My thanks and appreciation to mentor and long-time friend Dr. Edwin P. Arnold for including Fanfare on Themes of Davenport on his program for the 2012 PMEA All-State Concert Band. The work was originally debuted by The Grove City College Wind Ensemble at their 2007 PMEA All-State Performance in Hershey. The piece is a homage to the leading authority in music education in the keystone, and borrows from Davenport’s rousing “Salute to PMEA” March. Slightly bolder than the original, this was subtitled “Hail to PMEA”. Enjoy! Fanfare on Themes of Davenport by Travis J. Weller
I am pleased to announce that new recordings have been added to the composition page. Coming in the summer of 2012 from the FJH Music Company, Jubilant Flourishes will be available for High School Concert Band and The Last Stagecoach Heist will be available for Jr. High Concert Band. I am also pleased to announce the following pieces will be available from C.L. Barnhouse: Dream Chaser (A New Day Has Begun) for High School Concert Band (Grade 3), I Bought Me A Band for Middle School Concert Band (Grade 2), and Winds of a New Day for Elementary Band (Grade 1).
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The recent Holiday concert which the students at Mercer presented was really well done, and as their teacher I am especially proud of their efforts over the past two months. There were some very traditional settings like “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “Winter Wonderland” (both older arrangements by Jerry Nowak), mixed in with some newer and interesting settings of familiar Christmas carols like “Hey Man Christmas Swings!” by Larry Clark, “Passacaglia on an English Carol” by Robert Longfield, and “Bell Carol ala Big Band” by Rob Romeyn. I have to give full credit to Michael Worthy at Ole Miss for the moment that took the audience’s breath away and brought tears to the eyes of many moms. During the Middle School Band’s performance of “Christmas Time Is Here” (from A Charlie Brown Christmas, arranged by Michael Sweeney), we played a pre-recorded audio clip of each senior band member in the wind ensemble and concert band wishing their parents Merry Christmas, sharing a Christmas wish, or thanking them for all their support through the years. Michael shared the idea at the Midwest clinic last year, and it worked really well. Read more…
Quick: Name three composers of wind band literature whose music was written before 1950 that will still be revered in the year 2020?
That should be a fairly easy question for any conductor who has studied scores and understands the pieces that have been at the foundation of the American Wind Ensemble and Concert Band.
Name three composers who wrote music for wind ensembles or concert bands between the years of 1950 and 1980 and will still be played in the year 2020.
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