conflicts about my situation. Conducting this work helps me feel the emotions of my situation in the most cathartic way possible. This is one of my favorite works on the entire program today. During my score study, I was able to blend the music with the story by "narrating" the work using verbal storytelling with the form of the piece. A brief narration in sequence is below. I encourage you to reflect on these words and draw out your own relationship to the music. "He says, 'I'm leaving.'" "She tries to negotiate, but gives up." "She begins weaving." "He packs and leaves, she hopes maybe he'll change his mind." "Sailing." "Crying." "She calls his name, he doesn't reply." "She can barely see him, she wails in pain." "She's alone again." "She gets one last glance at the boat until it slips completely out of view." "The waves are all that are left; he's gone." |
Southern HarmonyDonald Grantham is an American composer and educator. His education includes degrees from University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, and work with composer Nadia Boulanger in France. He teaches composition at the University of Texas at Austin, with specific courses in orchestration and arranging. Dr. Grantham's pieces have received honors including the ABA Sousa/Ostwald award (Fantasy Variations, Southern Harmony) and the NBA William D. Revelli award (Fantasy Variations, Southern Harmony). He has written extensively for band, orchestra, chamber, and voice, including opera.
Southern Harmony was commissioned by the Southeastern Conference of Band Directors and is based on four different songs in William Walker's 1835 publication, "The Southern Harmony," a collection of folk songs, sacred melodies, and "revival" songs that were popular before the Civil War. In this four-movement wind band setting of these songs, Grantham uses inventive harmonies and colors to paint the individual characters of each tune. The first verse of each of the movements performed today is listed below, taken directly from Walker's text: I: The Midnight Cry "When the midnight cry began, O what lamentation, Thousands sleeping in their sins, Neglecting their salvation. Lo the bridegroom is at hand, Who will kindly treat him? Surely all the waiting band Will now go forth to meet him." II: Wondrous Love "What wondrous love is this, oh! my soul! oh! my soul! What wondrous love is this, oh! my soul! What wondrous love is this! That caused the Lord of bliss, To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, To bear the dreadful curse for my soul." III: Exhiliration "O may I worthy prove to see, The saints in full prosperity; To see the bright the glittering bride, Close seated by her Saviour's side. Hallelujah." (program note compiled from windrep.org and hymnary.org) My Connection to This Work: I first heard the name "Dr. Elizabeth Peterson" when I was a senior in high school at IMEC 2019. My participation in the convention that year was through the Future Music Educators program, but I saw who I would later call "BP" conduct the All State band in rehearsals and on that highly anticipated Saturday of conference week. I was mesmerized by her conducting, style, confidence, and personality. She was my first ever "band idol" that I had in this profession, and continues to be a role model for me every single day. Like many, I was devastated when I heard she would be retiring at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year and I miss her dearly. One of her final programs at Illinois featured this work, Southern Harmony, and I remember the feeling of hearing the piece in Krannert for the first time. The performance was electric between her direction, the sound in the hall, and the context of a triumphant end to her time at UIUC. I will always think of her and smile when I hear this piece! |
The Red MachinePeter Graham is a British wind band composer who is most famous for his writing for British brass band. His music for wind band has been performed by prestigious ensembles including the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and the US Air Force Band. He currently works as a conductor and composer in London, England, where he holds the position of Professor of Composition at the University of Salford.
Commissioned by the Band of the Coldstream Guards, The Red Machine was written as a tribute to the band, who is most famous for performing the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The band's precision and discipline in marching has nicknamed them the "Red Machine." The piece features quotes from Holst's Mars from The Planets and features a variety of styles, key centers, and time signatures. (program note compiled from windrep.org and wikipedia.org) My Connection to This Work: I remember playing The Red Machine during my junior year at North Shore Honor Band, a regional honor band that we hosted at Lake Forest every year. This particular year had a mediocre program in my 17 year-old opinion, but this piece has stuck with me ever since. What I remember most vividly about this piece is the joy I had in playing it with all of my friends, especially one of my best friends on horn. The solos in this piece were hers, and she and I would get so excited when this piece came up in rehearsal. The Red Machine serves as a closer and a reminder to me that the most important thing to me is the people I care about--music means nothing without people to share it with. |