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Program Notes

Rocky Point Holiday
Composed by Ron Nelson

Ron Nelson’s “Rocky Point Holiday” was commissioned by and composed for the University of Minnesota Concert Band. The composition is an exciting virtuoso work representative of a great number of American compositions which unite elements of jazz and classical construction into a new indigenous American style. Rocky Point is a wind-blown seaside resort on the coast of Rhode Island.

Moonrise
Composed by Josh Shank ‘03

“The moon has always been my favorite object in the heavens. It seems so calm and content in spreading its warm and unobtrusive light across the dark night sky. Although the title came after the entire piece was written, it seemed to be a natural extension of the quiet unfolding in the music.”—Joshua Shank ‘03

Valdres March
Composed by Johannes Hanssen, arranged by Glenn. C. Bainum

Hanssen began writing this march in 1901, but it was not completed until 1904. The title has both a geographical and musical reference. Valdres is that region in Norway which is just north of the halfway point on the train ride between Oslo and Berge—one of the most beautiful regions on earth. The first three measures in “Valdres March” contain the old signature fanfare for the Valdres Battalion. Other melodies in the march suggest folksongs, and in the trio, a characteristic trait of Norwegian music—the drone bass—is heard beneath a simple tune. Hanssen’s march is a charming and inspiring masterpiece in miniature.

Silhouette
Composed by Roger Cichy

Commissioned by the Luther College Concert Band, “Silhouette” was composed as a response to director Frederick Nyline’s concern for the lack of contemporary solo literature with chamber ensemble accompaniment accessible to both high school and collegiate ensembles. Nyline suggested that work for solo flute be considered. Composer Roger Cichy chose to create a multi-movement work which would show off the many dimensions or “silhouettes” of the flute, hence the title, “Silhouette”. Cichy purposefully chose not to title the individual movements (which might influence the listener), but rather to let the listener’s imagination play into the interpretation.

The opening movement, marked “plaintively,” serves as a short introduction to the work and contains an additive melody with a repeated interval scheme, which grows in length as the movement transpires. The second movement places the flute into the jazz idiom with its typical angular melodies and swing-style rhythm; a now acceptable idiom for flute. Movement three, composed in minor, uses the flute in a more tradition role allowing the player to perform highly articulated passages. Movement four brings out the warmth and beauty of the flute. Composed as a sort of ballad, this movement draws on the idea of the first movement where the initial notes of the melody are repeated in the following two measures with embellishments providing a type of organic nature to the melody.

The final movement serves as the finale. Again, Cichy draws on the flutist’s capability to play highly articulated passages. Very animated and somewhat comical sounding at times, this movement contains moments where the flute is in musical dialog with the ensemble. High trills and chromatic runs bring out two other idiosyncrasies which the flute can perform effectively, bringing the work to its conclusion.

Chester Leaps In
Composed by Steven Bryant

“This is the second incarnation of ‘Chester Leaps In’. It was originally written in 1994 for piano and two marimbas. The popularity of William Schuman’s ‘Chester’ in the wind ensemble idiom made this arrangement seem inevitable.

“The sudden, angular interruptions by the tune ‘Chester’ have no extra-musical significance—it was simply stuck in my head while I was composing the piece. The simplicity of ‘Chester’ was perfect comic relief for the frenetic, twisting chromaticism of the original motive, and thus it leapt in. The pun of the title (there’s an old jazz standard called ‘Lester Leaps In’) occurred to me nearly a year after its composition—the piece was untitled for its first performance. Thankfully, it no longer suffers from this identity crisis. In the final analysis, ‘Chester Leaps In’ seems to fall in the category of music-for-the-sheer-hedonistic-impulsive-fun-of-it. Please enjoy.”—Steven Bryant

The Cowboys
Composed by John Williams, arranged by Jim Currow

John Williams, the famed former conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra and composer of countless film scores, wrote the music for the 1971 Warner Brothers film, The Cowboys, starring John Wayne. The suite, arranged by James Curnow, contains melodic snatches which appear throughout the film. The melodies are never heard in their entirety through the piece, but when offered as a suite, they are very beautiful and exciting.

At The Station from Ghost Train
Composed by Eric Whitacre

“The legend of the Ghost Train—a supernatural machine that roars out of the night through forgotten towns and empty canyons—is deeply rooted in American folklore, and it was this spirit that I worked to capture.

“The compositional challenge came in creating a larger three movement work from the first movement, originally conceived and performed as a single event. I felt that the use of trains as a source of sounds and inspiration was virtually exhaustible, but I wanted to save the integrity of the original while using it as the architectural foundation. ‘At the Station’ is just that: the train comes to a roaring halt and the passengers depart. In this movement I see countless images: friends and families reunited, the soaring architecture of the station itself and the genuine sincerity and innocence of the era. After a reflective pastiche the locomotive builds up steam and slowly departs, graceful and heroic.”—Eric Whitacre

(Born in 1970, Eric Whitacre is quickly becoming one of the bright starts of the American music scene.)

March of the Jotuns
Composed by H.W. Monson ‘14

“March of The Jotuns” was completed in 1952. Following the death of Professor Monson’s wife that year, the march was put away and not discovered until recently. The piece bears a dedication to Weston Noble and the Luther College Concert Band. Jotuns means “giants” in Norwegian; it is also the name of a mountain range in Norway.

Equus
Composed by Eric Whitacre

“There are a lot of notes, and I put every one on paper before sequencing it into the computer. I wanted to write a moto perpetuo, a piece that starts running and never stops (‘equus’ is the Latin word for horse) that would also be a virtuosic show piece or winds. The final result is what I call Dynamic Minimalism, which basically means that I love to employ repetitive patterns as long as they don’t get boring. We finally premiered the piece in March 2000. Nearly three years after the original commission date, and the University of Miami Wind Ensemble played the bejeezus out of it.”—Eric Whitacre

Easter Monday Morning On The White House Lawn
Composed by John Philip Sousa, editied by R. Rogers

“Easter egg-rolling in Washington is an American tradition which began during President James Madison’s administration. Dolly Madison, charming wife of the president, initiated this tradition in 1816, perhaps patterned after the ancient Egyptian ceremony of rolling colored eggs toward the pyramids. In the American version, children roll colored eggs with spoons, and the child with the fastest egg wins.

“The 44^th Congress banned egg-rolling on the Capitol grounds in 1880, whereupon President Rutherford B. Hayes invited children to continue this exciting activity on the White House Lawn. President Benjamin Harrison introduced music for the event in 1889, with Sousa directing the Marine Band. Thus Sousa was present at three egg rolls before leaving the Marine Corps, and it is probably that his own children participated. The event has been held there since and has grown in popularity to the extent that it now rates much media coverage.

“Sousa’s memories are recorded in the notes he added to Sousa band programs when “Easter Monday on the White House Lawn” was featured on the 1928 tour: ‘With the children rolling eggs, dancing and romping, as scene of animation persist itself: the elders, from the President to the merest passerby look on the scene with joy and pleasure’”.—Paul Bierley

Who Puts His Trust in God Most Just
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, arranged by James Croft

Who puts his trust in God most just
Hath build his house securely.
He who relies on Jesus Christ
Shall reach his heav’n most surely.
Then fixed on Thee my trust shall be,
For they truth cannot alter.
While mine Thou art,
Not death’s worst smart shall make my courage falter.

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