WINTER PARK HIGH SCHOOL BANDSThursday, October 20, 2016 | 7:00 PM

Winter Park High School | Ann Derflinger Auditorium

PROGRAM

FRESHMAN JAZZ BANDChristopher Blackmer, conductor

Back Online (2015) Gregory Yasinitsky

Buckjump (2011/2016) Troy Andrews & Mike Ballardarr. John Wasson

JAZZ ENSEMBLE IMichael Clemente, conductor

Nova Bossa (2013) Michael Phillip Mossman

You’ve Changed (1942/1999) Bill Carey and Carl Fischerarr. Mark Taylor

Opus One (1943/1990) Sy Oliverarr. Sammy Nestico

CONCERT BANDChristopher Blackmer, conductor

Mighty Mite (1951/2003) Ted Mesangarr. Sean O’Loughlin

As Twilight Falls (2011) Robert Sheldon

Three Ayres from Gloucester (1969) Hugh M. StuartI. The Jolly Earl of CholmondeleyIII. The Fiefs of Wembley

SYMPHONIC BANDMichael Clemente, conductor

The High School Cadets (1890/1918) John Phillip Sousa

The Dragoon’s Farewell (1998) arr. Brant Karrick

Fantasy on English Hunting Songs (1985) Clare Grundman

WIND ENSEMBLEChristopher Blackmer, conductor

Mother Earth: A Fanfare (2006) David Maslanka

Lawrence of Arabia (1962/2016) Maurice Jarrearr. Alfred Reed

ed. R. Mark Rogers

Dancing Day (2013) Jim Colonna

Second Suite in F (1911) Gustav HolstI. MarchII. Song without WordsIII. Song of the BlacksmithIV. Fantasia on the “Dargason”

PROGRAM NOTESMighty Mite Theodore Lawrence Mesang was born December 7, 1902 in Eau Clarie Wisconsin. He attended Northland

College in Ashland, Wisconsin, from 1930 to 1940 and received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Wisconsin in 1945. Mesang received a Master of Education degree from the University of Minnesota in 1949. From 1929 to 1948 he was director of instrumental music in Ashland (Wisconsin) public schools.

Mesang came to Oregon State College in the fall of 1949 as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1957 and Professor in 1964. During his career at Oregon State, Mesang directed the marching and concert bands, and taught music education courses. He published over 250 musical compositions and was a member of the American Society of

Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Three Ayres from GloucesterThree Ayres from Gloucester was composed in 1969 and is set in three short movements. It was a result of the composer’s fascination with an old 10th century Couplet:

“There’s no one quite so comely

As the Jolly Earl of Cholmondeley.”

The resulting movements, in early English folk song style, are designed to capture the mood of the peasants and their life on the fiefs of Wembley castle (the feudal land surrounding the castle).

Hugh M. Stuart was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1917. He studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the University of Michigan, Colombia University, and Rutgers University. He had a long and distinguished career as a public school music teacher and supervisor in New Jersey schools. He had eighteen works composed for band.

The High School Cadets

Sousa’s march, The High School Cadets, was dedicated to a high school drill team in what was at the time Washington, D.C.’s only high school, later to become Central High School. Since Sousa had already written a march (The National Fencibles) for another drill team, the students asked Sousa to write them “something superior.” In Sousa’s estimation, he did write a better march.

The Dragoon’s FarewellFor many decades, the melodies of old songs have provided a valuable musical resource for a myriad of composers and arrangers. The Australian born composer Percy Grainger, who was an avid folk song collector, spent the summers between 1904 and 1906 collecting and notating the folk music of England. It was during this time that he notated “The Dragoon’s Farewell.” He later included it in a formal concert setting for piano entitled Justish Medley. “The Dragoon’s Farewell” is of Jutish origin, the Jutes being a Germanic people who invaded England from the Continent and settled in Kent in the 5th century.

While this setting for winds uses only the tune from Grainger’s medley, it is an attempt by the arranger, to emulate the harmonically rich and melodically fresh compositional style of Grainger. The melody occurs four times as it is traded among various instrumental colors and voices of the wind band, with each statement being further refashioned by textural and harmonic variations. Although the work is not intended to be programmatic, it attempts to reflect the somber feelings and reflections of a soldier, or dragoon, spending a final day with his family and friends, giving his last good-bye before going off to war. This piece is dedicated to one of the arranger’s most important mentors, Leon Rapier, who faithfully served as the Principal Trumpeter of the Louisville Orchestra and Professor of Trumpet at the University of Louisville from the mid-1950s until his death in 1987.

Fantasy on English Hunting SongsClare Grundman’s Fantasy on English Hunting Songs is based on four old airs whose lyrics touch on various aspects of the chase. “The Lincolnshire Poacher” is a rollicking drinking song about a poor apprentice who believes he can improve his fortune by poaching game and who declares in its refrain, “for it’s my delight of a shiny night, in the season of the year.” The “Fox Chase,” known also as “A Southerly Wind and a Cloudy Sky,” is an old fox hunting song. “A-Hunting We Will Go” is an 18th century tune set to a poem of Henry Fielding. “John Peel,” treated as both a ballad and also as the very old, familiar, spirited hunting song whose verse “D’ye ken John Peel with his coat so grey, with his hounds and his horn in the morning?” is widely known.

The strains of these delightful melodies are cleverly intertwined throughout this lively work as it drives toward its powerfully climactic conclusion.

Mother Earth: A FanfareFrom the composer: “Mother Earth was composed for the South Dearborn High School Band of Aurora, Indiana. Each piece takes on a reason for being all its own, and Mother Earth is no exception. It became an urgent message from Our Mother to treat her more kindly! My reading at the time of writing this music was For a Future to be Possible by the Vietnamese monk and teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. He believes that the only way forward is to be extremely alive and aware in our present moment, to become awake to the needs of our beloved planet, and to respond to it as a living entity. Music making allows us to come immediately awake. It is an instant connection to the powerful wellspring of our creativity, and opens our minds to the solution of any number of problems, including that of our damaged environment. My little piece does not solve the problem! But it is a living call to the wide-awake life, and it continues to be performed by young people around the world.”

Lawrence of ArabiaThe dramatic and brilliantly colored score for the motion picture Lawrence of Arabia introduced a new young French composer, Maurice Jare, to American audiences. Working with the usual symphonic instrumentation plus additional percussion and a new electronic instrument at the time: the onde martinote (similar in sound to the Theremin), he created a musical setting of the utmost power and beauty, setting off the exotic story of T.E. Lawrence perfectly, and complementing the visual picture with a tonal one of tremendous impact.

Dancing DayThis celebratory work for symphonic band was commissioned in honor of the retirement of John Enhahl, long-time director of the Lansing Concert Band (Lansing, Michigan). Jim Colonna is Director of Instrumental Music at York College (York, Pennsylvania). He earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Michigan State University. As a composer, Colonna has several works published and recorded by some of our nation’s finest ensembles.

Second Suite in FThe Second Suite in F was composed in 1911, but was not performed until 1922. Unlike the First Suite in E-flat, this second suite is based entirely on material from folk songs and morris dances. Like Holst’s first suite, this work was one of the first ever written specifically for wind band. Holst’s use of folk music materials can be attributed to his rediscovery of English folk songs. Nationalism in music flourished during the years between

World War I and World War II, and composers’ interest in folk music was an important element in that movement.

Gustav Holst was born in England in 1874. After graduating from the Royal College of Music, Holst earned a living as a professional trombonist. From 1904, Holst focused his musical pursuits on composing and teaching. In addition to his duties as music director at St. Paul’s Girls School in London, Holst held teaching positions at Morley College, the Royal College of Music, and for a short time, at Harvard University. His compositional output includes operas, symphonies, ballets, chamber music, solo songs, choral works, and several works for band.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Fall Festival of BandsWednesday, November 9, 7 PM

Night of JazzThursday, November 17, 7 PM

WinterFestTuesday, December 6, 7 PM

Winter Band ConcertThursday, December 8, 7 PM

For all Winter Park High School Band related information and events, go to

WWW.WINTERPARKHSBAND.COM