The Concord Band - Spring 1999 Notes from the Concord Band

Since 1959..................P.O. Box 302, Concord MA 01742............Winter/Spring 1999

Trombonist Ronald Barron of BSO to Perform

Trombonist Ronald Barron will be the featured guest artist at the Concord Band's 40th Anniversary Concert on March 6, 1999. Mr. Barron has been the Principal Trombonist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1975. He joined the BSO in 1970, after being a member of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He also served as Principal Trombonist with the Boston Pops Orchestra for thirteen seasons. Mr. Barron is a graduate of the College Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati, where he studied with Ernest Glover. In 1974, Ronald Barron shared the highest prize awarded at the Munich International Competition. Mr. Barron is a frequent soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra and has appeared with a number of New England area orchestras and bands. He is currently a faculty member at Boston University and the Tanglewood Music Center. In addition to numerous recordings with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestras, Mr. Barron has recorded and performed in concert with the Canadian Brass, the Empire Brass and the Summit Brass, and has three successful solo record ings.

40th Anniversary Concert

Saturday, March 6

On Saturday evening, March 6th, the Concord Band will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Since its founding in 1959, the Concord Band has established many traditions which combine to make it one of the most unusual community bands in New England, and possibly the entire country.

Many of these traditions will be reflected in this anniversary concert. The band has long been recognized for performing masterworks by American com posers from the concert band repertoire. In keeping with this tradition as well as the celebratory theme of this concert, the band will open with "Celebration," the last movement of Robert Russell Bennett's Symphonic Songs for Band. Celebration recalls an old time county fair with cheering throngs, a circus act or two, and the inevitable mule race. This will provide an exciting beginning for our anniversary concert.

Many of the traditions associated with the Concord Band were established by the Band's long-time Music Director, and now its Director Emeritus, William M. Toland. Bill established the practice of inviting outstanding guest conductors to conduct the Band. Over the years, such legendary band conductors as Frederick Fennell, Arnald Gabriel, and William Revelli have appeared as guest conductors with the Band. Our most recent guest conductor (March 1997) was Major Steven Grimo, Music Director of the Air Force Band of the West in San Antonio, Texas. Our guest conductor for this concert will be none other than our Music Director Emeritus, Bill Toland, who is now living in Winthrop, Maine, with his wife and children.

Toland will be conducting Satiric Dances by Norman Dello Joio. This three movement work, commissioned by the Concord Band in 1975, was the first of more than two dozen pieces written expressly for the Concord Band. In the near ly quarter-century since it was first performed by the Concord Band, it has become a staple of the concert band repertoire. Bringing in guest artists to perform with the Band is another long-standing Concord Band tradition.

In recent years, such outstanding musicians as jazz trombonist Phil Wilson, pianist Fred erick Moyer, percussionist Gary Spellisey, trumpeter Nat Paella, and singers Michelle French, Vanessa Yvonne, Linda Nigro, and Donna Kear ney have performed with the Band. In this anniversary concert, the Concord Band is honored to feature Ronald Barron, principal trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, performing Rhapsody for Trombone, a major work for trombone and concert band composed for Mr. Barron by Larry Wolfe, principal bassist with the BSO. Mr. Barron will also be perform ing Arthur Pryor's arrangement of Annie Laurie. Mr. Barron's wife, Ina Wilhelm, teaches in the Concord Public School System.

Maintaining the Concord Band's tradition of performing great American marches--both well known and unfamiliar--the Band will be performing Sousa's The Gallant Seventh. While not one of Sousa's most familiar marches, it is considered one of his best.

The Concord Band has many outstanding musicians, and many have been featured as soloists at our concerts over the years. Flutist Marianne Leonard, a member of the Concord Band since 1984, will be featured in a performance of composer Stephen Bulla's Rhapsody for Flute, as she was when the Band first performed the = Rhapsody a few years ago. This selection is especially fitting since Mr. Bulla will be our guest at this concert.

Perhaps what most distinguishes the Concord Band from most other community groups is its long tradition of commission ing new works for concert band. Commissioned works such as Norman Dello Joio's Satiric Dances (the Band's first commission) and James Curnow's Overture to a Winter Festival (commissioned to honor the retirement of the Band's then Music Director, Bill Toland) are frequently performed by high school, college, and community bands throughout the United States. In this anniversary concert, the Band is proud to present the premier performance of our most recent commission, North Bridge Portrait by composer Stephen Bulla (see article).

In addition to performing the best of the serious literature in the concert band repertoire, the Concord Band has a long tradition of performing popular and patriotic music, especially at our Spring and Holiday Pops concerts, Concord's annual Fourth of July Picnic in the Park concert and at our Summer Concert Series at Fruitlands Museums in Harvard, Massachusetts. Honoring this tradition, the Band will next play Original Dixieland Concerto, featuring our dixieland band within the Band.

The concert will close with Carmen Dragon's stirring arrangement of America the Beautiful, led by Music Director Emeritus, Bill Toland.

Premier New Work by Composer Stephen Bulla

Composer Stephen Bulla's most recent work, North Bridge Portrait, will be featured at the Concord Band's Winter Concert. The work, commissioned by the Band on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, is based upon authentic musical themes of the Amer ican Revolutionary period. Stephen Bulla received his degree in arranging and composition from Boston's Berklee College of Music, graduating magna cum laude. While at Berklee, Steve developed an interest in the commercial music field, eventually leading to his present schedule of full time composing and recording production. In 1980 Mr. Bulla joined "The President's Own" U. S. Marine Band and White House Orchestra as Staff Arranger. In that position he was responsible for the production of music that encompassed many styles and instrumental combinations, most of which were performed for Presidential functions and visiting dignataries. His musical arrangements for such per formers as Sarah Vaughan, the Manhattan Transfer, Mel Torme, and Doc Severinson have been featured on the PBS television series, "In Concert At The White House." Mr. Bulla's commissioned concert works include instrumental compositions that are performed and recorded internationally. The Dutch, British, and New Zealand Brass Band Championship organizations have all commissioned competition pieces from his pen.

Concord Band Performs at Rededication of Concord War Memorial

On Sunday, December 6, 1998, an unusually balmy day, the Concord Band provided the music for the rededication of the refurbished War Memorial in Concord's Monument Square. A large number of veterans, dignitaries, civic groups and Concord residents were on hand for the impressive ceremony which included two flyovers by an F-18 Fighter jet from Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford. The Memorial had been refurbished by the Concord Rotary Club and other civic groups.

Friends of the Concord Band

There are many ways that individuals and businesses can help the Concord Band. Most of these have been discussed in previous columns. We take this opportunity to recognize an informal organization without which the Band could not function. The Friends of the Concord Band are individuals who are not playing members of the Band, but who give of their time and energy in helping the Band in a number of ways. Our Friends help us prepare mailings of our newsletter, provide our after concert receptions, and participate in our annual Holiday Pops Concerts as supervisors and servers. Individuals who have earned our gratitude as Friends in the past few years are listed below. We hope we haven't missed anyone. To become a Friend of the Concord Band, please call us at 978-897-9969. If you would like to help support the Con cord Band financially, please send your check in the enclosed envelope. If you have no such envelope, please send your contribution to the masthead address. Your help--no matter what form it takes--will help the Concord Band to bring the best of concert band music to the community.

Judy Allen
Nancy Burdine
Elizabeth Clairmant
Elizabeth Gardner
Bea Haynes
Bill Haynes
Harold Kaznitz
Reva Kaznitz
Barbara Lasker
Louis Lasker
June Mawn
Joanne Miller
Nick Newman
Harriet Parish

Genevieve Phelan
Bill Read
Libby Read
Marian Schmuhl
Peg Stewart
Jean Turkington
Connor Valiere
Fred Van Bennekom
Bill Weiblen
John Welch
Dick Wilson
Jane Wilson
Ari Winograd
Micah Winograd

Upcoming Events

Summer Schedule

Mark your calendars and plan to enjoy some wonderful evenings with the Concord Band this summer.

The Band will be opening its summer season with a concert at Wood Park in Hudson on June 23rd, beginning at 6:30 PM.

The band will be performing at its summer home at Fruit lands Museums in Harvard, returning to a full six-concert Thursday evening schedule: June 24 and July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. The Fruitlands Concerts begin at 7:30 PM. 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, July 21, beginning at 7:00 PM.

As usual, the Band will be performing at Concord's annual "Picnic in the Park" on the Fourth of July beginning at 3:00 PM.

Notes from the Concord Band

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