PROGRAM NOTES

Fanfare for the Gold

(Grade 2)

The expression “going for the gold” has deep meaning with those who have a competitive spirit. It encompasses the desire to be high achieving and among the ranks of those considered “the best”. Even more powerful than the act of winning the gold medal is the act of striving for it. The journey of chasing the medal often leads to unimaginable opportunities and deep fulfillment.

Fanfare for the Gold seeks to capture this spirit in a short, yet declarative, fanfare. Commissioned by the East Cobb Middle School Bands for their performance at the 2023 Georgia Music Educators’ Conference, I was excited to capture this all-too-popular expression with a group of students who are among the highest achieving in their school, district, and state!

  • Fanfare for the Gold was one of the last pieces we added to our Midwest concert program. I had trouble finding a piece to open our concert that I felt would work as a great attention grabber. Fortunately, Mr. Grant sent out a list of new pieces, and “Fanfare for the Gold” fit our program perfectly. What I love about this piece is that every student gets to play a fun part. It’s a challenging tune, but very accessible for a young band. It explores major and minor tonalities and changes texture a lot, which makes it more interesting to listen to and for our students to play. I plan on programming this piece a lot more in the future!

  • I think Fanfare is a really good start to the concert. I love the energy it brings to the room and the excitement in the piece.

    Stella, Trumpet

Tonadillas Suite

(Grade 3)

i. El Tra La La y el Punteado
ii. La Maja Dolorosa
iii. El Majo Descreto

Enrique Granados
arr. by Ralph Ford
Alfred Music

This contrasting collection of three songs shows why the composer is recognized as one of Spain’s most important composers. Originally composed for piano and voice, it’s transparent nature makes an emotional contribution to concert band literature. 

Selected from a group of 12 songs by Enrique Granados, the text presents stories of majos and majas (men and women of Madrid) and their assorted liaisons. In the first movement, a maja states that, in no uncertain terms she will sing to him, no matter what he says or does to her. La Maja Dolorosa is a maja’s sorrowful song of her lovers lost. The final movements weave the tale of one of three majos (one discreet, one forgotten, and one timid).

  • Don’t let the grade fool you, this piece is VERY challenging. To be honest, It may be the hardest piece we are playing in this concert. What I love about this piece is that it gave our kids an opportunity to play something more on the “classical” side. It features a lot of opportunities for solos and chamber-style playing. We took a lot of moments in the music down to one on a part to fit the character of this great piece.

  • This composition of three movements really moves the soul and heart. All of these 3 movements are dedicated do different things, like for instance in the second movement where we support the trumpet's mournful solo (Romir Dukeshier). It then transitions to the third movement, which is decently fast-paced and provides a very bouncy and well-composed piece to end Tonadillas.

    Eric, Tenor Saxophone

Energy Ball

(Grade 2)

Energy Ball was commissioned by the Driscoll Middle School Honors Band, San Antonio, TX, in honor of Richard Gonzalez, director from 1995-2022. In addition to the students who were currently in the band, many alumni from earlier years also participated in the premiere of this piece at Mr. Gonzalez’s final spring concert, 2022.

When the current and former students were asked to recall memories and anecdotes about Mr. Gonzalez, one common story that was recounted numerous times was that of the Energy Ball! Sometimes before an important performance or festival, Mr. G. would say something like this: “OK, everyone, clap your hands together. Now rub them together fast. Do you feel the friction, the energy? Now slowly pull them apart, and let the ball expand. Breathe in all of that energy. Keep inhaling. Do you feel the positive energy?” Then everyone would clap one more time together, and they would be ready to go. Countless students told about this motivational activity meant to focus their minds as much as anything else. Here’s to all of the great educators out there, just like Mr. G, who have had a lasting impact on their students!

  • This piece is fun to play and to listen to! It has very accessible parts and lots of cool percussion moments. The kids have really enjoyed working on this piece and even got a chance to do a little choreography, which Mrs. Chambers wrote into the music.

  • I like how Energy Ball is able to flow from one theme to another without it sounding weird or awkward like some pieces. The visual effects also bring an extra level to the overall piece.

    Lilia, Clarinet

Songs of Old Kentucky

(Grade 4)

i. John Giley
(with Wayfaring Stranger)
ii. Barn Dance
(Sourwood Mountain, Frog Went-a-Courtin, Loving Hannah)

The Kentucky mountaineers have preserved a proud heritage of traditional ballads, and other old Scottish and English folk songs brought to America by their ancestors. Borrowing from this wonderful genre of folk songs, this outstanding setting of John Riley, The Lonesome Scenes of Winter, Sourwood Mountain, Frog Went-A- Courtin, and Loving Hannah is destined to become a band classic. Skillfully scored and imaginative in setting, Songs of Old Kentucky provides a charming vehicle for expressive playing.

  • I have loved this piece for so many years. Maybe it’s because I went to college at Western Kentucky University, but mostly because Mr. Karrick wrote a piece of a beautiful piece. The lyrical first movement requires a lot of independence and even though the harmonies can be thick at times the melody is always written to be heard well.

    The 2nd movement is one of students' favorite to play. It was a great opportunity for us to work on cut-time meter and style. This movement falls in a perfect sweet spot between Blue Ridge Reel and Southern Harmony for difficulty. I really hope this classic piece might inspire some of you to program this piece for your next concert!

  • I love how this particular song moves and the melody passes all around the band sharing all the wonderful colors in our program. The 1st movement is relaxed and slow rolling and the 2nd movement jumps into the fast rhythmic mix of notes creating a phenomenal piece.

    Alyssa, Flute

Hopak!

(Grade 2)

The origins of the Hopak dance date back to the 16th century in the territory now known as the Ukraine. Originally a male-dominated domain, it would later be adopted by solo dancers, couples and mixed dance groups. Largely improvised and physically demanding, this popular dance is known for high leaps, squatting kicks and swift turns. The Ukrainian word "hopak" literally means to hop or to jump.

A fiery introduction quickly sets the pace for this energetic work. The main dance melody is heard shortly thereafter, evolving as it passes through the various sections of the ensemble. The dance suddenly slows, only to gradually quicken back to the original lively mood. The music then continues to hasten to the wonderfully frantic finish.

  • Can you imagine a time in rehearsal when you call up the next piece, and you hear whispers of “Yes!” trickle through the band? Hopak! is certainly one of those pieces for our ensemble! Who doesn’t love playing fast, loud music? Mr. Owens writes it beautifully for young bands to sound much more mature than their years. We certainly enjoyed preparing it, and hope you enjoy our performance!

    Becky Click

  • This piece is one of the top 3 favorite pieces in the band. The fast-paced dance music, and speeding up tempo is very fun and push. The trombone solo is FIRE, it hits some juicy and rich, friendly notes for the trombone (except for the Bb in 5th) and is very middle school trombone friendly.

    Caden, Trombone

Patapan

(Grade 4)

The origin of Patapan dates back to 1720’s France. The lyrics were originally Burgundian and reflected a shepherd’s account of the nativity. The simple instruments available to tenders of the flock such as flutes and drums are referenced and imitated throughout the carol. This thematic material lends itself to percussion instruments and even when sung, the rhythm and the accents drive the melody from beginning to end.

This arrangement attempts to capture the spirit of classic fantasy pieces, taking the listener through a variety of moods without the piece ever losing energy. The scoring features as few as 5 or as many as 9 percussionists, and only standard instruments are required.

It is dedicated to all lovers of the holiday season.

  • Written with the complexity of a percussion ensemble into the form of a full band work, this piece gives your percussion section the chance to shine. I love that this piece promotes independence in both the percussion and the winds. It will keep your students on their toes from start to finish- but they love it!

    Becky Click

  • Being a percussionist this piece means a lot to me, it's a challenge but when it comes together it brings to light what percussion in music is all about.

    Beckett, Percussion

She Loves The Light

(Grade 2)

She Loves the Light is conceived for and dedicated to my daughter Anna.  As many new parents come to understand, the love felt for your first child at birth is altogether overwhelming, awe-inspiring, terrifying, and more… and something I didn’t even begin to understand until I experienced it for myself.  In the many hours spent holding her in the first weeks of her life, Anna was drawn consistently to light.  It’s true; many infants are attracted to shiny, bright things as they adjust to the new world around them.  But for me, there was something magical about seeing Anna light up when she experienced light catching her eye.

This lullaby seeks to capture the wonderment of that moment of light, both what Anna must have felt when experiencing the light, but perhaps more vividly, my sense of awe, love, and hope for the future I continue to feel when I see her light up.

These inspirations manifest in this composition in several ways.  First, metallic percussion (bells, vibraphone, chimes, and triangle) combine several times for long notes that seem to suspend time(ex. m. 2, m. 50), signifying the “light” that would often catch Anna’s eye, leaving her frozen in awe.  After a brief build at the start of the piece, a single suspended flute/oboe note remains, signifying Anna’s voice.  This call is replied to by a solo trumpet (my primary instrument), and a solo horn (my wife Katie’s primary instrument).  These same voices return at the conclusion of the piece, signifying the same.

The melodies themselves are derived from textual inspirations, several of which I would hum as I rocked my daughter to sleep.  First, the four-note melody, first heard in the clarinets at m. 17, is meant to be accompanied by the lyrics of the title “she loves the light”.  The two-note motif (written quarter note, half note) heard throughout (ex. m. 13, 14, 15, etc…) is meant to be accompanied by my daughter’s name “An-na”.  Finally, the letters of Anna’s name, when translated to the scale degrees of the major scale, create an interval of an octave plus a major seventh, which displaced, can be heard in m. 22, amongst many other places in the piece.

The overall form of the piece seeks to capture my wandering thoughts about my daughter.  At the start, hushed tones impart words of compassion and love.  At m. 35, a more wandering tenor is struck, as my daughter searches for light, and I consider the unknowns ahead.  A climax is reached at m. 68, signifying my hope for her future.  Finally, the light that inspired the piece rings once more at its conclusion, hanging in the air and capturing our imaginations one last time.

Note: The title She Loves the Light uses the pronoun “she” to directly refer to the composer’s daughter to whom this piece is dedicated.  However, please feel welcome to adjust this pronoun to whichever may best suit your specific purpose when programming this work.  Additionally, you may find that this piece may be useful in a variety of programmatic circumstances.  The composer welcomes its use for these purposes and more to observe, memorialize, and/or celebrate as you see fit.

  • When I initially thought about the programming for our concert today, I knew that I wanted my friend Evan VanDoren to write us a piece. We had both just had our first child in 2022 and I thought it would be pretty special if he could write a modern lullaby to round out our program, reflecting on that time in our lives. After mulling over some ideas, Evan eventually let me know that he had written a piece that might just work, this piece was called “She Loves the Light”. After listening to the piece, I realized that Evan had written exactly what I wanted for our concert before we had even discussed a commission.

    This piece is special to me because it reflects a time of my life that I will remember forever the birth of my son Jack. I can still remember holding him after he was born and feeling a sense of wonder and amazement, which I think this piece perfectly reflects. Our performance today of “She Loves the Light” is dedicated to all the parents of our band students who have given so much love and support to our students and the Canyon Vista Band program.

  • I love this piece because of what it represents, and how the music helps the audience feel emotions and connect with the moment.

    Lexi, Trumpet

Where Dreams Dance

for Solo Euphonium, Winds & Percussion
(Grade 3)

Commissioned by Jay Hagy and the Canyon Vista Middle School Band for their performance at the 77th Annual Midwest Clinic with euphonium virtuoso Demondrae Thurman as the soloist, Where Dreams Dance was inspired by a poem by Dr. Antony Theodore titlied “There is a Land Where Dreams Dance.” The opening stanzas may be found below. The piece begins simply enough with solo euphonium stating the main theme from which all other thematic material is derived. What follows are three variations, each accompanied by a different section of the ensemble - first the dark & driving percussionists, followed by the warm & reverent brass leading us out of the darkness, to the gently flowing woodwinds leading us into the light. The tutti finale of the work features a brighter tempo, with the saxes and upper brass echoing the main theme while the soloist pieces together other motives heard throughout the piece in virtuosic flourishes, driving to a dramatic conclusion.

There is a land

where Dreams dance

in tremendous joy.

They dance on the angel’s wings,

on the soft tail of the white dove.

They lie flat and sleep

on the dancing feathers

of the colorful peacock.

At the birth of the dusk

dreams fly down

from the heavenly caverns

to earth’s sweet shore.

As the moon shines

they begin to dance

on the shining waters of

the mild flowing river.

  • Sometimes the stars align and some real magic can happen when you commission a new piece to be created. I’ve been a huge fan of Nathan Daughtrey’s clarinet concerto “Twitch” ever since I heard Spring High School premiere it at Midwest in 2016. When Dr. Thurman agreed to play on our concert, I knew that we had the opportunity to do something really memorable for our students and audience. Where Dreams Dance adds a beautiful new work to the euphonium repertoire that I hope will become a standard. In the creation process, I told Nathan I wanted something a young band could play, but allow Demondrae to flex on the solo part… oh and while you’re at it write some challenging percussion parts! I hope you enjoy “ Where Dreams Dance” as much as we have enjoyed working on it.

  • I enjoy playing Where Dreams Dance because it's an outstanding concerto that embodies the beauty of the sound of the euphonium and how essential it is for our band. This piece is fun to both play and listen to!

    Brody, Euphonium

The Jester’s Galop

(Grade 1)

This piece is all about drama and humor! All of the articulations and dynamic markings are crucial to the piece’s overall effect and should be a main focus in preparation. Feel free to take as much time as feels appropriate to you on the fermatas and caesuras. Make the audience wait for it! Extreme dynamic contrasts will also help to bring the work to life. I hope you and your ensemble enjoy The Jester’s Galop!

  • I love this piece because of its flexibility. You could play this with your spring-time Beginner Band or you could play it with your top group. We are taking some liberties from the marked tempos today, but this piece would totally work with every level of young band. It’s exciting, fun, and easy to put together!

  • This one is super fun. The fermatas are super cool intro in this piece and it is a fun dance with a fast tempo.

    Brandon, Euphonium