Wind Symphony

About the Program

Program notes by Mark Bilyeu

Henry Purcell 
Funeral Music for Queen Mary
Born September 10, 1659, London, England / November 7, 1949, Hutchinson, KS
Died November 21, 1695, London, England / February 14, 2016, Ithaca, N.Y.
Composed 1695 / 1992
Premiered March 5, 1695, Westminster Abbey / February 6, 1992, Los Angeles, CA
Duration 10 minutes

Merely six years after her coronation, the thirty-three year old Queen Mary II of England died of smallpox. Although her husband, King William, wanted a private ceremony to grieve, the public demanded a state ceremony where all could mourn the loss of their beloved queen. This event demanded new music for both ceremony and procession, and so Henry Purcell, who had previously written the music for the queen’s coronation (and several birthdays) was hired. University of Cambridge music professor Thomas Tudway was present for the ceremony, which took place at Westminster Abbey nearly three months after Mary’s passing. He recounted: “I appeal to all that were present, as well such as understood music as those that did not, whether they ever heard anything so rapturously fine and solemn, and so heavenly in the operation, which drew tears from all; and yet a plain, natural composition; which shows the power of music, when ‘tis rightly fitted, and adapted to devotional purposes...” That same year, the music which Purcell wrote for the funeral of Queen Mary was played for his own funeral in Westminster Abbey, where he is buried next to the organ. Nearly 300 years later, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen suggested to composer Steven Stucky that he transcribe Purcell’s music for the L.A. Philharmonic. Stucky writes: “I used three of the pieces heard at the funeral of Mary II of England:...a solemn march, the anthem “In the Midst of Life We Are in Death”, and a canzona in imitative polyphonic style. In working on the project I did not try to achieve a pure, musicological reconstruction but, on the contrary, to regard Purcell's music, which I love deeply, through the lens of three hundred intervening years. Thus, although most of this version is straightforward orchestration of the Purcell originals, there are moments when Purcell drifts out of focus.”

Joaquin Rodrigo
Adagio para Instrumentos de Vientos 
Born November 22, 1901, Sagunto, Spain
Died July 6, 1999, Madrid, Spain
Composed 1966
Premiered June, 1966, American Wind Symphony, Robert Boudreau, conductor
Duration 10 minutes

Joaquin Rodrigo, one of the most influential Spanish composers, wrote his first work for wind ensemble in 1966, as a commission from Robert Boudreau and the American Wind Symphony. The work features three main characters (solo flute, clarinet, and oboe) with a supporting cast of brass and woodwinds Rodrigo uses for lush harmonic and textural changes throughout, showcasing his studies in France with Paul Dukas. The work alternates between quiet nostalgia and rhythmic vitality until it’s closing: a quiet exhalation punctuated by the timpani. 
 

Christopher Buchanan
Motu
Born 1984, Fairfax, VA
Composed 2020/2022
Premiered December 19,  2022, Chicago, IL (Midwest Clinic) United States Navy Band, Kenneth C. Collins, conductor
Duration 5 minutes

“The only time I can think is when I'm moving,” wrote composer, arranger, and trumpeter Christopher Buchanan. “To this end, I've also been influenced by the process and pulse-based music of Steve Reich and Terry Riley, as well as Zack Browning, one of my professors at the University of Illinois, who encouraged me to embrace my first love, popular music, in more classical forms of composition. I also endeavored to explore...the nature of motion, at least in my own experience. In some sections, the motion itself acts as the primary force driving the work forward. During others, overlapping, independent lines written in phase impart a sense of stillness to the work, the goal of which being to completely obscure the pulse. Given all the factors above stated, not only do I find myself most able to concentrate while I'm in motion, but it's frequently the time I feel most at peace.”

Morten Lauridsen
O Magnum Mysterium
Born 1943, Colfax, WA
Composed 1994
Premiered 18 December 18, 1994, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Paul Salamunovich, conductor
Duration 7 minutes

Morten Lauridsen is one of the most frequently performed composers of choral music today.  In his book Choral Music in the Twentieth Century, musicologist and conductor Nick Strimple describes Lauridsen as "the only American composer in history who can be called a mystic, (whose) probing, serene work contains an elusive and indefinable ingredient which leaves the impression that all the questions have been answered." His work “O Magnum Mysterium,” a setting of the Matins of Christmas depicting the miraculous birth of Christ, was written during his long tenure as the composer-in-residence of the L.A. Master Chorale. “In composing music to these inspirational words about Christ's birth and the veneration of the Virgin Mary,” Lauridsen explaied, “I sought to impart a transforming spiritual experience within what I call ‘a quiet song of profound inner joy.’ I wanted this piece to resonate immediately and deeply into the core of the listener, to illumine through sound.” At the preconcert talk before the premiere of the work,  Paul Salamunovich told the audience, “Until now, [Tomás Luis de] Vittoria’s [1571] 'O Magnum Mysterium' has been the most beautiful and well-recognized setting of this text composed to date. I predict that will change after tonight.”  Thirty years later, Salamunovich’s prediction continues to hold fast. 

Ottorino Respighi
Fountains of Rome
Born July 9, 1879, Bologna, Italy
Died April 18, 1936, Rome, Italy
Composed 1916
Premiered March 11, 1917, Augusteo, Italy, Augusteo Orchestra, Antonio Guarnieri conductor
Duration 16 minutes

After serving as the principal violinist at the Russian Imperial Theatre in St. Petersberg—which included studies with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov—Ottorino Respighi moved to Rome to accept a teaching position at the St. Cecilia Conservatory. Rome was an inspiring place for Respighi, and he set out to show its beauty almost immediately. Fountains of Rome was the first work in what would become his “Roman trilogy triptych” which would later include the 1924 Pines of Rome (also made famous by flying humpback whales in Disney’s Fantasia 2000), and the 1928 Roman Festivals. All three were major successes, and launched the composer to international recognition. “In this symphonic poem,” wrote Respighi, “the composer has endeavored to give expression to the sentiments and visions suggested to him by four of Rome’s fountains, contemplated at the hour in which their character is most in harmony with the surrounding landscape, or in which their beauty appears most impressive to the observer. The first part of the poem, inspired by the Fountain of Valle Giulia, depicts a pastoral landscape. Droves of cattle pass and disappear in the fresh, damp mists of a Roman dawn. A sudden loud and insistent blast above the trills of the whole orchestra introduces the second part. It is like a joyous call, summoning troops of naiads and tritons, who come running up pursuing each other and mingling in a frenzied dance between the jets of water.   Next there appears a solemn theme, borne on the undulations of the orchestra. It is the Fountain of Trevi at midday. The solemn theme, passing from the woodwind to the brass instruments, assumes a triumphal character. Trumpets peal; across the radiant surface of the water passes Neptune’s chariot, drawn by sea-horses and followed by a train of sirens and tritons. The procession then vanishes, while faint trumpet blasts sound in the distance.   The fourth part is announced by a sad theme that rises above a subdued warbling. It is the nostalgic hour of sunset. The air is full of the sound of tolling bells, birds twittering, leaves rustling. Then all dies peacefully into the silence of the night.”

Back to Program ^

About the Artists

Cody Ray

Cody Ray is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts in wind conducting at The University of Texas at Austin where he studies with professor Jerry Junkin and serves as a graduate teaching assistant for University Bands. He received his bachelor of arts in music education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the mentorship of Dr. Sue Samuels, Dr. Gene Fambrough, Dr. Cara Morantz, and Dr. Sean Murray, and a master of music in wind conducting from the University of South Carolina (’24) studying under Dr. Cormac Cannon, Dr. Jay Jacobs, and Dr. Quintus Wrighten. Prior to his graduate studies, Cody served as the assistant director of bands at Cairo High School in Cairo, GA from 2020-2022. Before coming to Cairo, he also served as director of bands at Sipsey Valley High/Middle School from 2019-2020 and director of bands at Sulligent High School from 2018-2019. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the College Band Directors National Association, and the National Band Association.

Emily Warren

Emily Warren attends The University of Texas at Austin, where she is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree in wind conducting. As a graduate teaching assistant, she works with the university’s athletic and concert bands, assisting with administrative duties and conducting the ensembles. Additionally, she teaches courses in conducting and wind band literature. Prior to her graduate studies, Emily lived in Massachusetts where she spent four years as a public school music educator. She is a specialist in electroacoustic repertoire for wind ensemble and has been invited to present her research internationally, most recently at the IGEB (International Society for the Promotion and Research of Wind Music) conference in Valencia, Spain. Emily holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Indiana University and a master's degree in wind conducting from the University of Kansas, where she studied under the direction of Dr. Paul Popiel. She is an active member of various professional music organizations, including CBDNA, TMEA, IGEB, and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi.
 

Douglas Henderson

Douglas Henderson serves as Associate Director of Bands at The University of Texas at Austin, where his responsibilities include conducting the Wind Symphony, teaching advanced undergraduate and graduate conducting, and teaching band literature. Prior to joining the UT faculty, Dr. Henderson was an Associate Professor, Associate Director of Bands, and Director of Athletic Bands at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Henderson is active as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician throughout the United States, and he has guest conducted in Austria and Japan. He is a frequent guest conductor of the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project (WYWOP), in Schladming, Austria. Dr. Henderson received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Studies from The University of Texas at Austin, his Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Michigan State University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from The University of Texas at Austin. From 2003-2006, he was the Associate Director of Bands at J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas.

Back to Program

Wind Symphony

Back to Program