Program Notes

Symphonic Band Spring Repertoire

The Country Club Stomp-JaRod Hall (2022)

This piece is written in the style of a "second line" groove, which originates from New Orleans brass band parades. The parade block would traditionally consist of the brass band in the front (forming the first line), followed by the crowds of people marching and dancing along with the band (forming the second line). The drummers, the leaders of the second line, provide a joyful and energetic pulse to keep the participants moving along using cross-rhythms that span over several measures or even phrases to give forward direction and spirit to the piece. This cultural staple of New Orleans is an evolution of West African circle dances. Enslaved Africans brought these dances to America, where it has become a staple to both Black American and African American celebrations and processions, even including funerals. It is believed that long ago, when children would join as percussionists and enthusiastic participants in the celebration, the circle dance developed into straight lines, forming a parade block.

Mission: Apollo-Tyler S. Grant (2015)

"We choose to go to the moon in the decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard". President John F. Kennedy (September 12, 1962)

One of the highlights of the 1960's was the legendary "space-race" between the United States and the Soviet Union. From the moment that Kennedy gave his legendary "We choose the moon..." speech, these two countries would seek to be the first ones to set foot on the moon. The piece Mission: Apollo seeks to capture the adventure and excitement of the historic Apollo 11 mission. The opening section depicts the early morning of July 16, 1969 as the astronauts climbed the 350-foot Saturn V rocket for launch. The main-theme of the work is based on an altered-scale to add a hint of uncertainty (designed to symbolize the unknown dangers that face the astronauts in the coming days). The music builds as the rockets ignite and the astronauts start their rapid ascent into space. The tempo quickly picks up as the spacecraft hurls towards the moon at a speed of 3,000+ feet per second. The music then introduces new melodic motifs that portray the "view from the window" as the astronauts experience a new-found prospective of our galaxy that very few get to see. The piece then slows down as the lunar-module (LEM) breaks away from the command-module and astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin make the difficult maneuvers necessary to safely land on the moon. Armstrong opens the capsule, climbs down the ladder, and takes the first step onto the powdery lunar surface as he makes the famous "one small step..." declaration. With limited power and oxygen, the astronauts quickly leave having only spent two and a half hours on the moon's surface. The music picks up speed as the spacecraft hurls back to earth and prepares for re-entry. As the command module enters the earth's atmosphere, the small melodic fragments from before are re-introduced to create an energetic conclusion to this successful mission!

Angry Beavers-Brian Beck (2019)

Prepare yourself because things are about to get weird! Multiple time-signature changes, funky rhythms, and unexpected jazz harmonies are all set to an ultra-cool, fast rock back beat. The title of this piece was inspired by the composer's middle school band students in the low brass and woodwind sections, who call themselves the "Angry Beavers". The Angry Beavers finally have a melody to play that is worthy of their amazing abilities! 

Wind Ensemble Spring Repertoire

Esprit de Corps-Robert Jager (1985)

Esprit de Corps is the second Robert Jager work commissioned by the United States Marine Band. 

Based on "The Marines' Hymn", Esprit de Corps is a kind of fantasy-march, as well as a tribute to the United States Marine Band. It is also the composer's salute to the Marine Corps in general. Full of energy and drama, the composition has its solemn moments and its lighter moments (for example, the quasi-waltz in the middle of the piece). While Esprit de Corps is a tribute to the Marine Band, it is also a display piece for any fine group of band musicians. 

The composer intends that this work should display the fervor and virtuosity of the Marine Band and the musical spirit and integrity of their conductor, Colonel John R. Bourgeois. 

A comment on the initial tempo marking, "Tempo di Bourgeois," is in order here. Colonel John Bourgeois is a dramatic, spirited conductor, who reflects the excitement of the music being played. When a tempo is suposed to be "bright", he makes sure it is exactly that. Because the tempo of Esprit de Corps is to be very bright the marking just had to be "Tempo di Bourgeois!"

Colonial Song-Percy Grainger (1918)

Grainger initially wrote Colonial Song in 1911 as a piano piece as a gift to his mother, Rose. Of his piece, Grainger wrote that it was "an attempt to write a melody as typical of the Australian countryside as Stephen Foster's exquisite songs are typical of rural America". Although the piece seems to have been intended as part of a series of ‘sentimentals,’ Grainger never wrote any other pieces in this series. Unlike many of Grainger's other compositions, the melodies of Colonial Song are not based on folk song, but are original melodies. 

Hysteria-Owen Hicks (2025)

I originally wrote this piece on piano in Junior year, and then later wrote it for the full ensemble with the help of Mrs. Hill who gave me the opportunity to perform this piece at my final concert of high school which has been a big dream of mine for a long time. This piece is an expression of everything I was going through during some of the hardest years of my life due to my health condition. Each section of the piece represents a different emotion and different stages of what I went through. Starting with fear, confusion, and uncertainty, later forming into hope and recovery. Although the piece was written about my struggles, it has become something positive now because I get to perform it with the band before I enter a new chapter of my life after high school. This piece has allowed me to make my struggles into something as meaningful as music which helped me get through those hard times. 

Owen Hicks, class of 2026

Jitterbug!-Robert Buckley (2018)

In preparation for composing this piece, Robert studied numerous recordings of the major swing bands of the 1930s and 1940s. His intention was to capture the essence of the jazz age with an original piece of music. Each of the swing bands had their own "signature" sounds, which were immediately recognizable to their flocks of enthusiastic fans. This composition puts these various sounds and rhythms together in homage to a vibrant and innovative time in American music. Jitterbug! was written as a tribute to Dal Richards-Canada's King of Swing- who recently passed away at the age of 99. He fronted his own swing band for almost 80 years. 

The Stars and Stripes Forever-John Philip Sousa (1897)

Sousa consistently stated that this march was divinely inspired and was born of homesickness. In his autobiography, Marching Along, he provides the details of its creation after he had received a cablegram in Italy that his manager, David Blakely, had died:

“Aboard the Teutonic, as it steamed out of the harbor on my return from Europe in 1896, came one of the most vivid incidents of my career. As I paced the deck, absorbed in thought, suddenly I began to sense the rhythmic beat of a band playing within my brain. It kept on ceaselessly, playing, playing, playing. Throughout the whole tense voyage, that imaginary band continued to unfold the same themes, echoing and reechoing the most distinct melody. I did not transfer a note of that music to paper while I was on the steamer, but when we reached the shore, I set down the measures that my brain-band had been playing for me, and not a note of it has ever changed. The composition is known the world over as The Stars and Stripes Forever and is probably my most popular march.” (By permission of John Philip Sousa, Inc., New York City)

Paul Bierley states that The Stars and Stripes Forever is “by far the most popular march ever written, and its popularity is by no means limited to the United States.” A ten-year international march popularity survey confirms Bierley’s statement. The universal appeal of Sousa’s march is illustrated by an article in The New York Times by Harold Schonberg which tells of a tour to China by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1973. After sitting politely but stonily through a program which ranged from Beethoven to Copland, the orchestra struck up The Stars and Stripes. “All of a sudden electricity permeated the hall. Faces broke into smiles; feet began tapping; there was a general air of understanding and happiness. Maybe,... (it) really is the greatest piece of music ever written by an American. In any case, it has made more friends for America than any other piece of music...”

Sousa explained to the press that the three themes of the final trio were meant to typify the three sections of the United States. The broad melody, or main theme, represents the North. The South is represented by the famous piccolo obbligato, and the West by the bold countermelody of the trombones.