Download

Download Full Text (1.4 MB)

Publication Date

11-2005

Year of Release

2005

Note(s)

Fall 2005 Tour

Clay Center, Charleston, WV

November 14, 7:30 p.m.

Bethel Park High School, PA

November 15, 7:30 p.m.

John Marshall High School, Glen Dale, WV

November 16, 7:30 p.m.

Stephen Lawson, conductor

Martin Saunders, trumpet

Michael Stroeher, trombone

Marshall University Wind Symphony Personnel

Kim Buetzow, Callie Huff, Joel Schoolcraft, Ashli Spinks, Christina Riley, Jessica Stewart, flute

Laura Johnson, oboe

Justin Gore, Kristen Toben, Ashlee Black, Trina Smith, Robert Heath, clarinet

Adam Rhodes, bass clarinet

Meredith McCoy, Courtney Holshuh, bassoon

Chris Kellermeyer, Chris Eggleton, Deanna Holderby, Brian Lang, saxophone

Jeremy Wellman, Rebecca Kaupat, Angela Crum, Amanda Boone, Seth Stanley, Amy Holiday, cornet/trumpet

KaCee Booth, Kacie O 'Neal, Ian Smith horn

Jeremy Quave, Bryan Davis, John Galloway, Tyler Mullins, trombone

James Lykens, Jonathan Richards, euphonium

Matthew Murphy, Cory Hessler, tuba

John Espy, Mark Haas, Andrew Pinnock, Matt Togger, James Hairston, Robert Kelly, percussion

PROGRAM NOTES

Esprit de Corps was commissioned by the United States Marine Band. Fragments of The Marines' Hymn are heard as source material to this composition. Many energetic and dramatic moments provide opportunities for all musicians to display their abilities. Robert Jager studied at the University of Michigan, and has served as the staff arranger at the Armed Forces School of Music, while a member of the United States Navy. Additionally, he has served as Professor of Music and Director of Music Theory and Composition at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN.

October by Eric Whitacre was commissioned by the Nebraska Wind Consortium in 2000. Of October, Whitacre says, "The simple, pastoral melodies and subsequent harmonies are inspired by the great English Romantics (Vaughn Williams, Elgar) as I felt this style was also perfectly suited to capture the natural and pastoral soul of the season." Among Whitacre' s popular band works are: Godzilla Eats Las Vegas and Ghost Tram. His works have been performed by military, university and high school bands in over 50 countries and featured on over 20 recordings. In 1997, he received the Master of Music degree in composition from the Juilliard School of Music where he studied composition with John Corigliano.

Dance Movements by Philip Sparke was commissioned by the United States Air Force Band. It is cast in four movements that play without a break. The second and third movements feature the woodwinds and brass respectively. While none of the movements are specifically to be danced, they are of the character of various dances. The first movement takes on a Latin American feel through the use of xylophone, cabasa, tambourine, and wood block. The second movement is in the style of an English country dance. The third movement may be seen as a love duet in ballet. The fourth movement "owes its existence to the dance music in West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein," says Sparke.

Fandango by Joseph Turrin was commissioned in 2000 for the University of New Mexico and premiered by Philip Smith, trumpet and Joseph Alessi, trombone. As the title suggests, this work is based on the Spanish fandango dance form, which is a lively dance for 2 dancers. The opening section is briefly interrupted by a lyric section, until the lively section returns as an imitative canon.

Cartoon Music by Peter Graham is written in the style of Scott Bradley, who is known for his scores to Tom and Jerry cartoons. Listeners will note references from Beethoven to Tm Pan Alley. One's imagination is taken from "opening credits", the cat waking up, numerous pratfalls and a chase, all with a happy ending.

Second Suite in F for Military Band by Gustav Holst was composed in 1911, though not performed until 1922, by the band of the Royal Military School. It is based entirely on folk songs and dances as noted in parenthesis in the titles. The designation f?r "military band" indicates that Holst did not furnish parts for ad lib instruments. This· suite has become a standard in the band repertoire. As with many English composers, borrowing folk songs helps denote a nationalist style. Holst studied composition and trombone at the Royal College of Music.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Stephen Lawson joined Marshall University faculty in the fall of 2002, teaching horn lessons, music theory and music education courses and is director of the MU Wind Symphony. He is a member of the Kingsbury Woodwind Quintet, and MU Faculty Brass Quintet. Lawson is a member of the Huntington Symphony Orchestra and, Ohio Valley Symphony and has performed with the West Virginia Symphony, River Cities Symphony and Seneca Chamber Orchestra on horn, since arriving in WV.

From 1991-2002 Lawson taught at Minot State University in Minot, ND. At MSU, he taught horn, trumpet and guitar lessons, music theory and graduate research methods, and coached chamber music. From 1995-1998, Lawson was the music director and conductor of the Minot Symphony Orchestra. He has served as principal horn of the Minot Symphony and as principal trumpet of the Bismarck Symphony. He was the founder and director of the Audubon Chamber Ensemble and was the director of the Ambassador Brass Quintet. As well as performing in these ensembles he has been an active arranger.

Lawson has served on the faculties of Western Carolina University, Albion College and Lansing Community College and performed as a horn player with the Asheville Symphony (NC), Greater Lansing Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony and Flint Symphony (MI) and the Adirondack Symphony (NY). He has maintained an active schedule of adjudication, clinics and master classes chamber music and solo recital performances throughout his career. A highlight was performing at the International Horn Society Workshop on a recital of historical horns at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, OR in 1996. Many of Lawson's recital appearances have involved the performance practices on h1stoncal horns.

Michael Stroeher is Professor of Low Brass at Marshall University. He received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Master of Music with honors in trombone performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, and Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of North Texas. He has taught in the St. Louis Public Schools, at Idaho State University, Phillips University and Augusta State University. Presently Principal Trombone of the Huntington Symphony, Stroeher has performed and recorded with the St. Louis Symphony, the Aspen Festival Orchestra, the Greenville Symphony, the Augusta Symphony and the South Carolina Philharmonic.

Stroeher also has performed with Arthur Fiedler, Dave Brubeck, Michel Legrand, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, the Stylistics and the Cab Calloway Orchestra. He has appeared as soloist with the Webster Symphony, the Mighty Mississippi Concert Band, the Augusta Concert Band, the Augusta State University Orchestra, the DeKalb Wind Ensemble and the Marshall University Wind Symphony. He has performed at the Eastern Trombone Workshop, the International Horn Conference, the International Trumpet Conference and at the Aldeburgh Festival in England. Stroeher has published articles in the T.U.B.A. Journal the International Trombone Association Journal the Southeastern Journal of Music Education and the Opera Journal, and is in demand as clinician, adjudicator, soloist, and guest conductor throughout the U.S.

Martin Saunders currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Jazz at Marshall University Huntington West Virginia. Prior to his move to Huntington, he completed work toward the DMA in Trumpet Performance at the University of Oklahoma, School of Music. Martin holds two degrees in music, a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Winthrop University, and a Master of Music Degree from Wright State University. In 1994, he accepted a musical position with the Heartland of America Band at Offutt Air Force Base, where he was Musical Director and lead trumpeter for the Noteables Jazz Ensemble, and performed in the Concert Band and Ceremonial Band.

Martin has been an active performer and clinician for a number of universities and jazz festivals across the United States. He was a guest clinician at the 1996 Ohio Chapter of the International Trumpet Guild state conference, was chosen to be preliminary judge for the Jazz Competition of the 2000 International Trumpet Guild international conference, and for the past three years was selected as an Artist Faculty member for the highly regarded National Trumpet Competition. Martin Saunders has performed with a number of entertainers such as Michael Feinstein, The Temptations, Rich Little, Frank Sinatra Jr., Crystal Gayle, LeAnn Rhymes, and Frankie Valli.

Note

Clay Center, Charleston, WV

Note

Bethel Park High School, PA

Note

John Marshall High School, Glen Dale, WV

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts | Music | Music Performance

Marshall University Music Department Presents the Marshall University Wind Symphony, Stephen Lawson, conductor, with soloists, Martin Saunders, trumpet, Michael Stroeher, trombone, Fall 2005 Tour

Share

COinS