Press Release

Concord Band Performs World Premiere

The Concord Band will present a most intriguing night of concert band music on Saturday, October 28, when they will be joined by renowned American composer Elliot Del Borgo for the world premiere of his newest piece. Music Director Dr. William G. McManus has compiled a compelling program featuring Mr. Del Borgo's compositions and works of Persichetti, McBeth, and Tchaikovsky.

With this concert, the Concord Band continues its long and fine tradition of commissioning and performing new works for band, and featuring the best guest conductors in the country. Elliot Del Borgo is widely known to high school, college, community and professional bands for the more than 500 compositions he has written. He is also a frequent clinician, lecturer, adjudicator, consultant, and guest conductor, and the Concord Band members look forward to the opportunity to meet and work with him.

Mr. Del Borgo will direct the premiere of Israeli Folk Suite, a piece described by Dr. McManus as "a beautiful, creative reworking of three well-known Israeli folk tunes." This new work was commissioned for the Concord Band by Dr. Elliot Finkelstein (bass clarinetist with the Band) and his wife, Bette, in celebration of Dr. Finkelstein's 70th birthday.

The evening's program features several others of Mr. Del Borgo's compositions, including Slavonic Dances, a colorful collection of five Slavonic folk tunes, as well as his masterful arrangement of Pietro Mascagni's lovely intermezzo from the opera Cavallaria Rusticana.

W. Francis McBeth's Of Sailors and Whales represents yet another exciting composition on the program. This imaginative piece evokes characters and scenes from Herman Melville's Moby Dick and features an extensive array of percussion effects and singing parts throughout the Band. The five descriptive movements are titled "Ishmael," "Queequeg," "Father Mapple," "Ahab," and "The White Whale."

Assistant Conductor Paul Berler will take the baton for Del Borgo's New England Suite, a delightful piece woven of themes from songs of New England. Mr. Berler will also conduct Psalm for Band, a dramatic and rewarding work by Vincent Persichetti. The magnificent Majestic March by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky rounds out the energetic program.

The concert begins at 8:00 PM in Concord's Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden Street. Tickets are $10 at the door ($5 students/seniors). For more information, visit the band's website at www.concordband.org or call (978) 897-9969.