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Tuba Virtuoso Kenneth Amis to Perform
Winter Concert
What Is Special About The Concord Band
Calendar of Upcoming Events
Concord Band Members Honored at
Holiday Pops
Summer Schedule
In Memorium: Richard O'Connor
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Kenneth
Amis
Guest Artist, Tuba |
In keeping with its long tradition of presenting outstanding
guest soloists, the Concord Band is proud to feature tuba
virtuoso Ken Amis at its Winter Concert on March 4th. Mr. Amis
was born and raised in Bermuda. He began playing the piano at a
young age and upon entering high school took up the tuba and
developed an interest in performing and composing music. A Suite
for Bass Tuba, composed when he was 15, marked his first
published work. A year later, at age 16, he enrolled in Boston
University where he majored in composition. After graduating from
Boston University, he attended the New England Conservatory of
Music where he earned a Masters Degree in composition.
Mr. Amis has been commissioned to write for the annual Cohen
Wing opening at Symphony Hall in Boston, the Massachusetts
Instrumental Conductors Association, the Belmont High School
Symphonic Band, the Gardener High School Band, the New England
Conservatory Wind Ensemble, and the College Band Directors
National Association. Ken has composed a number of works for band
including The Reckoning, Sinfonia Concertante, Grenadiers
of Liberty, The Playground Ball, and Rondo alla
Kolo.
As a tuba player, Mr. Amis has performed as a soloist with the
English Chamber Orchestra and has been a member of the Tanglewood
Festival Orchestra and the New World Symphony Orchestra. He has
served on the faculties of Boston University, the Boston
University Tanglewood Institute, and the Pacific Music festival
in Japan. Ken is presently the tuba player of the Empire Brass
and occupies the International Brass Chair at the Royal Academy
of Music in London.
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On Saturday evening, March 4th, the Concord Band will present
its first concert of the new millennium under the baton of
Music Director Dr. William McManus.
The concert will take place at 51 Walden Street in Concord
beginning at 8:00 PM.
The concert will open with an exciting overture for band by
Claude T. Smith entitled Emperata. This work begins with
a fanfare-like statement by the brass and percussion followed by
a lyrical theme played by the clarinets. The middle section of
the work features a beautiful flute melody which will be played
by flute section leader, Marianne Leonard.
The restatement of the opening themes highlighted,
by a change of key, brings this work to an exciting finish.
Following the opening overture, the Band will perform Della
Cese's Little English Girl (L'Inglisina). While
the title might suggest that this is a British style piece, it is
written in the classic Italian March style similar to Fucik's Florentiner
March, which has been performed by the Concord Band
frequently. This symphonic march, first published in 1946, is one
of the most delightful and musically expressive Italian marches
available to bands. The trio is strong enough and different
enough to stand on its own. The artistry of scoring, coupled with
the nature and construct of the melodic lines in this little
masterpiece, makes playing and hearing this march a special
musical experience.
The Concord Band will welcome Guest Artist, Ken Amis
(see article) to perform Art Dedrick's
A Touch of Tuba and the classic Tuba Concerto
composed by Edward Gregson. A Touch of Tuba is a
delightful piece for tuba and band which Dedrick dedicated to
composer and arranger Harold L. Walters. This charming
composition features a variety of styles including a dance band
style swing section. The Gregson Tuba Concerto is a
three movement work following the usual quick-slow-quick pattern.
Originally written for brass band, and subsequently for
orchestra, this work was commissioned by the "Besses o' th'
Barn Band" with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great
Britain. It is dedicated to John Fletcher, who gave the first
performances of the wind band version in 1984 in Bergin, Norway,
and in Manchester, England.
The Band will open the second half of the concert with a
performance of John Williams' Symphonic Marches, a
delightful setting of three of the composers' most popular movie
marches, arranged by John Higgins and orchestrated by Paul
Lavender. The marches include "The Raiders March,"
"The Imperial March", and "Olympic Fanfare and
Theme." Williams composed the "Olympic Fanfare and
Theme" for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
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Christopher
Morehouse
Assistant Conductor |
Concord Band Assistant Conductor Christopher Morehouse
will take the podium to conduct a performance of
Jan Van Der Roost's delightful work, Pustza (Four Gypsy
Dances). Van Der Roost is representative of a growing number
of European composers whose music is being played in the United
States. Born in 1956 in Duffel, Belgium, and educated at the
Royal Music Conservatories of Antwerp and Ghent, Van der Roost
currently resides in Antwerp, Belgium, with his wife and four
children. Puszta, a four movement suite close ly related to the
Hungarian Dances of Brahms and Slavonic Dances of Dvorak, is the
first of Van Der Roost's compositions to be performed by the
Concord Band.
A little Latin flavor will be added to the concert with a
performance of Tamboo composed by Francesco Cavez and
arranged for band by Floyd Werle. This exciting Samba features an
extended opening clarinet cadenza played by Lorraine
Chase followed the main theme played by flutist Marianne
Leonard.
The concert will close with a performance of Pas Redouble
composed by Camille Saint-Saens, arranged for band by Arthur
Frackenpohl. This "quick-step" concert march is
reminiscent of Offenbach and perhaps is related to the 19th
century galop.
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Concerts will be held at 51 Walden, Concord, at 8:00pm.
Winter Concert
Saturday, March 4,
For tickets call 978-897-9969
Spring Pops
Friday, March 31, sponsored by the Concord
Rotary Club.
For tickets call 978-371-6446 ext. 11
Saturday, April 1, sponsored by the Emerson
Hospital Auxiliary.
For tickets call 978-287-3019
[Contents]
There are many things that distinguish the Concord Band from
most other community bands. Our membership
comes from more than 30 area towns, probably more than most other
bands. Most bands have no permanent home to house their equipment
and music library, and have to rely on local schools for concert
venues. The Concord Band has not one, but both indoor and outdoor
permanent homes (51 Walden and Fruitlands). We play 15 concerts a
year...quite a few. We have had only two music directors since
1962. We bring in many highly regarded soloists and guest
conductors. All of these things are important, of course.
What makes the Concord Band unique, however, is our 25-year
history of com mis sioning new works for the symphonic wind
ensemble. Why is this important? The modern symphony orchestra
can trace its roots back four centuries or more, and orchestras
still play works from the 17th century frequently. The concert
band, on the other hand, came into existence only about 75 or 80
years ago. Its literature, therefore, is very small in comparison
to that of the orchestra. While it is true that composers write
for the concert band without invitation, the most unusual and
important new works come about as the result of paid commissions.
There are very few professional concert bands in the world. The
major military bands commission new works as do a number of
college bands.
Among community bands, however, the Concord Band is unique,
having commissioned 14 new works for our medium, beginning in
1975. The town of Concord funded our first commission in
conjunction with the Bicentennial celebration. The selection of
composers and composition categories has been, for the most part,
the responsibility of our Music Directors, first
William M. Toland (now Music Director Emeritus) and William G. McManus.
Many of the works commissioned by the Concord Band have become
standard concert band repertoire. Listed below are the works
commissioned by the Concord Band and their dates of first
performance.
7/17/75 |
Norman Dello Joio, Satiric Dances
for a Comedy by Aristophanes for Concert Band |
3/10/84 |
Concord Band 25th Anniversary
Concert
- John Bavicchi, Concord Bridge
- Richard Cornell, Solar
Prominences
- David Del Tredici, arr. William M.
Toland, Arguments in the Jury Chamber (Fuga)
from Final Alice
- Peter Hazzard, Silver Jubilee
Overture
- Cheryl Linder, Concord Band
March
- Kurt Phinney, Concertino for
Alto Saxophone and Band
- Robert Sirota, Concord Suite
- Douglas Toland, Prelude,
Fanfare and March
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3/7/87 |
James E. Curnow, Five Concord
Diversions |
10/22/88 |
James E. Curnow, Welsh Variants |
10/26/91 |
Warren Barker, Triumphant Entrance |
4/2/93 |
John Higgins, Back in the Good Old
Days, for SATB chorus or barber- shop quartet and
band. |
12/9/94 |
James E. Curnow, Overture to a
Winter Festival |
3/2/96 |
Thomas J. McGah, Reflections of
Emerson |
11/1/97 |
Daniel P. Lutz, Dichotomy...Impressions
of Kerouac |
11/7/98 |
Thomas J. McGah, Sunsets, in
memory of Carol Anne Burdine |
3/6/99 |
Stephen Bulla, North Bridge
Portrait |
10/30/99 |
William Gordon,
Fanfare and Chorale, "Laudes Domini" |
You can help the Concord Band continue its mission of bringing
the finest in concert band music to the community, both as a
performing ensemble and as a significant motivating force in the
creation of new music. Please send as much as you can afford to
the masthead address.
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Our
digitally-mastered
Holiday CD
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At the Concord Band's recent Holiday Pops concerts to end the
millennium, Santa Claus presented "humungous" candy
canes to Band piccolo player, Laura Finkelstein,
and sousaphonist Gene Parish. Laura, who has
been with the Band for nearly three decades, was recognized for
her contributions to the Band's fund-raising efforts, her past
work in publicity and numerous other tasks. It is a photo taken
by Laura that adorns the cover of the Band's first CD, A
Winter Festival (left). Gene, a founding member of the Band
since 1959, has been on its board of directors, has been involved
in fund-raising efforts, and even helps move equipment for the
Band's hectic summer season. Gene also arranges retail
distribution of the Band's CD.
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Mark your calendars and plan to enjoy some wonderful evenings
with the Concord Band this summer. The band will be performing at
its sum mer home at Fruitlands Museums in
Harvard, with a six-concert Thursday evening schedule: June 22
and 29, and July 5, 12, 19 and 26. The Fruitlands Concerts begin
at 7:30pm. Picnicking on the lawn beforehand has become a
tradition. Pack your own picnic or buy it at the concert. The
income from parking fees is shared by the Band and the Museum.
The Band will be returning to Belmont's Payson Park Music
Festival on Wednesday, June 28, beginning at 7:00pm. As
usual, the Band will be performing at Concord's annual Picnic
in the Park on the Fourth of July beginning at 3:00pm.
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Long-time Concord Band alto saxophonist Richard
O'Connor passed away this past September. He had been a
member of the Band since 1967. An enthusiastic free lance
musician, Richard played with many community and professional
musical groups. In addition to the Concord Band, he played in the
Tri-County Symphonic Band of Mattapoisett, the Nevers Second
Regiment Band of Concord, NH, and the Framingham Concert Band. He
had performed frequently with the Civic Symphony of Boston, the
North Shore Philharmonic and the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra.
While in the service, he was assigned to the Army Bands at Fort
Devens and Fort Monmouth. Dick was a devoted member of the
Concord Band and rarely missed a rehearsal or a performance. Over
the years, he frequently appeared as a soloist with the band,
most recently performing Harlem Nocturne at Fruitlands
in Harvard and at the Payson Park Music Festival in Belmont. One
long-time member particularly remembers Dick's solo several years
ago in the band transcription of Lalo's Roi D'Ys Overture,
where the original 'cello solo was replaced by alto sax. "It
brought tears to my eyes," he said.
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