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Winter Concert
Composer William Pardus to Speak at Concert
Barbara Weiblen to Solo
We Don't Pay These Pipers, But They Play Some Wonderful Tunes
IBM Helps Buy Timp
Calendar of Upcoming Events
Saturday, March 6
This year's Winter Concert, which will be held at 51 Walden Street in
Concord on Saturday, March 6th, will feature an exciting array of concert
band music including classic works from the repertoire of this ensemble, an
orchestra transcription, and several new works for band including a major
new work by New Hampshire composer, William Pardus.
The concert will open with Black Granite, a dramatic symphonic
march by James L. Hosay. Arranger and Composer for the US Army Band
(Pershing's Own) in Washington, D.C., Mr. Hosay dedicated this march
to "the men and women who died in the Vietnam War; to those whose heroic
deeds went unsung, and to those who returned home only to find shattered
remnants of what was once their 'American dream'."
The Concord Band is fortunate to have many outstanding musicians who can
serve as featured soloists with the Band. In recent years, musicians from
almost every section of the band have performed solos with the Band. The
Concord Band is proud to feature flutist Barbara Weiblen, who will be
performing Murillo, a work for flute and band by the Hungarian
flute virtuoso, Adolf Terschak (1832-1901).
In addition to its long history of commissioning new works for band, the
Concord Band champions the music of local composers. William D. Pardus,
former chairman of the Music Department at Keene State College, recently
composed a major new work for band dedicated to the American Band in
Providence, Rhode Island. The composition, The Mills of New England,
paints a musical picture of the many mills, the mill towns and the workers
of the millscommon to all of the New England states. The Concord Band
will perform all four movements of this major work. The movements are
entitled "Of Bricks, Workers and Windows," "The Rows of Gray Houses,"
"The Strike," and "At the Clubs of the Immigrants." Mr. Pardus will speak
to the audience about this composition before it is performed.
The second half of the concert will open with a classic work for
band by one of America's most important composers, William Schuman.
George Washington Bridge, composed by Shuman in 1951, is one
of the most important works in the concert band repertory. Subtitled
"An Impression for Band" this composition is full of the emotional
intensity and rhythmic vitality that is characteristic of Schuman's
music.
George Bizet is generally recognized as one of France's most
important composers. However, it wasn't until he composed the incidental
music for L'Arlesienne (The Woman of Arles) in 1872 that he was
acclaimed as a leading French composer. From the incidental music to this
play, originally scored for a band of 25 players, Bizet drew a suite
(No. 1) for a large orchestra. Bizet's friend Ernest Guiraud arranged
the second suite for orchestra after the composer's death. The Concord
Band will perform three movements of L'Arlesienne, Suite No. 2,
transcribed for symphonic band by Charles Godfrey, Jr., and recently
revised and edited by Clark McAlister and Alfred Reed. The movements are
entitled "Pastorale," "Intermezzo," and "Farandole."
The concert will close with a performance of one of Alfred Reed's
most exciting works for concert band, Armenian Dances (Part 1).
This composition is based on authentic Armenian folk songs from the
collected works of Gomidas Vartabed (1869-1935), the founder of Armenian
classical music. The work is an extended symphonic rhapsody built upon five
different songs. Armenian Dances was dedicated to Harry Begian and
premiered by the University of Illinois Symphonic Band.
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William Pardus Composer
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New Hampshire composer William D. Pardus will be a guest of the Concord
Band at its upcoming Winter Concert. The band will be performing a new work
by Mr. Pardus entitled The Mills of New England. The American Band
recently premiered this work at the Eastern Division Conference of the
Music Educators National Conference in Providence, Rhode Island. Mr. Pardus
has been invited to speak to the audience on March 6 about this unique
composition.
The composer is a "product" of the New England mill town: He was born,
raised, and schooled in mill towns, and his first job was working in a
mill. Mr. Pardus is Professor Emeritus of Music and former Chairman of
the Music Department at Keene State College, where he taught Arranging,
American Music and Jazz History. He was also Director of the KSC Electric
Music Studio.
Along with compositions for brass and woodwind chamber groups and band,
Mr. Pardus has also composed numerous electronic scores for presentation
by the KSC Dance Department. He was selected by the New Hampshire Music
Teachers' Association as the "2001 NHMTA Commissioned Composer" and
in 2002 was elected to the New Hampshire Music Educators Association
"Hall of Fame." As a Fulbright Scholar, he has taught at Norwich College
of Education and was a visiting professor at the University of Keefe,
both in the United Kingdom.
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Barbara Weiblen Flute Soloist
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Flutist Barbara Weiblen joined the Concord Band flute section in
1985. She began her musical career at the age of 8, when she began playing
flute. While in high school in Iowa, she won many awards at music contests
and was selected as first chair in the Iowa All-State Band. During her high
school years she also played in the Austin, Minnesota, Symphony orchestra
as well as in a local municipal band. While in college, she played in the
Wartburg College Concert Band. After college, she continued her musical
studies with flutist Emile Opava of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra while
also doing graduate work in Genetics and Cell Biology. When not playing the
flute, Barbara is Director of Product Engineering for a Biotech
company.
For more on Barbara, see the article on the Band's flute section,
overleaf.
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Every section of the concert band is important; composers feature one
or another group of instruments at different times, but certainly the
symphonic wind ensemble depends on every instrumental section. The Concord
Band's flute section is extra important: Not only is every member a fine
player, but the section has more Band Board members per section member than
any other section of the Bandtwo out of seven. (The clarinet section
also has two Board members, but that section has nineteen members.) The
Band's president, Chris Mudgett, and treasurer, June Grace, are both
Concord Band flutists (or flautists, if you prefer) as is the Band's
unofficial "proofreader-in-chief" Laura Finkelstein, our piccolo [from the
Italian, flauto piccolo, small flute] player. She and Ellen Feldman have
both served on the Band's Board in the past.
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At a recent 51 Walden concert, left to right: June Grace, Ellen Feldman,
Barbara Weiblen, Laura Finkelstein, Debbie Franks, Lois Reynolds and
Chris Mudgett.
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The Concord Band's seven flutists have been with the Band an average
of more than 19 years, which statistic proves how misleading statistics
can be: The actual tenures in years, from high to low, are 33, 33, 29, 19,
16, 4 and 2. A few play only in the Concord Band; others also play in
orchestras, small ensembles and flute choirs.
All began their flute studies as childrenChris Mudgett's first
teacher was none other than William M. Toland, now Music Director Emeritus
of the Bandand played in school ensembles at every stage of their
education. A few participated in their state's All-State Bands and
Orchestras. Five studied with flutists from professional symphony
orchestras. These include those of Arkansas, Boston, Chicago, Minnesota,
New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Two majored in music in college;
another spent one year as a music major.
None of our flutists earns her living as a musician today, all having
discovered that while music is a rather wonderful avocation, it is rather
risky as a full-time vocation. Most have been employed in one aspect or
another of the tech/business worlds, with positions ranging from hands-on
scientist/practitioner to educator to manager.
In addition to serving on the Band's Board, members of the flute
section have helped the Band with various administrative tasks. At least
four have helped get out mailings such as the one that brought you this
newsletter. For years, Barbara Weiblen has organized the Band's annual
social events for members (picnics, awards banquet, end-of-summer ice
cream social).
When asked to express the importance of the Concord Band in their lives,
our flutists' answers make it clear that the Band is in every case rather
significant. Their own words say it best:
"Playing with the Concord Band gives me exposure to a wide variety
of music and it's fun to introduce new music works, such as those
commissioned by the Band."
"The Concord Band is vitally important in my life. I enjoy playing in
the Band because it is a unique group, provides a musical challenge,
continues to grow and improve, has definite aims and goals (commissioning
new works, having guest conductors, etc.), has a wonderful music director,
and has friendly people in it. Playing in the Band has been a constant in
my life and has often preserved my sanity through difficult times in my
life."
"The flute section is a great group and talented. I felt warmly
welcomed by the Band and have enjoyed the challenge of the music."
"I love the Concord Band. It is a great organization with outstanding
conductors and dedicated musicians who lend their talent, time, and
enthusiasm to make exciting music for each other and our audiences. I am
proud of our prestige as a community band, and our continuing commitment
to add to the concert band literature through commissions. For these
reasons, I feel the Concord Band is an organization well worth supporting
financially."
While none of the Concord Band's instrumentalists (flautist or
otherwise) is paid, it still costs about $40,000 a year to run the Band
If you'd like to help out financially, just write a check for as much as
you can afford and pipe it into the enclosed envelope. If you have no
return envelope, simply send your check to the address at the top of this
newsletter.
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Ludwig Fiberglass Timp
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Regular concert goers at 51 Walden are familiar with a set of large
shiny copper drums usually found near the back of the music stage. These
Ludwig timpani (or kettle drums), an integral part of the composer's
instrumental arsenal, are jointly owned by the Concord Band and the Concord
Orchestra, and are 23", 26", 29", and 32" in diameter.
These drums are wonderful and expensive instruments, which the groups
avoid taking outside the building except when absolutely necessary. The
Band, however, plays a very extensive summer schedule, most of which is out
of doorsmost notably at Fruitlands Museums in the town of Harvard.
For these concerts, a set of fiberglass timpani is used. Unfortunately, the
Band has access to only three fiberglass timps, of sizes 26", 29"
and 29". (Don't ask!) Because the music the Band plays outdoors is
every bit as demanding on the timpanist as is our indoor repertoire, the
Band has recognized the need for additional members of the fiberglass set,
particularly the 32" drum, a $1,400+ investment.
Yvonne Dailey is an IBM employee as well as a Concord Band clarinetist
and Board member with responsibility for publicity. Yvonne applied for an
IBM Community Grant. The IBM Community Grants program provides money or
IBM products for specific projects to eligible community organizations and
schools in which IBM employees and retirees actively volunteer. The Concord
Band received a $1,000 IBM Community Grant in October toward the purchase
of the new 32" Ludwig fiberglass timp, which will make its Fruitlands
debut on June 24.
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Concerts will be held at 51 Walden, Concord, at 8:00pm.
Winter Concert
Saturday, March 6
For tickets call (978) 897-9969
Spring Pops
Friday, April 2,
sponsored by the Concord Rotary Club.
For tickets call Beth Sheldon at the Best Western Hotel:
(978) 369-6100
Saturday, April 3,
sponsored by the Emerson Hospital Auxiliary.
For tickets call (978) 287-3019
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