Wind Symphony

About the Program

Program notes by Mark Bilyeu

Davd Maslanka
Traveler
Born August 30, 1943, New Bedford, MA
Died August 7, 2017, Missoula, MT
Composed 2003
Premiered April 18, 2004 University of Texas - Arlington Wind Ensemble (Ray C. Lichtenwalter, conductor)
Duration 13 minutes

In the top left hand corner of the score to Traveler, composer David Maslanka inscribed the text ”In our hearts, our minds, our souls / We travel from life to life to life / In time and eternity.” The music of Maslanka traveled from life to life with conductor Ray C. Lichtenwalter, the long-time director of bands at University of Texas at Arlington. A champion of Maslanka’s music, he commissioned the composer to write In Memoriam in honor of his late wife, and in 2001, he conducted the premiere of Song Book for flute and wind ensemble. In 1998, an informal (and secret) agreement was established between the composer and several UT-Arlington organizations for Maslanka to write a piece celebrating the retirement of Lichtenwalter. In 2003, after nearly forty years of service, the retirement was announced, the piece finished, and the celebrations began. The composer writes:

The idea for Traveler came from the feeling of a big life movement as I contemplated my friend’s retirement. Traveler begins with an assertive statement of the chorale melody “Nicht so traurig, nicht so sehr” (“Not so sad, not so much”). The chorale was not chosen for its title, although in retrospect it seems quite appropriate. The last part of life need not be sad. It is an accumulation of all that has gone before, and a powerful projection into the future – the potential for a tremendous gift of life and joy. And so the music begins with energy and movement, depicting an engaged life in full stride. At the halfway point, a meditative quiet settles in. Life’s battles are largely done; the soul is preparing for its next big step.

Valerie Coleman
Roma
Born 1970
Composed 2011
Premiered 2011, Roma High School Concert Band, Roma, TX
Duration 11 minutes

In 2010, Valerie Coleman was commissioned by the College Band Directors National Association’s Committee on Gender and Ethnic Issues to write a work that was to be premiered by Roma High School in Roma, Texas. Coleman — herself a Black woman — set out to write a work for this majority-minoity high school located on the U.S.–Mexico border (in fact, the town is a port of entry between the two countries, via the Roma–Ciudad Miguel Alemán International Bridge), by making two separate trips to the town in Starr County. She was inspired by the students’ talent and ability, and sought to honor their achievements while also referencing another culture entirely: that of the Romani people. As Colman writes, “ A nation without a country is the best way to describe the nomadic tribes known as gypsies, or properly called, the Romani. Their traditions, their language (Roma), legends, and music stretch all over the globe: from the Middle East, the Mediterranean region, and the Iberian peninsula, across the ocean to the Americas. Roma is a tribute to that culture, in five descriptive themes, as told through the eyes and hearts of Romani women everywhere: Romani Women, Mystic, Youth, Trickster, and History. The melodies and rhythms are a fusion of styles and cultures: malagueña of Spain, Argentine tango, Arabic music, Turkish folk songs, 3/2 Latin claves, and jazz.”

Percy Grainger
Lincolnshire Posey
Born July 8, 1882, City of Brighton, Australia
Died February 20, 1961, White Plains, NY
Composed 1937 (rev. Fennell 1987)
Premiered March 7, 1937 Milwaukee Symphonic Band, Milwaukee, WI
Duration 17 minutes

“This bunch of "musical wildflowers" (hence the title) is based on folksongs collected in Lincolnshire, England (one notated by Miss Lucy E. Broadwood; the other five noted by me, mainly in the years 1905-1906, and with the help of the phonograph),” wrote Percy Grainger in his original preface to Lincolshire Posey, “... and the work is dedicated to the old folksingers who sang so sweetly to me. Indeed, each number is intended to be a kind of musical portrait of the singer who sang its underlying melody — a musical portrait of the singer's personality no less than of his habits of song — his regular or irregular wonts of rhythm, his preference for gaunt or ornately arabesqued delivery, his contrasts of legato and staccato, his tendency towards breadth or delicacy of tone.  'Lisbon' tells the story of a young sailor bound for Lisbon, while 'Horkstow Grange' is subtitled 'The Miser and His Man, a local tragedy.' 'Rufford Park Poachers' was introduced to Grainger by folksinger Joseph Taylor, who became the first commercially recorded English folk singer after Grainger’s wax cylinder field recordings found a public audience. 'The Brisk Young Sailor' is a song about just that, and 'Lord Melbourne' was originally titled 'Lord Marlborough,' referring to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. This musical bouquet is topped off by 'The Lost Lady Found,' based on the ballad of the same name, which tells the story of a woman thought to have been murdered by her uncle, but who has, instead, run away with a lover.  She returns to the town just in time to exonerate her uncle, saving him from the death penalty, resulting in a village-wide celebration, complete with church bells.

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About the Artists

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. 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.  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.

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.
 

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Wind Symphony

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Upcoming Events

Mahler Symphony No. 2, Resurrection
Symphony Orchestra & Combined Choirs
Leah Crocetto, soprano 
Sophio Dzidziguri, mezzo soprano

One of the most beloved symphonies in the canon, Mahler's "Resurrection" symphony boasts a large orchestra, mezzo and soprano soloists, and similarly to Beethoven's 9th Symphony, a large choir in the final movement. For this performance, the Butler School's Concert Chorale and University Chorus ensembles will join forces; they will be joined by Butler School alumni singers and community choral singers from around Austin.

Tuesday, March 31, 8:00 p.m.
Long Center for the Performing Arts

Tickets

SYMPHONY BAND
Sunday, October 5, 4 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall

WIND ENSEMBLE
Sunday, October 12, 4 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall

WIND ENSEMBLE
MORE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS
Wednesday, November 5, 7:30 p.m.

WIND SYMPHONY
Sunday, November 9, 4 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall

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