Program
Festive Overture — Dmitri Shostakovich
In November 1954 Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre sent an urgent appeal to composer Dmitri Shostakovich. A concert marking the anniversary of the Russian Revolution was days away and the theater needed a celebratory piece to open it. Almost overnight Shostakovich tossed off his Festive Overture, perhaps the most exuberant work he ever composed. Although written in haste, this overture has proved to be one of Shostakovich’s most frequently performed works. A Russian band version of the overture was released in 1958 with the standard instrumentation of the Russian military band, which included a full family of saxhorns and an orchestral wind, brass and percussion section. The edition by Donald Hunsberger that we are playing as been scored for the instrumentation of the American symphonic band.
Transcribed by Donald Hunsberger
Transcribed by Donald Hunsberger
Spiritual Suite — Margaret Bonds
Margaret Bonds (1913-1972) was an American composer, pianist, arranger, teacher and one of the first Black composers to gain recognition in the United States. She is best remembered for her popular arrangements of African-American spirituals and frequent collaborations with Langston Hughes. She described her own music as “jazz and bluesy, and spiritual, and Tchaikovsky all rolled up into one.” Bonds wrote Spiritual Suite throughout the 1930s and 1940s for her own needs as a performing pianist, using it as a show-stopping closer and “an inspirational statement of racial and cultural pride.” The three-movement work uses three Negro spirituals made popular by other Black performers of the time: Dry Bones, Peter Go Ring Dem Bells, and Wade in the Water. Dr. Louise Toppin edited the movements and published them in 2020. The transcription for concert band is by Dr. Tyler Ehrlich, currently Assistant Director of Wind Studies at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
I Think This Kaleidoscope is Broken — Tyler Jones
Kaleidoscope symbolism centers on change, transformation and perspective, representing the idea that life’s difficult or chaotic moments can be rearranged into beautiful, new patterns. Metaphorically, it represents the ability to find harmony and balance within oneself and the world by changing one’s perspective.
Musically, Tyler Jones’ I think this kaleidoscope is broken contains jagged edges, bursts of color, sharp contrasts, and throughout seems cracked, fragmented and wildly off-kilter... a kaleidoscope gone wrong.
Dr. Tyler Jones (b. 1993) is a composer and conductor currently working in the American Southeast whose interests range from Western classical music to world musics, jazz, popular genres, and the avant-garde.
Musically, Tyler Jones’ I think this kaleidoscope is broken contains jagged edges, bursts of color, sharp contrasts, and throughout seems cracked, fragmented and wildly off-kilter... a kaleidoscope gone wrong.
Dr. Tyler Jones (b. 1993) is a composer and conductor currently working in the American Southeast whose interests range from Western classical music to world musics, jazz, popular genres, and the avant-garde.
Gandalf from Symphony No. 1 — Johan de Meij
Symphony No. 1: The Lord of the Rings is the first symphony for concert band written by Dutch composer Johan deMeij and one of several works of classical music based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy trilogy. It premiered in 1988 with the Groot Harmonieorkest van de Belgische Gidsen (Royal Band of the Belgian Guides), the musical component of the Belgian Army. This award-winning piece has become extremely popular with wind bands and their audiences all over the world and was one of the first pieces to go from its wind-band origins into the orchestral repertory. The entire symphony is in four movements, each named after a prominent character — or characters — in the Tolkien trilogy. We are playing movement number one — Gandalf (The Wizard). Rather than telling a story, this movement means to create a mood that sets the tone the entire fantasy world of middle earth.
O Magnum Mysterium — Morton Lauridsen
O Magnum Mysterium (O Great Mystery) is a chant from the Matins (morning prayer services) of Christmas. Composer Morten Lauridsen wrote a choral setting of the piece in 1994 and explained: “In composing music to these inspirational words about Christ’s birth and the veneration of the Virgin Mary, I sought to impart a transforming spiritual experience within what I call 'a quiet song of profound inner joy.’” Band director H. Robert Reynolds arranged this symphonic wind version of the popular work with the approval and appreciation of the composer. It has become a staple of the wind band repertory.
Four Scottish Dances — Malcolm Arnold
These dances were composed early in 1957, and are dedicated to the BBC Light Music Festival. They are all based on original melodies but one, the melody of which is composed by Robert Burns.
The first dance is in the style of a slow strathspey — a slow Scottish dance in 4/4 meter — with many dotted notes, frequently in the inverted arrangement of the "Scottish snap." The name was derived from the Strath valley of Spey. The second, a lively reel, begins in the key of E-flat and rises a semi-tone each time it is played until the bassoon plays it, at a greatly reduced speed, in the key of G. The final statement of the dance is at the original speed in the home key of E-flat.
The third dance is in the style of a Hebridean song and attempts to give an impression of the sea and mountain scenery on a calm summer's day in the Hebrides. The last dance is a lively fling, which makes a great deal of use of the open string pitches of the violin (saxophones in the band edition).
- Program Note by composer
The first dance is in the style of a slow strathspey — a slow Scottish dance in 4/4 meter — with many dotted notes, frequently in the inverted arrangement of the "Scottish snap." The name was derived from the Strath valley of Spey. The second, a lively reel, begins in the key of E-flat and rises a semi-tone each time it is played until the bassoon plays it, at a greatly reduced speed, in the key of G. The final statement of the dance is at the original speed in the home key of E-flat.
The third dance is in the style of a Hebridean song and attempts to give an impression of the sea and mountain scenery on a calm summer's day in the Hebrides. The last dance is a lively fling, which makes a great deal of use of the open string pitches of the violin (saxophones in the band edition).
- Program Note by composer
March from Symphonic Metamorphosis — Paul Hindemith
In early 1942 Hindemith was formulating plans for two ballets to be choreographed by Leonide Massine, one of which was to utilize the music of Carl Maria von Weber, but after a few days working on them, he rejected the idea. But his work was not wasted, as it formed the basis of the Symphonic Metamorphosis, which he composed in the summer of 1943, turning the Weber pieces into a suite for orchestra. Believing that the work should be made available in a band version, Hindemith asked his Yale colleague Keith Wilson to make a transcription, and after the publisher finally granted permission, the band version was published in 1960.
Triangle Wind Ensemble Performers
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Flute
Cindy Chastang Merritt Flexman Lauren Robbins-Pollack Tammy Schmidt* Julie Wesner Piccolo Tammy Schmidt Clarinet Lecia Cecconi-Roberts* Misti Griffith Drew Johnson Luna Knudsen Lorena Schakel Nick Siedentop Gail VanMatre Julie Wesner-Eidsvaag Tara Wilkinson Bass Clarinet Victoria Alston Julie Wall |
Oboe/English Horn
Virginia Carty Katie Michalak Bassoon Robin Hashey* Wayne Wise Alto Saxophone Katherine Lee Aaron Payne* Tenor Saxophone Roberta Melton Baritone Saxophone Lynn Narveson |
Trumpet
Jim Alexander* Mark Beamish Christine Bui Carey Forman Clay Michalec Kathy Silbiger Matt Wakeford Horn Laura Alexander* Thomas Honicker Dawn Jonckowski Eric Smith Isaac Tomblin Ed Walaski Euphonium Eric Grush Connie Varner* James Wagner Trombone Michal Evans Garry Grabow Marshall Sweet |
Bass Trombone
Mark Doerffel Tuba Chris Dodson Sean Myers Bill White Percussion Phillip Brown Bill Hayes* Jasmine Maya Rachel Oglesby Matthew Shore Piano Luna Knudsen Celeste Ryan Saathoff Harp Samantha Horn String Bass Gregory DeMarco, Jr. Music Director Evan Feldman * Denotes Section Leader |
Special Thanks to Our 2025-26 Season Sponsors
Our Season Sponsors help provide the financial support needed to enable us to create outstanding music. To find our how you can become a Season Sponsor and the benefits of doing so, please visit our Sponsors page.
Fortississimo Level Sponsors
- Jim & Laura Alexander
- Lynn Narveson & Roberta Melton
- Kathy & Lex Silbiger
- Daniel Squillace
- Kim & Tim Sweet
- Christine & Sy Bui
- Cindy Chastang
- Carey & Lisa Forman
- Dennis & Jane Gilmore
- Gail VanMatre Photography
- Bill & Sharon Hayes
- Judith & Paul Kindig
- Luna Knudsen
- Katherine Lee
- Gerold & Cathy Mohn, in memory of Daniel Squillace
- Teri, David, & Eric Smith
- Jim & Donna Sosnowski
- Pam & Rich Stearns
- James Wagner
- Ed & Kimberly Walaski
- Bill & Marlene White
- Erin Wynia
- Larry & Kathy Alston
- Lecia Cecconi & Ray Roberts
- Alan Davidovich
- Maureen Davis
- Chris Dodson
- Michal Evans
- Merritt & Greg Flexman
- Garry & Kristi Grabow
- Robin Hashey
- The Holley Family
- Linda & Joel Johnson
- Dawn Jonckowski
- Patricia Landis
- Holly & Paul Mandelkern
- Katie Michalak
- Aaron Payne
- Lauren Robbins-Pollack
- Lorena Schakel
- Tammy Schmidt
- Nick Siedentop
- Marshall Sweet
- Gail & Reed VanMatre
- Connie Varner
- Jennifer Wesner
- Julie Wesner
- Julie Wilkerson
- Tara Wilkinson
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Institutional Partners
Thanks also to the following institutional and community partners who have helped TWE in a variety of ways this year...
Our Music Director
Dr. Evan Feldman is Director of Wind Studies and Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches courses in conducting and music education. He also directs the Triangle Wind Ensemble and serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Greensboro Sym- phony, where he conducts education, holiday, and pops concerts.
He is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in and outside of the United States, with recent engagements in Spain, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, and Tanzania, as well as all-state, all-district, and all-county honor bands in the United States. Under his direction, the UNC Wind Ensemble has twice been invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association southern division conference.
In 2020, Dr. Feldman’s college textbook, Instrumental Music Education (Routledge Publishing), was released in its third edition and has been adopted by university music education programs throughout the country. He is the author of the first MOOC (massive open online course) dedicated to conducting and rehearsal technique. Over 30,000 students have enrolled through Coursera.org.
Dr. Feldman’s arrangements and editions of music by Léo Delibes, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Enescu, Antonin Dvořák, Ariel Ramirez, and Sergei Prokofiev are published by Tierolff Muziekcentrale.
Dr. Feldman earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied with Donald Hunsberger and Mendi Rodan and served as an assistant conductor for the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Eastman Wind Orchestra. He received his Masters in Conducting from Ithaca College and his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Duke University. He previously taught high school band in Hicksville, NY.
He is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in and outside of the United States, with recent engagements in Spain, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, and Tanzania, as well as all-state, all-district, and all-county honor bands in the United States. Under his direction, the UNC Wind Ensemble has twice been invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association southern division conference.
In 2020, Dr. Feldman’s college textbook, Instrumental Music Education (Routledge Publishing), was released in its third edition and has been adopted by university music education programs throughout the country. He is the author of the first MOOC (massive open online course) dedicated to conducting and rehearsal technique. Over 30,000 students have enrolled through Coursera.org.
Dr. Feldman’s arrangements and editions of music by Léo Delibes, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Enescu, Antonin Dvořák, Ariel Ramirez, and Sergei Prokofiev are published by Tierolff Muziekcentrale.
Dr. Feldman earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied with Donald Hunsberger and Mendi Rodan and served as an assistant conductor for the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Eastman Wind Orchestra. He received his Masters in Conducting from Ithaca College and his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Duke University. He previously taught high school band in Hicksville, NY.
