Spring Concert
Join us for a milestone event as the Middlesex Concert Band marks its 50th Anniversary with a special concert celebrating five decades of music and community. The evening will feature the premiere of a brand-new composition by composer Erika Svanoe, written specifically to commemorate this occasion.
This once-in-a-lifetime performance will also include other special surprises, making it a memorable night for our audience and musicians alike. Be part of this historic celebration and share in the joy, pride, and legacy of the Middlesex Concert Band. We can’t wait to see you there!
Time:
March 23rd, 3:00 PM
Location:
Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium
Galvin Middle School
525 Main St
Wakefield, MA 01880
Program (draft)
Strike Up the Band – George Gershwin
The story of Strike Up the Band centers on Horace J, Fletcher, “A Typical Self-Made American” and a chocolate manufacturer, who dreams he has convinced the U.S. Government to put a tariff on Swiss chocolate. In the dream, this draws Switzerland into a war. Immediately, American libraries remove seditious literature like Swiss Family Robinson from their shelves. The United States finally wins by “decoding” yodels as secret signals of the Swiss Army. Source:
First Suite in Eb – Gustav Holst
2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the First Suite in E-flat by Gustav Holst, now considered one of the masterworks and cornerstones of the band literature. Although completed in 1909, the suite didn’t receive its official premiere until 11 years later on June 23rd, 1920, by an ensemble of 165 musicians at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall.
There are three movements in the suite: Chaconne, Intermezzo, and March. Holst writes, “As each movement is founded on the same phrase, it is requested that the suite be played right through without a break.” Indeed, the first three notes of the Chaconne are Eb, F and C, and the first three notes of the melody when it first appears in the Intermezzo are Eb, F, and C. In the third movement, March, Holst inverts the motive: The first note heard in the brilliant opening brass medley is an Eb, but instead of rising, it descends to a D, and then a G; the exact opposite of the first two movements. Source:
Irish Tune from County Derry – Percy Grainger
Irish Tune from County Derry is a setting of a now-famous tune from the Irish county of Derry in the north (also sometimes called Londonderry). This classic arrangement features beautiful, delicate part-writing for both woodwinds and brass, highlighting each family in turn. Source:
Determined Hearts – World Premiere – Erika Svanoe
Determined Hearts was composed for the Middlesex Concert Band for their 50th Anniversary.
The piece was inspired by the history of the Middlesex Concert Band, specifically when the organization came back from losing music and equipment in a fire several years ago, but through perseverance of its membership kept the ensemble alive. Source:
Blue Moon (April Foley, vocalist) – Rodgers and Hart/Barker
Rodgers and Hart’s “Blue Moon” was originally written as “Prayer” for Jean Harlow in the MGM film, The Hollywood Revue of 1933. According to Richard Rodgers in his autobiography, Musical Stages: An Autobiography, Harlow’s prayer was to become a movie star, and the lyrics started out as “Oh, Lord, if you’re not busy up there, I ask for help with a prayer/ So Please don’t give me the air…” Unfortunately, because of a series of production personnel changes, the revue was scaled down to a spoof starring Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, and Jimmy Durante. There was no Harlow and no “Prayer.” Source:
Symphonic Dance No. 1 – Carol Britten Chambers
Carol Brittin Chambers’ high-wire work Symphonic Dance No. 1 is a thrilling addition to any band’s repertoire. With its rhythmic intrigue and cool harmonic development, this piece showcases the composer’s signature style in a challenging yet rewarding way. Despite its suave exterior, the piece is full of hidden treasures that will captivate both performers and audiences alike. Source:
Fanfare and Allegro – Clifton Williams
Fanfare and Allegro was the first composition to win the Ostwald Award for original band literature. The award was presented at the American Bandmasters Association convention in 1956. It is written in an exciting contemporary style with brilliant scoring. The work opens with a declamatory fanfare section which leads directly to the allegro movement. It features ostinato figures, brilliant brass, and percussion. Although rhythmically complex, the music is impressive and straightforward, and its resonance and sonority are ideally suited to the medium of the modern band. Source:
Amazing Grace – Frank Ticheli
The spiritual, Amazing Grace, was written by John Newton (1725-1807), a slave ship captain who, after years of transporting slaves across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, suddenly saw through divine grace the evilness of his acts. First published in 1835 by William Walker in The Southern Harmony, Amazing Grace has since grown to become one of the most beloved of all American spirituals.
Amazing Grace was commissioned by John Whitwell in loving memory of his father, John Harvey Whitwell. It was first performed on February 10, 1994, by the Michigan State University Wind Symphony, John Whitwell conductor. Source:
Free Lance March – John Philip Sousa
“The Free Lance” march, taken from Sousa’s operetta of the same name, has a lengthy and unorthodox construction when compared with most other Sousa marches. There were so many spirited march tunes in the operetta that perhaps Sousa felt obligated to include most of them when piecing together the march. Actually, there were enough for two separate marches.
The “free lance” of the operetta was Sigmund Lump, a clever goatherd who hired himself out as a mercenary leader to two opposing armies, maneuvered his forces so that neither side could win, and then declared himself emperor of both nations.
The trio of the march corresponds to the song “On to Victory” in the operetta, and some editions of the march were published under that title. Source:
Star Dust (vocal solo) – Carmichael/arr. Barker
“Stardust” is a 1927 song composed by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics later added by Mitchell Parish….When composing the song, he was inspired by the end of one of his love affairs, and on the suggestion of a university classmate, he decided on its title. The same year, Carmichael recorded an instrumental version of the song for Gennett Records. Source:
Themes Like Old Times – arr. Warren Barker
Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Peg 0′ My Heart, I Want A Girl (Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad), By The Light Of The Silvery Moon and 12th Street Rag are all cleverly combined in this crowd-pleaser by today’s premier arranger for concert band! Source:
Selections from Wicked – Schwartz/ arr. Bocook
In 2004 Broadway was taken by storm by the hit show “Wicked.” The story line of how the Wicked Witch of the West met Glinda the Witch of the North is intriguing, and the music is filled with depth and beauty. This powerful medley includes: No One Mourns the Wicked; Dancing Through Life; Defying Gravity; No Good Deed and For Good. Source:
Star Wars, The Marches – Williams/ arr. Brubaker
John Williams created so many stunning marches to accompany the Star Wars® motion pictures that they had to be combined in one powerful piece. The arrangement features: Star Wars® (Main Title), “Parade of the Ewoks,” “The Imperial March,” “Augie’s Great Municipal Band” and “The Throne Room.” A bold medley of a wide variety of marches to ensure a standing ovation! Source: