program notes - Austin Symphonic Band

in
remembr ance
a
Austin
Symphonic
Band
Community in Concert
December 2, 2011 8 p.m.
Bethany Lutheran Church, Austin
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ASB Board of Directors
and Officers
Musical Director & Conductor: Richard Floyd
President: Karen Kneten
Past President: Steve Neinast
President Elect: Ron Boerger
Board Members At Large:
Keith Chenoweth
Thomas Edwards
Kevin Jedele
Cindy Story
Secretary: Marilyn Good
Treasurer: Sharon Kojzarek
Librarian: Karen VanHooser
Historian: Tim Defries
Assistant Director: Bill Haehnel
Concert Coordinator: Kevin Jedele
Transportation Manager: Chuck Ellis
Webmaster: David Jones
Business Manager: Dan L Wood
Thanks to our Austin hosts:
Matt Atkinson, Connally High School Director of Bands
Rehearsal Space/Equipment Use
Austin Symphonic Band
PO Box 6472
Austin, Texas 78762
(512) 345-7420
Web site: www.austinsymphonicband.org
[email protected]
This project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts
Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin’s future.
Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.
Richard Floyd, Musical Director
In 1983 Richard Floyd was appointed State Director of
Music Activities for the University Interscholastic League at
the University of Texas at Austin where he coordinates all
facets of secondary school music competition for some 3500
performing organizations throughout the State of Texas. He
has served as Musical Director and Conductor of the Austin
Symphonic Band since 1986. Prior to his appointment at the
University of Texas, he served on the faculty at the University
of South Florida as Professor of Conducting, and at Baylor
University in Texas where he held the position of Director of
Bands for nine years.
Performing ensembles under his direction have performed for the College Band Directors
National Association, Music Educators National Conference, American Bandmasters Association, and the Midwest Clinic, as well as numerous state and regional conferences. Mr
Floyd has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe
as a clinician, adjudicator, and conductor including appearances in 41 states and 9 foreign
countries.
During his professional career, Mr Floyd has held positions of leadership on many state
and national committees for music education and wind music performance. At present
he is a member of the American Bandmasters Association (ABA) Board of Directors, John
Philip Sousa Foundation Board of Directors, chairman of the ABA Educational Projects
Committee, ex-officio member of the Texas Music Educators Association Executive Board,
and serves on the jury for the College Band Directors National Association Youth Band
Composition competition. In 2002 he was named recipient of the American School Band
Directors Association A A Harding Award for significant and lasting contributions to school
bands in North America. In 2006 he was named Texas Bandmaster of the Year by the
Texas Bandmasters Association. In July of 2011 Mr Floyd was inducted into the Bands of
America Hall of Fame.
Bill Haehnel, Assistant Musical Director
Bill Haehnel is completing his 10th year as Assistant Director of the Austin Symphonic Band. He has been a Texas music
educator for 31 years, and is presently Director of Bands at
Bailey Middle School in Austin. Prior to joining the Bailey
faculty, he was the chairman of fine arts and director of bands
at Pflugerville High School where his high school bands
marched in the Orange Bowl Parade, the Fiesta Bowl Parade,
and the Tournament of Roses Parade.
Mr Haehnel has also served on the music faculty at the
University of Texas in Austin and as instructor of percussion at Texas Lutheran University in
Seguin.
Program
The March from "1941" . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Williams, adapted Paul Lavender
Victory at Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Rodgers, tr Robert Russell Bennett
Eternal Father, Strong to Save (The Navy Hymn) . . . . . . . Claude T Smith
Bill Haehnel, Conductor
In the Miller Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arr Warren Barker
Duty, Honor, Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arr Harold L Walters
after General MacArthur's "Reminiscenses"
Narrated by David Crews
Esprit de Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Jager
Intermission
Fanfare and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing . . . . Chip Davis, ad Longfield
Recorded by Mannheim Steamroller
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol . . . . Percy Grainger, arr D Stotter
Patapan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelley Hanson
Russian Christmas Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alfred Reed
The Night Before Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Moss
Narrated by Bruce Bray
Sleigh Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leroy Anderson
Program Notes
The March from "1941" — Williams/Lavender
The March from the movie “1941” is the most memorable part of this Steven Spielberg 1979
production starring John Belushi. The lack of success of this slightly campy movie may stem from
the plot that depicts hysteria in Los Angeles just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when fear of
a Japanese invasion was imminent. It is hard to appreciate humor in the actions of manic servicemen, zealous store owners, and bickering Nazis. Spielberg once commented he should have sold
the movie as a drama. The March’s bright and patriotic theme reflects the cheeky attitude of the
original movie. Spielberg parodied his own film in the animated movie Animaniacs when an
exploding bomb disguised as a videotape bore the image and title “1941”.
The musical score for 1941 was composed and conducted by John Williams, one of the
most prolific and successful movie score composers of the past six decades (Star Wars, E T, the
Extra-Terrestrial, Harry Potter to name a few). The March is used throughout the film and is
undoubtedly the most memorable piece written for it. The score also includes a sound-alike version
of Glenn Miller’s In the Mood heard later in tonight’s concert in recognition of the close tie the
music of Glenn Miller had to the ethos of the era.
Victory at Sea — Rodgers/Bennett
Victory at Sea, a 26-episode series on World War II, revolutionized the concept of documentary
television. It was a gamble for NBC and its parent company RCA that paid off handsomely in the
long run. The series premiered on the last Sunday of October, 1952, and subsequent episodes
played each Sunday afternoon through May, 1953. Each half-hour installment dealt with some
aspect of World War II naval warfare. The footage was carefully edited and organized to bring
out the drama of each campaign. That drama was enhanced by the stirring musical score, a lush
instrumental evocation of the naval battles in the Pacific. One familiar with the musical South
Pacific will be reminded of songs like “Bloody Mary” in the iconic “Guadalcanal March”. The score
was sold in several record versions through RCA-Victor. By 1963 the album version had grossed
$4 million, and one tune from the collection, “No Other Love" , earned an additional $500,000 as a
single.
Richard Rodgers was fresh from several Broadway successes, and his name added prestige
to the Victory at Sea project. He actually contributed 12 themes, short piano compositions
a minute or two in length, which may be examined in the Rodgers Collection at the Library of
Congress. Robert Russell Bennett did the scoring, transforming Rodgers' themes for a variety of
moods, and composing much more original material than Rodgers, as may be observed in Bennett's
written scores, also enshrined in the Library of Congress. However, Bennett received credit only for
arranging the score and conducting on the soundtrack recording sessions.
Program Notes
Eternal Father, Strong to Save ­— Smith
The powerful hymn Eternal Father, Strong To Save, written by William Whiting of Winchester,
England in 1860, is often referred to as the “Navy Hymn". It has become the signature hymn of
presidents, seamen, and naval officers and is often used at funerals for dignitaries. This stirring
setting by the prolific composer Claude T Smith features uplifting fanfares and a set of variations
based on thematic material extracted from the hymn tune. As the work nears closure, the entire
melody is finally revealed first by a noble French horn choir and then repeated richly, scored for the
full ensemble. The work was written in 1974 and was dedicated to the U S Navy Band, N E Muffley,
Conductor.
Claude T Smith was born in Monroe City, Missouri. He received his undergraduate training at
Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri and at the University of Kansas where he originally
majored in French horn. Mr Smith taught instrumental music in the public schools of Nebraska and
Missouri and served as a member of the faculty of Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, where he taught composition and theory and conducted the University Symphony
Orchestra. Sacred music was also a deep love of Mr Smith's as he directed a church choir for five
years in Cozad, Nebraska, 10 years in Chillicothe, Missouri and nine years in Kansas City, Missouri. He
died on December 13, 1987 in Kansas City, having just completed conducting a Christmas concert
at his church.
In the Miller Mood — arr Barker
The music of Glenn Miller was synonymous with the war efforts in Europe. Beginning in 1943, the
Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band engaged in over 800 performances. Of these, 500 were broadcasts heard by millions. There were more than 300 personal appearances, including concerts and
dances, with a gross attendance of over 600,000. In the fall of 1944, the band was scheduled to be
sent on a six-week tour of Europe and would have been stationed in Paris during that time. Miller
decided to go ahead of the group, in order to make the proper arrangements for their arrival. On
December 15, 1944, Glenn Miller boarded a transport plane to Paris, never to be seen again. Warren
Barker’s arrangement for symphonic band captures the unique qualities of the “Miller Sound” and
features some of his biggest hits including In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade, I’ve Got a Gal in
Kalamazoo, Serenade in Blue, Little Brown Jug, At Last, and Anvil Chorus.
Born in Oakland, California, Warren Barker attended the University of California at Los Angeles
and later studied composition with Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco and Henri Pensis. At the age of 24
he was appointed chief arranger for the National Broadcasting Company's prime musical program,
The Railroad Hour, and went on to a distinguished career as a composer arranger-conductor for
motion pictures and television. His work includes music for the TV show Bewitched, My World
and Welcome To It (based on the life of James Thurber), and arrangements for the smash hit
Hello Dolly. Warren Barker died on August 3, 2006.
Program Notes
Duty, Honor, Country — arr Walters
On May 12, 1962, West Point presented General Douglas MacArthur with the Thayer Award. This
award, established in honor of Col Sylvanus Thayer, "Father of the Military Academy", is presented
to an outstanding citizen whose service and accomplishments in the national interest exemplify
the Military Academy motto, "Duty, Honor, Country". The text of General MacArthur’s acceptance
speech serves as the narrative basis for this work by Harold Walters. General MacArthur was 82
years old when he gave the speech. He spoke without notes for 34 minutes from the "poop deck"
in front of the 2,100 cadets. Among the eloquent phrases with which MacArthur challenged all
who were in front of him were these words, “The long gray line has never failed us. Were you to
do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white
crosses, thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country.”
Harold L Walters (1918-1984) was one of the most prolific composers of band music of
the 20th century. He composed under his own name and under the pseudonym of Fred L Frank.
Walters began his music career at the age of eight studying cornet, and graduated from
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the American University. From 1938 to 1943 he performed
and served as chief arranger with the US Navy Band in Washington, DC. After his military discharge he was with CBS Radio in Washington for a year and then moved to New York City where
he served as conductor-arranger for Warner Brothers Theatre, Fox Newsreel features, Randolf Hurst
News, and various orchestras, including the Sigmund Romberg Orchestra. In 1949 he began a
20-year relationship with the Rubank Music Publishing Company as editor, composer, and arranger.
Walters’ published compositions and arrangements number over 900 for band and over 600 for
strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion solos and ensembles.
Esprit de Corp — Jager
Based on The Marines’ Hymn, this work is a kind of fantasy-march, as well as a tribute to the
United States Marine Band. Full of energy and drama, the composition has its solemn moments
and its lighter moments (for example, the quasi-waltz in the middle of the piece). The composer
intended that this work should display the fervor and virtuosity of the Marine Band and the
musical spirit and integrity of its conductor, Colonel John R Bourgeois, for whom the initial tempo
marking, "Tempo di Bourgeois," is named.
Robert Jager was born in Binghamton, New York in 1939 and is a graduate of the University of
Michigan. For four years he served in the United State Navy as the Staff Arranger/Composer at the
Armed Forces School of Music. Jager taught for 30 years at Tennessee Tech University and is now a
professor emeritus. He makes his home in Colorado. Jager has over 65 published compositions for
band, orchestra, and various chamber groupings, with more than 35 commissions which include the
United States Marine Band and the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. He has won a number of awards
for his music and is the only three-time winner of the American Bandmasters Association Ostwald
Award.
Program Notes
Fanfare and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing — Davis
Adapted from the Mannheim Steamroller CD, A Fresh Aire Christmas, this opening glorious fanfare in the High Renaissance tradition of antiphonal brass choirs echoing one another is
followed by a contemporary Mannheim Steamroller treatment of the familiar carol, complete
with a rock groove combining rhythmic and harmonic surprises. The musical group Mannheim
Steamroller takes its name from an 18th-century German musical technique, Mannheim roller (ger.:
Mannheimer Walze), a crescendo passage having a rising melodic line over an ostinato bass line,
popularized by the Mannheim school of composition.
Chip Davis, composer, arranger, and founder, startled the music world 25 years ago by proving
that an independent music label offering Christmas music in a contemporary rock format could be
a smash success. The annual Mannheim Steamroller juggernaut rolls on appearing in Austin this
month (December 28) at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. Davis was born into a musical
family in Sylvania, Ohio. He began his career as a classical musician trained in bassoon and percussion, taught public school music, and then became a jingle writer for a thriving Omaha, Nebraska
advertising agency. He and one of the agency’s ad execs, Bill Fries, dreamed up a fictional truck
driver named CW McCall for a series of commercials for The Old Home Bread Company. The character became so popular it led to a record deal to produce recordings under the name of CW McCall.
One of the songs, a single called “Convoy” blew open the popular CB radio craze of 1975. Within
two months, 10 million record buyers were singing along and two years later Kris Kristofferson
starred in the hit movie by the same name.
Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol — Grainger/Stotter
Mummers Plays originated in England and spread throughout Europe. The plays were seasonal
folk plays performed in the streets, in house-to-house visits or public houses by troupes of actors
known as mummers. This work is a transcription from Percy Grainger’s 1911 piano setting of the
Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol. His notes on the transcription read as follows: The tune
was noted by Miss Lucy E Broadwood at Lyne, near Horsham (Sussex), in 1880 and 1881
from the singing of Christmas Mummers called “Tipteers” or “Tipteerers” during their
play of “St George, the Turk, and the seven champions of Christendom" . Richard Franko
Goldman encouraged Grainger to arrange the Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol for band and
it was Goldman who undertook the completion and scoring of the work in progress at the time of
Grainger's death in 1961. This arrangement was written by Dr Douglas Stotter, Director of Bands,
Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Wind and Percussion Division in the UT-Arlington Music Department.
George Percy Grainger (1882-1961) was an Australian-born composer, pianist and champion of the saxophone and the concert band. Grainger was an inveterate collector and preserver
of folk music, and also an innovative musician who anticipated many forms of 20th Century music
well before they became established by other composers. In 1932, he became Dean of Music at
New York University, and underscored his reputation as an experimenter by putting jazz on the
syllabus and inviting Duke Ellington as a guest lecturer. Twice he was offered honorary doctorates
of music, but turned them down, explaining, "I feel that my music must be regarded as a product of
non education."
Patapan — Hanson
Patapan is a French Christmas carol in Burgundian dialect, later adapted into English. It was
written by Bernard de La Monnoye and first published in Noël bourguignons in 1720. Its
original title is "Guillô, Pran Ton Tamborin". The carol is told from the perspective of shepherds
playing simple instruments, flutes and drums.
Shelley Hanson, a Twin Cities, Minnesota, composer, arranger, teacher, and professional
musician, has an affinity for writing and performing folk music. Her band, Klezmer and All That
Jazz, recorded traditional and original music for the audio book version of the Yiddish play “The
Dybbuk”. Ms Hanson holds a PhD in Performance, Music Theory, and Music Literature from Michigan
State University. She is a member of the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra and serves on the faculty of
Macalester College.
Russian Christmas Music — Reed
In 1944, in an attempt to improve Soviet-American relations, a holiday symphonic concert was held
in Denver, Colorado. The intention was to premiere new works by Soviet and American composers.
Sixteen days before the concert, it was discovered that the Soviet music selected to be performed,
Prokofiev's March, Op 99, had already premiered in the United States. With only 16 days to completion, 23-year-old American Alfred Reed was assigned to write a new piece of "Russian music"
to be performed at the concert. Thirteen days later, on December 12, 1944, on nationally broadcast
NBC radio, Russian Christmas Music made its debut.
An ancient Russian Christmas carol (Carol of the Little Russian Children), together with a
good deal of original material and some motivic elements derived from the liturgical music of
the Eastern Orthodox Church, form the basis for this musical impression of Old Russia during
the jubilant Christmas season. Although cast in the form of a single, continuous movement, four
distinct sections may be easily recognized: Children’s Carol, Antiphonal Chant, Village Song,
and the closing, Cathedral Chorus. The liturgical music of the Eastern Orthodox Church is entirely
vocal, admitting no instrumental music into the services. Alfred Reed has captured the sonorities,
rhythmic inflections, clarity, and flowing phrases of the human voice in his composition.
Alfred Reed was born on Manhattan Island in New York City on January 25, 1921. His formal
music training began at the age of 10, when he studied the trumpet. As a teenager, he played
with small hotel combos in the Catskill Mountains. His interests shifted from performing to arranging and composition. In 1938, he started working in the Radio Workshop in New York as a
staff composer/arranger and assistant conductor. With the onset of World War II, he enlisted and
was assigned to the 529th Army Air Corps Band. During his three and a half years of service, he
produced nearly 100 compositions and arrangements for band. After his discharge, Reed enrolled
at the Juilliard School of Music and studied composition with Vittorio Giannini. In 1953, he enrolled
at Baylor University, serving as conductor of the Symphony Orchestra while he earned the Bachelor
of Music degree (1955). A year later, he received his Master of Music degree. His interest in the
development of educational music led him to serve as executive editor of Hansen Publishing from
1955 to 1966. He left that position to become a professor of music at the University of Miami,
where he served until his retirement in 1993. After retirement, he continued to compose and made
numerous appearances as guest conductor in many nations, most notably in Japan. At the age of
84, on September 17, 2005, Alfred Reed passed away after a short illness.
Guest Narrators
Bruce Bray hails from the Panhandle of west Texas, growing up in the small town of Abernathy,
located 17 miles north of Lubbock where he was born on July 18, 1955. He has taught music in
Texas public schools since graduating from Texas Tech University in 1978, and is in his 11th year as
the associate band director at Hopewell Middle School in Round Rock. Mr Bray is an actor, writer,
poet, artist, and composer with works published by Larry Daehn Music Publishing Company, RBC
Music Publishers, and TRN Music.
David Crews grew up in Odessa, where he began his career in broadcast television and radio. He is a graduate of UT- Permian Basin, where he also taught television production. Mr Crews has
worked as a director and editor for broadcast stations and cable systems for nearly four decades
and now owns and operates CrewsCreative, his own award-winning post-production business
based in Round Rock. For the last several years, David has also been a staff announcer for Austin’s
classical station, KMFA. He is a composer, musician, author, and avid traveler.
Apropos to tonight’s performance, David’s father, John Crews, is a World War II combat veteran who
earned two bronze stars fighting with Patton’s noted 12th Armored “Mystery Division".
Next ASB Concerts
February 24 - Joint Forces - Grace Covenant Church 8:00 pm
February 25 - Joint Forces - Dripping Springs PAC 8:00 pm
April 21 - Melodies of Nature - McCallum Arts Center 8:00 pm
April 29 - Texas Community Music Festival Concert - Central Market North 5:15 pm
May 13 - Mother's Day - Zilker HIllside Theater 7:00 pm
June 17 - Father's Day - Zilker HIllside Theater 7:30 pm
July 4 - Round Rock Independence Day Festival
July 7 - Bastrop Patriotic Festival
ASB Players
Flute
Beth Behning
Wade Chiles
Kyndra Cullen
Nan Ellis
Byron Gifford
Sally Grant*
Penny Griffy
Linda Lininger
Sara Manning
Karen VanHooser
Kristi Wilson
Clarinet
Libby Cardenas*
Sally Charboneau
Dave Easter
Anthony Frasco
Ramona Heard
Clifton Jones
Karen Kneten
Regina Mabry
Eri Maeda
Nancy North
Nancy Murphy
Clary Rocchi
Holly Thompson
Ray Shroeder
Faith Weaver
Saxophone
Alto
Eddie Jennings*
Bob Miller
Cindy Story
Brenagh Tucker
Tenor
Susan Abbott
Baritone
Steve Neinast
Oboe
Fred Behning
Kristen Mason
Brittany Toll
Bassoon
Andrea Comacho
Walter Pasciak
Brian Provost
John Walter
Bass Clarinet
Sharon Kojzarek*
Ruth Lim
Lynn McLarty
Trumpet
Eric Bittner
David B. Cross
George Greene
David Jones
John King
Erin Knight*
Steve Moreland
Karen Penn
Margaret Sorgee
Bruce Wagner
French Horn
Marc Audy
Leslie Boerger
Ron Boerger
Chuck Ellis*
Marilyn Good
Michael Good
Jerry Hayes
Jo Oliver
Carl Vidos
Trombone
John Bodnar*
Jim Crandell
Dale Lininiger
Scott Mawdsley
Donald McDaniel
Paul Putman
Ken Riley
Kyle Schwamkrug
Derek Woods
Euphonium
Allan Adelman*
Tim DeFries
Richard Klingner
Jerry Schwab
Jami Yarbrough
Tuba
Keith Chenoweth
Robert Heard
Al Martin
String Bass
Thomas Edwards
Percussion
Alan Cline
Tamara Galbi
Bill Haehnel
Jim Hubbard
Adam Kemp
Katie Leander
Rob Ward*
* Section Leader
Our Sponsors
Austin Symphonic Band is pleased to acknowledge the support of the businesses, agencies, and
individuals listed below. Note that we take an extended view: an organization which hires the
band for an event helps the band as much as a donor — and it give us a chance to do what we
love doing! For information about becoming a sponsor of the band contact Dan L Wood,
ASB Business Manager, at (512) 345-7420.
Platinum Sponsors ($1,000+)
The City of Austin
The City of Bastrop
The City of Round Rock
Hewlett-Packard Product Giving
Gold Sponsors $500-$999
Ron & Leslie Boerger
Hewlett-Packard Matching Grants
Eddie Jennings
Silver Sponsors ($100-$499)
Wade Chiles
Kyndra Cullen
Byron Gifford
Karen VanHoosier
Marilyn Good & Dan Wood
Sally Grant
Penny Griffy
Karen Kneten
Steve Neinast
Cindy Story
Bronze Sponsors ($50-$99)
Jim Crandell
George Greene
Clifton Jones
Wayne Rogers
Bruce Wagner
Contributors ($10-$49)
Anthony Frasco
Richard Klingner
Regina Mabry
Kristen Mason
Karen Penn
Bruce Wagner
Faith Weaver
Austin Symphonic Band
PO Box 6472 • Austin TX 78762 • 512/345-7420
[email protected]
www.austinsymphonicband.org
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