Shrewsbury Fair (2017-20)
for concert band (grade 2-3)
commissioned by Oak Middle School, Shrewsbury, MA
Team
Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone 1, Alto Saxophone 2, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Trumpet 1, Trumpet 2, Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion (4 players)
Preface
Shrewsbury Fair (2017) is a three-movement work inspired by locations in the town of Shrewsbury in Central Massachusetts. The work opens with Roundabout March, a short march constructed as a round that describes an imaged parade towards Artemas Ward House on Main Street. Dean Park In Autumn is a short study of the colors found in the iconic New England fall foliage. The work ends with Quinsigamond Race Day, an exciting boat race on the lake that separates Shrewsbury and Worcester.
Heard
World premiere at Oak Middle School, Shrewsbury, MA on January 26, 2018, with Anthony Uglialoro, conductor.
Shrewsbury High School Concert Band, Shrewsbury MA on April 24, 2018, with Brian Liporto, conductor.
Shrewsbury Fair was commissioned by the Shrewsbury Music / Theatre Association for the Oak Middle School Bands, Anthony Uglialoro, director. Supported in part by a grant from the Shrewsbury Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Anniversaries (2009)
for sextet and wind ensemble (grade 6 / advanced)
commissioned by the Charles River Wind Ensemble
Live recording by the University of Idaho Wind Ensemble, November 16, 2017, with Paul Thompson, conductor.
Commissioned by the Charles River Wind Ensemble
Team
Solo Sextet: b-flat clarinet, oboe, bassoon, alto saxophone, horn, trombone
Wind Ensemble: piccolo, 2 flutes, 1 oboe, 3 b-flat clarinets, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, 3 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 trombones, euphonium, tuba, double bass, timpani, percussion (3 players)
Preface
Anniversaries is a short concerto grosso scored for six solo instruments (clarinet, oboe, bassoon, alto saxophone, horn and trombone) and wind ensemble. I treated the solo sextet as a single composite wind instrument (much like an organ) that plays together as a cohesive unit throughout, blending its six unique colors into one dynamic, breathing musical voice. The counterweight of the full wind ensemble highlights and supports the soloists, but can also obliterate them, maintaining a somewhat precarious relationship between the two sides. The work marks the cyclical passage of time with a recurring sense of bittersweet nostalgia – past memories as perfect pictures framed in a collective imagination.
Anniversaries was commissioned by the Charles River Wind Ensemble in commemoration of its tenth anniversary. The Ensemble premiered the work with conductor Eric Hewitt on June 14, 2009, in Newton, Massachusetts.
Heard
November 16, 2017: University of Idaho Wind Ensemble, Paul Thompson, conductor.
June 14, 2009: Charles River Wind Ensemble, Eric Hewitt, conductor.
Loud Sunsets (2008)
for concert band (grade 4-5)
commissioned by Kappa Kappa Psi - Theta Beta
written for the Boston University Concert Band
Recorded live on April 3, 2008, Duke University Wind Symphony, Emily Threinen, conductor.
Team
1 Piccolo
3 Flute 1
3 Flute 2
2 Oboe 1
2 Oboe 2
3 Clarinet in B-flat 1
3 Clarinet in B-flat 2
3 Clarinet in B-flat 3
1 Bass Clarinet
1 Bassoon 1
1 Bassoon 2
2 Alto Saxophone in E-flat
1 Tenor Saxophone in B-flat
1 Baritone Saxophone in E-flat
3 Trumpet in B-flat 1
3 Trumpet in B-flat 2
2 Trumpet in B-flat 3
2 Horn in F 1
2 Horn in F 2
2 Trombone 1
2 Trombone 2
2 Trombone 3
2 Euphonium
3 Tuba
1 Timpani
1 Percussion 1: Glockenspiel, Vibraphone (motor off), Snare Drum
1 Percussion 2: Crash Cymbals, Large Tam-Tam, Large Triangle, Marimba, Finger Cymbal
1 Percussion 3: Crotales (two-octave set**), Small Tam-Tam, Large Bass Drum, Large Suspended Cymbal (with a dark sound)
Preface
The sunsets in North Carolina are different from the ones that I grew up with in Boston. Even here in Durham, one of the largest cities in the state, tall buildings are few and far between. As I drive home everyday on highway 15-501, when afternoon slowly turns into dusk, the sun settles calmly against an expansive sky. The colors are bright, herds of clouds make their way across the horizon, and the city’s steady turn towards evening has always commanded this commuter’s attention.
Loud Sunsets was written in 2007 for the Boston University Concert Band, Chris Parks, director, commissioned by the Theta Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. The work was premiered by the Duke University Wind Symphony with conductor Emily Threinen. I’d like to especially thank the brothers of Theta Beta for making this project possible.
Heard
April 3, 2008, Duke University Wind Symphony, Emily Threinen, conductor (Durham, NC)
April 26, 2008, Boston University Concert Band, Chris Parks, conductor (Boston, MA)