Symphonic Band presents "Pioneers" 2/20/22

"PIONEERS"

Welcome to this first performance of spring semester by the musicians of the Ohio State Symphonic Band, a program entitled “Pioneers.” Those included in this performance are worthy of the moniker “pioneer” as composers, performers, authors, teachers and human beings. We are fortunate to have pioneers to blaze new paths for us in music, performance, education and life, and celebrate them and their music this afternoon!

We are pleased to welcome several collaborators to the program this afternoon. Professor of flute in the School of Music, Katherine Borst Jones performs as soloist on Kent Kennan’s Night Soliloquy. A “pioneer in our midst,” Professor Jones has served the students of Ohio State since 1985, and was the first tenured professor of flute in the School of Music at Ohio State.

Professor Jones returns later in the program to conduct the Ohio State Flute Troupe, one of the first ensembles of its kind when it was founded by Professor Jones in her first year on the faculty. In its rich history, the ensemble has garnered a national reputation for excellence, and commissioned a sizeable number of works for the medium. They, too, are pioneers in our musical world, and you will no doubt delight in their music making!

A special expression of thanks is extended to the brass musicians from the Ohio State Wind Symphony, who are contributing to today’s performance of Ron Nelson’s Resonances I.

The musicians of the Symphonic Band have made time during the preparation of this repertoire to reflect upon the pioneers that have aided our individual and collective journeys. We encourage you to pause and consider those whom you believe are pioneers in your own journey, and to consider expressing your gratitude in whatever ways seems appropriate.

Thank you for the gift of your attendance today…and please enjoy the performance!

— Scott A. Jones, conductor
 

PROGRAM

Resonances I  (1991)
Ron Nelson (b. 1929)

In the words of the composer, this composition “…uses non-synchronous techniques to achieve its textures. The performance goal of Resonances I is to create an interesting and increasingly exciting musical texture which begins slowly, very quietly and distant and develops to a peak of enormous activity, intensity and tension.”

American composer Ron Nelson was raised in the musically rich community of Joliet, Illinois; earned each of his three degrees in music from the Eastman School of Music, served on the faculty of Brown University (RI) for 37 years, and now resides in Arizona. His contributions to the wind band repertoire include both traditional repertoire as well as compositions such as Resonances I. His compositions include innovative textures, colors, and often the blending of human voice with instrumental sonorities.

An Original Suite (1928/1959/2007)
Gordon Jacob (1895–1984)
ed. Heidenreich

I.    March
II.   Intermezzo
III.  Finale

Gordon Jacob was a prolific composer, arranger, teacher, conductor and author. His catalog of compositions includes more than 700 original works which include solo, chamber and large works for choral, orchestral, brass band and wind band settings. He was exceptionally regarded in his home country of England, and was frequently honored for his contributions to music. He served the students of the Royal College of Music as a faculty member from 1924 to 1966.

An Original Suite was composed while Jacob himself was a student at the Royal Academy of Music. He developed an interest in writing for military band after creating a transcription for orchestra of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ English Folk Song Suite. In spite of the fact that all of the material in Jacob’s composition is original, the writing within each movement frequently emulates folk songs.

Night Soliloquy (1940/1962)
Kent Kennan (1913–2003)

Katherine Borst Jones, flute

Kent Kennan was a celebrated American composer, author and educator. While his longest academic position was at the University of Texas at Austin, Kennan was a faculty member in the School of Music at Ohio State from 1947–49. He received degrees from both the University of Michigan and the Eastman School of Music. His compositional catalog includes works for orchestra, chamber ensemble and solo instrument as well as songs and choral music. His texts on counterpoint and orchestration were widely adopted in college and universities.

Night Soliloquy was written in 1936 shortly following the composer’s arrival in Rome for a three-year residency as winner of the prestigious “Prix de Rome.” Since its premiere by legendary Eastman School of Music flute teacher Joseph Mariano, the piece has been considered a staple in the flutist's repertoire. The setting for solo flute and winds, performed this afternoon, was created by the composer.

Triumphal March, Op. 30 (1926/2002)
Clarence Cameron White (1880–1960)
Stamp and Moss

Daniel Farr, conductor

African American violinist, composer and educator Clarence Cameron White was a renowned musician during the first half of the twentieth century. He studied at Oberlin Conservatory and Howard University, and later taught at the Washington DC Conservatory, West Virginia State College, and the Hampton Institute. White’s catalog of compositions includes violin and orchestral works, a ballet score, two operas, and myriad settings of African American Spirituals.  

Originally written for piano by the composer, Triumphal March was later orchestrated by Mayhew Lake for composer/conductor Edwin Franko Goldman and the Goldman Band. Goldman, founder of the American Bandmasters Association, was an immense figure in the wind band community and a pioneer in the realm of commissioning original works for band. Triumphal March is dedicated by White “In friendship to Edwin Franko Goldman,” and features a style that is at times robust and others quite delicate.

Serenade, Op. 11, No. 85 (2011/2013)
Vincent Persichetti (1915–1987)

I.    Pastorale
II.   Humoreske
III.  Nocturne
IV.  Intermezzo
V.   Capriccio

Dustin Ferguson, conductor

Vincent Persichetti (1915–87), a universally admired American composer and educator, has published over 120 works, enriching the entire musical literature, especially of the wind band medium. His graceful and colorful compositional techniques — textures, timbres and harmonies — are voiced happily in a wind band medium eager for repertoire from prolific composers.

Persichetti’s Serenade for Band is one of 15 written in various instrumental and vocal settings. The composition references a commission by Frank Battisti and the Ithaca High School Band in 1960. However, according to Battisti, Persichetti had already begun writing a new composition, a serenade, for the band medium. Persichetti had been open about composing because of the need to write music, and not for the need of a commission. What followed was a relatively brief five-movement work that displayed noticeable hints of the composer’s unique writing style. This work is one of Persichetti’s lesser performed compositions, but demonstrates crafty writing by a champion of the band medium.

 

* * * * * * * * *

THE OHIO STATE FLUTE TROUPE
Katherine Borst Jones, conductor

Synapses (1997)
from I Sing the Body Eclectic (1998)

Thomas Duffy (b. 1955)

“Synapses,” the third movement of I Sing the Body Eclectic, was commissioned by The Ohio State University Flute Troupe for their 1997 concert appearance at the 25th Annual National Flute Convention in Chicago. Composer Thomas C. Duffy is director of Bands at Yale University. Recordings and performances of his music include those by college bands, orchestras and wind ensembles throughout the world. His music is published by American Composers Alliance, Ludwig Music, and Bourne Company Music Publishers.

Eos (2019)
Zachary J. Friedland (1990–2021)

Eos was written for The Ohio State University Flute Troupe in 2019 and premiered April 6, 2019 at the Central Ohio Flute Association Convention in Columbus, Ohio with the composer present.  In the composer’s words, “Taken from the name for the Greek Goddess of Dawn, Eos paints a musical picture of a sunrise. Starting low with the bass flute and getting passed upwards through the ensemble, the piece represents a spring sunrise. As the sky opens up, broad and blue, nature slowly awakens and the world experiences a sense of rebirth and rejuvenation. Flowers bloom, wildlife emerges from hibernation, and new life flourishes.” 

Zachary earned degrees from the University of Rhode Island (2013), Longy School of Music of Bard College (2015) and The Ohio State University (2018).

This performance is dedicated to Zachary who passed away at the age of 31 on October 8, 2021.

Umoja (2001)
Valerie Coleman (b. 1970)

"Umoja (Swahili for 'unity') was originally a composition for women’s choir to celebrate the first day in the African-American celebration of Kwanzaa.” This piece combines a groove-based melody using call-and-response, rhythms and harmonies from the African diaspora. It is also available for woodwind quintet and other combinations of instruments. Valerie Coleman, a founding member of Imani Winds, is an award-winning composer.

* * * * * * * * *

One Life Beautiful (2008)
Julie Giroux (b. 1961)

Composer Julie Giroux holds degrees from Louisiana State University and Boston University. She studied composition with John Williams, Bill Conti and Jerry Goldsmith, among others. A conductor, orchestrator and composer of music for television and film, Giroux was the first woman and youngest recipient to receive an Emmy in her category. Beyond television and film scores, her composition catalog includes works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, soloists and concert band.

The composer writes, “The title itself is a double-entendre which in one sense is referring to the person this work is dedicated to as in 'one life' that was beautifully lived. The other sense is a direct observation concluding that having only one life is what makes life so sacred, tragic and so very precious. This is an impressionistic work musically, describing that condition. Shakespeare’s 'sweet sorrow,' the frailty and strength of life, the meaning of what it is to truly live One Life Beautiful.”
 

A Mother of A Revolution! (2019)
Omar Thomas (b. 1984)

In commemoration of the 50^th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and honoring Marsha P. Johnson

Daniel Farr, conductor

Composer Omar Thomas made his mark in the world of jazz music after earning his Master of Music in Jazz Composition at the New England Conservatory. Since writing his first work for wind band in 2015 (Of Our New Day Begun), Thomas’ music has been performed by the finest high school, collegiate and professional wind ensembles the world over. 

Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson was a trans woman and one of the chief instigators of the critical Stonewall Riots. The event, also known as the Stonewall Uprising, began on June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn gay bar in Greenwich Village. The police raid which began in the early hours at Stonewall soon spilled onto the streets of New York and would continue for six days of protesting. This pivotal event would prove a catalyst for change via the LGBTQ Liberation Movement in the United States and abroad. Commissioned by the Desert Winds Freedom Band to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, A Mother of a Revolution! pays tribute to icon Marsha P. Johnson and all the brave individuals who have fought for equality, inclusion and the chance to love without reservation.

 

ROSTERS

The Ohio State University Symphonic Band

Musicians are listed alphabetically by section.

---

Join us…

School of Music performances are free, except for a few premium events. Many performances will be livestreamed. Some events require online registration for those planning to attend in person.

Visit music.osu.edu/events