A Program of Hope and Healing 10•17•21
Program
Overture to a Small Town, by Cooper Minnis
Cooper Minnis (b. 1992) is an American composer and tubist. After graduating with a degree in music composition from George Mason University, the young musician was recognized in several composers’ competitions and in a film-scoring workshop. Minnis wrote Overture to a Small Town in 2016–2017 and premiered the piece with the George Mason University Wind Ensemble on November 9, 2017—four days after a deadly church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas. The piece is dedicated to that community and serves as a tribute to the similar neighborhoods, towns, and small communities in which so many Americans live.
Three Chorale Preludes, Op. 122, by Johannes Brahms (wind orch. John Boyd/ed. Frederick Fennell)
I. Behold, a Rose Is Blooming (No. 8)
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) was a German composer of the Romantic period who wrote symphonies, concerti, chamber music, piano works, and choral works, plus more than 200 songs. During the second half of the nineteenth century, he was considered the great master of the symphonic and sonata style. In May–June 1896, less than a year before his death, Brahms composed 11 chorale preludes for organ. Some scholars have attributed the contemplative nature of these preludes to the death of Clara Schumann, a dear friend. Others have suggested that the composer’s own failing health motivated his introspection; he died of cancer in April 1897.
O Magnum Mysterium, by Morten Lauridsen (trans. H. Robert Reynolds)
Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943) is an American composer and has been on the faculty of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music since 1967. He composed “O Magnum Mysterium” (“O Great Mystery”) for choir, and since its 1994 premiere, it has become one of the world’s most performed and recorded works. Lauridsen wrote about this piece: “For centuries, composers have been inspired by the beautiful ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ text with its depiction of the birth of the newborn King among the lowly animals and shepherds. This affirmation of God’s grace to the meek and the adoration of the Blessed Virgin are celebrated in my setting through a quiet song of profound inner joy.”
Third Symphony, Op. 89, by James Barnes
IV. Finale (Allegro gioioso)
James Barnes (b. 1949) is an American composer, conductor, and educator; he retired from the faculty of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Kansas in 2015 after a 40-year tenure. Barnes has written extensively for concert band and orchestra and has twice received the prestigious American Bandmasters Association Ostwald Award. His Third Symphony was commissioned by the U.S. Air Force Band, which gave Barnes complete freedom in crafting the piece. In the composer’s words: “I began to work on it in earnest at a very difficult time in my life, right after our baby daughter, Natalie, died. This symphony is the most emotionally draining work that I have ever composed. If it were to be given a nickname, I believe that ‘Tragic’ would be appropriate. The work progresses from the deepest darkness of despair all the way to the brightness of fulfillment and joy…. The finale (fourth movement) represents a rebirth of spirit, a reconciliation for us all.” Three days after Barnes completed this symphony, on June 25, 1994, his son Billy was born. Again quoting Barnes: “The finale is really for Billy, and our joy in being blessed with him after the tragic death of his sister.”
Intermission
Fantasie, Theme, and Variations on “The Carnival of Venice,” by Jean-Baptiste Arban (arr. Erik W. G. Leidzen)
Based on a Neapolitan folk song, “The Carnival of Venice” was made popular in the early 1800s by composer and violinist Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840), who wrote and performed 20 variations on the original song. That early version of “The Carnival of Venice” was followed by a series of theme-and-variations pieces for other solo instruments, all featuring virtuoso displays of technique and tonguing performed at quick tempos. In the 1860s, composer and cornetist Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825–1899) wrote and performed a brilliant set of variations with the goal of establishing the cornet as a true solo instrument. Arban’s piece is performed today by euphonium soloist Joseph Mahin, winner of the 2020 Earl C. Benson Concerto Competition.
Joseph Mahin, euphonium soloist
American Hymnsong Suite, by Dwayne S. Milburn
1. Prelude on “Wondrous Love”
2. Ballad on “Balm in Gilead”
3. Scherzo on “Nettleton”
4. March on “Wilson”
Major Dwayne S. Milburn (b. 1963) is an American composer and the commander and conductor of the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus in Heidelberg, Germany. His American Hymnsong Suite, published in 2007, presents unconventional renditions of four well-known American hymns in a four-movement suite. Movement 1, “Prelude on ‘Wondrous Love’ (‘What Wondrous Love Is This’),” begins with a chant-like statement of a traditional Southern melody and then develops a dynamic variation. Movement 2, “Ballad on ‘Balm in Gilead,’” presents a familiar spiritual in a rich jazz setting. Movement 3, “Scherzo on ‘Nettleton’ (‘Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing’),” is rhythmic and playful, and movement 4, “March on ‘Wilson’ (‘When We All Get to Heaven’),” evokes images of a wild marching band. Milburn has said: “[This composition] is firmly rooted in my family history as church musicians. I grew up singing and playing many different hymns, including the four tunes featured in this work…. While audience members will certainly make various connections to this piece, the ongoing goal is to introduce all listeners to the richness of our American musical heritage.”
Program notes by Susan Freese
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