Young Artists – Natural Beauty
Mar 2nd, 2025
Oregon Fantasy
From the composer:
“This fantasy tells the story of Oregon, one of America’s north western states. Traveling by train on the Northern Pacific Railroad, the listener is taken through the fascinating Oregon landscape. Native Americans, cowboys, gold diggers, and hooded wagons will file past on this adventurous journey.
The piece begins in a slow movement, introducing the first theme in minor. Then we hear in the following fast movement the trombones imitate the train, whistling the steam-flute. We hear the characteristic minor theme again, but now in different variants (also in major). The rhythmic structure of “western” stile [sic] and rock succeed each other. This is leading to the slow movement, where the signals of horns and trumpets introduce a wonderful vocal melody. After this characteristic melody, the fast movement appears shortly again, the trombones whistling the steam-flute again (now in major). We hear also some musical elements, that plays a part in the following Presto. Bar changes, jazzy chords, interesting rhythmic patterns (with bongo) and an original theme are the characteristics of this Presto. After this, the horns announce the last section of the piece. Interesting is the fact that we hear in this Allegro section a variant of the vocal melody in the slow movement. Also the Presto theme returns shortly, followed by the Allargando, which is a grand characteristic end of a soundtrack. The movie of our traveling fantasy has come to an end.”
Konzertstuck Nr. 1 for Two Clarinets and Symphonic Band
The piece consists of three directly consecutive movements, which together last about eight minutes. We will be performing the first two movements. The first movement, a stormy “Allegro con fuoco,” begins with a cadence in the clarinet and the basset horn. The entire movement is permeated by a constant unrest, which rarely knows relaxing moments. Cadences conclude it and lead into the calm “Andante,” a “song without words.” Only briefly is the tranquility disturbed twice, represented by C minor, before it resumes and allows the movement to fade away. The virtuosic rondo with the performance indication “Presto” is filled with virtuosic runs and a dance-like main theme. Joyful and cheerful, the music unfolds before octave leaps conclude the work.
Variations on a Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring
One of Aaron Copland‟s most recognized works, Variations on a Shaker Melody is an excerpt from his Pulitzer Prize winning ballet, Appalachian Spring (1944). This setting for concert band was completed by the composer during 1956 and premiered at Northwestern University on March 2, 1958. Copland selected the then obscure Shaker tune Simple Gifts for his variations. The unsung text, “Tis the gift to be simple, ‟tis the gift to be free,” was also relevant to the ballet’s larger themes of peace, war, remembrance, and national identity.
– Program Note from Ball State University Symphony Band concert program, 25 March 2016
Concertino Opus 26 for Solo Clarinet
Concertino, Op. 26, by Weber is one of the great works of the clarinetists’ repertoire. Its first performance was on April 5, 1811, and the concert was such a success that the composer was commissioned to write two more selections for the clarinet. These fine works brought even greater fame to Weber, already a highly respected composer, and established the clarinet as a leading instrument for the expression of Romantic music. This concertino to this day remains the most popular solo in the clarinetists’ repertoire. The work opens with a slow introduction and proceeds to a leisurely theme followed by several contrasting variations.
Shenandoah (2019)
From the composer:
“Shenandoah is one of the most well-known and beloved Americana folk songs. Originally a river song detailing the lives and journeys of fur traders canoeing down the Missouri River, the symbolism of this culturally significant melody has been expanded to include its geographic namesake — an area of the eastern United States that encompasses West Virginia and a good portion of the western part of Virginia — and various parks, rivers, counties, and academic institutions found within.
Back in May of 2018, after hearing a really lovely duo arrangement of Shenandoah while adjudicating a music competition in Minneapolis, I asked myself, after hearing so many versions of this iconic and historic song, how would I set it differently? I thought about it and thought about it and thought about it, and before I realized it, I had composed and assembled just about all of this arrangement in my head by assigning bass notes to the melody and filling in the harmony in my head afterwards. I would intermittently check myself on the piano to make sure what I was imagining worked, and ended up changing almost nothing at all from what I’d heard in my mind’s ear.
This arrangement recalls the beauty of Shenandoah Valley, not bathed in golden sunlight, but blanketed by low-hanging clouds and experiencing intermittent periods of heavy rainfall (created with a combination of percussion textures, generated both on instruments and from the body). There are a few musical moments where the sun attempts to pierce through the clouds, but ultimately the rains win out. This arrangement of Shenandoah is at times mysterious, somewhat ominous, constantly introspective, and deeply soulful.”
Premiere Rhapsody for Orchestra and Solo Clarinet
The Première Rhapsodie (First Rhapsody) by Claude Debussy is a piece for accompanied solo clarinet. Composed between December 1909 and January 1910, it was dedicated to the French clarinet professor Prosper Mimart. In 1909, Gabriel Fauré, director of the Paris Conservatoire, named Debussy to its board of directors (le Conseil Supérieur). One of Debussy’s first duties was to supply two works for the next year’s clarinet examinations. The Rhapsodie was first performed as part of the examinations on July 14, 1910. The original composition was for clarinet and piano; Debussy published his own orchestration of the accompaniment in 1911, after the official premiere with Mimart.
Nisqually Glacier Views
This piece features the COMBMEA MS Honor Band students from the Peninsula School District.
From the composer:
“Nisqually Glacier Views was commissioned by the North County Honor Band in Battleground, Washington, for their 2023 festival. One of the most majestic and recognizable landmarks in Washington stat is Mount Rainier. With 25 named glaciers, there is no shortage of beautiful places to visit. Best viewed from the Nisqually Vista Trail, near Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park, the Nisqually Glacier is a favorite of many visitors and one of the most visited in the park. The Glacier was first photographed in 1884 by Allen Mason, which has laid the groundwork for a photographic history of over a century. Over the decades, the Nisqually Glacier has had many periods of retreating and advancing in size. US Geological Survey and National Park scientists continue to study and monitor the Glacier and its impact on the area.”
Squirrel Chase (Galop)
This piece features the COMBMEA MS Honor Band students from the Peninsula School District.
From the publisher:
“Ever wonder what a standard gallop would sound like with the chaos that ensues when a dog sees a squirrel? Well, now you don’t have to! Composer Carol Brittin Chambers brings us a wonderful new gallop for developing bands with a unique, clever, and down-right fun twist!”
Lost Woods Fantasy
This piece features the COMBMEA MS Honor Band students from the Peninsula School District.
From the composer:
“This unique musical tale follows a young group of friends on a late-night adventure in the forest. Once inside, ominous music emerges as the trees begin to stretch and seal off the entrance. Trapped inside, the music becomes more urgent in a frantic search for a way out. This is a colorful and engaging example of musical storytelling.”
Galop
Moscow, Cheryomushki (often shortened to Cheryomushki) is an operetta (light opera) in three acts, libretto by the team of Vladimir Mass and Mikhail Chervinsky, the leading Soviet humorists at that time. The satirical plot deals with a theme common to the people of Soviet Russia and the Cheryomushki District: affordable housing. This district became the location for a massive subsidized housing project in the 1950s. The operetta tells a story of a group of friends who have been granted new apartments in the Cheryomushki. With each character, we see common issues associated with living in these areas: shared living spaces, corrupt politicians, and sneaky bureaucrats. Galop is representative of the light, humorous style of the operetta. With its fast moving and comical lines, Shostakovich captures the humor (and melancholy) of the libretto, expertly.
– Program Note by the San Francisco Wind Ensemble concert program, 5 October 2013