No program notes have been provided for this performance.

George Fredric Handel is a German born English composer. He composed many operas, chamber music, cantatas, and many more. He was born on February 23rd, 1685 in Halle, Brandenburg (located in Germany). He died at the age of 74 on April 14th, 1759 in London, England. Although he is most well known for his operas and instrumental compositions, George wrote the most famous  oratorio named “Messiah” in 1741. A few of his other famous works are part of his water music suite, the Solomon oratorio, and the Music for the Royal Fireworks. 

The piece is part of a five movement  Suite by George Handel. It is the second movement. It was created for an outdoor celebration festival. It is played as a lively dance to signal the celebration of the War of the Austrian ending. 

Bourrée is heard in a lively celebration dance. It is meant to be an upbeat and enjoyable experience to hear. The piece repeats its phrases throughout. This is meant to continue the dance feeling during the playing of the whole piece.  

The word andante means “at a walking pace” or more specifically, a relatively slow tempo. Written in 1977 by Richard L. Gorden, Andante was made to be played at contests. In the 70s classical music was in an experimental style. Composers wanted to challenge traditional approaches to classical music. This decade saw a lot of postmodern music.

   Andante begins with longer notes and ties that are dug in to. As the piece goes on sixteenth note phrases are heard going up and down the scale. Accents are used to add style to articulation. There are staccato eight-notes going up, then down again. This gives the notes a spaced out, powerful impact. Crescendos and decrescendos are used to make the music go or come from somewhere. This adds to musical phrasing. Finally the solo ends with light sixteenth notes, making the end sound whimsical and upbeat.

No program notes were provided for this selection.

Scherzo For Three Saxophones was written by a composer by the name of Arther Frackenpohl. He was initiated into the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity at the University of Rochester, and was awarded the First Prize in Composition at Tanglewood in 1948. He then became a faculty member at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, which led to his job as a professor in the Music and Coordinator of  Keyboard Courses in 1961, up until his retirement. During his career he had won numerous awards, for example, the Ford Foundation in 1949, and published over 250 instrumental and choral pieces, different recordings, and wrote a textbook called “Harmonization at the Piano”, which is still used today in college level keyboard classes. He has written several pieces such as, Concertino, Pop Suite, Air for Alto, Fanfare Air Finale, Celtic Force, Variations on a March of Shostakovich, and many more. 

          Scherzo for three saxophones is a very playful, and lively piece, due to the fact that the word scherzo means a musical composition designed to be playful and fun. It has a quick tempo along with sudden dynamic changes and quick rhythms, giving it a very energetic feel, up until it reaches the more melodic sequence of the song, then resulting in a repeat of the original melody and a fluid resolution.  

          When first hearing this piece you will notice at the beginning, that sort of playful portion is shown, with some trading sections between performers. Then, the tune changes to a more melodic, slower tone. The tune then picks up for a second time, and goes back to the main theme, ultimately resulting in that ‘fluid’, and intricate finale.

Waltz was composed by Phil Snedecor. He was born in 1963 in Poughkeepsie, NY. He is a professor of trumpet at Hartt school. Snedecor has created many great pieces of music, some being his Lyrical Études, Pastorale and many more. 

     Waltz itself is a contemporary take on the dance. It has a smooth and flowing rhythm, giving it energy. It starts with a simple sound, but as the piece goes on, the intricate layers start coming out.

Andrew C. Fox was a director, composer, and teacher. He composed many pieces and taught music at Oxford after retirement. Andrew C. Fox was born on June 14, 1935 in Oxford Mississippi and passed away on August 12, 2021. He was a gifted composer who wrote many scores for a lot of trombone players, as well as, original scores for two musicals. Other scores arranged by Andrew C. Fox are, “At the Races Gallop” and, “Slippin’ in. 

Andante and March by Andrew C. Fox is on the Group 2 list of solos. It is a very well known solo for trombonists. It’s loaded in different phrasing and articulations, with March being fast paced and Andante being more legato. Andante gets its slower, more calm feel because of its name. While March also gets its faster, more articulated feel from its name. 

When you listen to my solo please consider this. Andante and March are full of accents and a certain style of phrasing. March is a cut time feel which is why it’s more straight and feels like a march. It’s also pretty repetitive like a march. Andante is not repetitive but it has the same style of phrasing, just different notes. Andante and March is a very musical solo and well balanced.

No program notes were provided for this selection.

Alan Menken is an American composer and conductor. He was born July 22nd, 1949 in New York City to Norman and Judith Menken. He grew up in a home filled with music and theater which ultimately inspired his musicianship. Alan composed his very first piece called “Bouree” for violin at age 9 and submitted it for completion at the Jr. Composers Contest 1958. After high school, he attended New York University’s College for Arts and Sciences, but floated from pre-med to anthropology, to philosophy, and then finally graduated with a degree in musicology. Alan Menken is one of the most influential and celebrated composers in the world of musical theater and film, particularly known for his work with Disney. In addition to his film work with Disney, he has made a significant mark on Broadway, including scores for Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid. Menken's music helped shape the sound of animated films in the 90s, blending Broadway, pop, and classical styles in ways that were both appealing to kids and adults. Years later, his music has become an essential part of what makes Disney’s animated films so beloved and enduring. Some of his significant works include contributions to The Little Mermaid(1989), Beauty and the Beast. (1991), Aladdin. (1992), and Pocahontas(1995) which won him two Academy Awards for each film. He also composed the scores and songs for Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Newsies (1992), The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1996), Hercules. (1997), Home on the Range (2004), Enchanted (2007), Tangled (2010), Disenchanted (2022), and Spellbound (2024).

“I See the Light” is a song in the 2010 Disney film Tangled. It occurs when Rapunzel and Flynn have completed their journey to the kingdom of Coruna and Rapunzel is about to fulfill her dreams of seeing the floating lanterns. At the beginning of the song, Rapunzel is singing about how she has been trapped in her tower and way of life for her whole life. Now, she is “seeing the light” of the outside world for the first time. After that, Flynn begins singing about Rapunzel’s journey and how she has made him “see the light” as he wants to become a better person for her.

The flute will be representing Rapunzel and the clarinet will be representing Flynn (Eugene) Rider. The flute will start with a soft, reflective melody thinking about Rapunzel’s past in the tower. Then, the tone shifts to reflect on where she currently is and where she wants to go. The flute and clarinet join together thinking about what their lives could be now that they have seen the light of possibility. Then, the clarinet takes over to express Flynn’s point of view. In which, he reflects on how Rapunzel’s journey has inspired him to stop thieving and also on his growing feelings for her. The flute and clarinet rejoin in a powerful rebirth of the chorus. The song ends slowly, full of connection between the two voices.

Chanson et Passepied was written by a French composer by the name of Jeanine Rueff. She was born in Paris, France in 1922, and went to college at the Paris Conservatoire. She was then awarded the first prizes in harmony, fume, counterpoint, composition, and history of music. After she became a composer, she was then awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1948. She then went on to accompany at the Conservatoire, write some of her own compositions, taught singers’ theory and aural training from 1960-1971, and taught a harmony course in 1988. Some of her most significant works are Fantasize pour cornet et piano, Trois pour deux, Andantino et scherzando, Quatour A Cordes Parties, Characteres- Volume 1 and 2, Fantaisie Concertante, Concertino Op 15 Pour Clarinette Et Orchestre Cersion Clarinette Et Piano, and Sonatina.

          Derived from French Middle Age songs all the way to modern day, the term Chanson means exactly what it comes from, it means “song” in the French language. And the word Passepied means “pass-foot”, relating to a French court dance. It began being used in the 16th century, and is most commonly found in 18th century French opera and ballet. It is also used in baroque instrumental suites and dances. So, in summary, Chanson et Passepied means lively song and dance.

          The first half of the piece (Chanson) starts off with a lyrical , and simplistic, yet beautiful melody. The second half of the piece (Passepied) is the lively and more playful part of the piece with a lot of back and forth between the alto saxophone and the piano.

On June 11, 1899, American composer George Fredrick McKay was born. He attended college in Spokane, Washington and was the first graduate of Eastman School of Music. He was a professor of music at the University of Washington for forty one years. McKay was inspired by many American themes, but also wrote more than 100 corale works and children’s songs. Without McKay we would not have many of our famous works of art that are still treasured today.

    On a Pastoral Theme was written in 1961. At this time, McKay was still a professor at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information out there about the piece itself. McKay was known to write music in an American style and indeed the articulations in Variation 2 call to mind the style of a traditional march like that of John Phillip Sousa.

    On a Pastoral Theme is written in the theme and variations style. The piece will begin with a slow, reflective Theme. The first clarinet part will have the moving lines with the second, third, and bass creating the mood with chords as well as a nice trading moment of a rhythm between all four parts. Next, Variation 1 moves slightly faster than the theme. It again has a trading melody between the first and the second and third parts for most of this section. It will include a similar trading rhythm between the four parts near the end of the section.

Variation 2 is much faster and displays more technical playing than we have yet seen in the piece. For the first time, staccato articulations are introduced which adds to the excitement. This part alternates between all four parts playing in unison and the parts all breaking off into slightly different things. The second part will then lead back into the Theme to finish out the piece.

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No program notes were provided for this selection.

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Gallus was a late renaissance composer. He had over 500 pieces of music attributed to him. His most significant works were the Four Part Opus Musicum and the Mirabile Mysterium.Jacobus Gallus was born on July 3, 1550 in Ribnica, Slovenia. He passed away on July 18, 1591 in Prague, Czechia. Mr. Gallus represented the Counter-Reformation. in Bohemia mixing the polyphonic style of the High Renaissance Franco-Flemish Schoolwith the style of the Venetian School. His output was both sacred and secular and hugely prolific: over 500 works have been attributed to him. Jacobus Enriched the polyphonic repertory with 374 motets, twenty masses, and one hundred Moralia on Latin text.

Jacobus Gallus, a prolific composer of the late Renaissance, wrote several works that are in tandem with the church's major festive occasions. The piece is filled with joyful harmonies that showcases the contrast and history surrounding Christianity during the holidays. This piece was likely performed during Christmas services to highlight the joyful feeling during the holidays, and demonstrate the presence of God in everyday life. These works reflect Gallus' ability to capture the aura of Christian celebrations, combining the presence of the spirit with festive musical expression.

The Garrett High School Trombone Quintet will be playing I and II of “Three Festive Pieces”. The first piece has the feeling of a slow ballad; with a faster tempo and dance feel at the end. The second piece is a dance that displays the feeling of a Christmas Day out. Both of these pieces work in tandem to showcase the different feelings during the holiday season.

No program notes were provided for this selection.

No program notes were provided for this selection.

Arthur Williard Pryor was born on September 22nd, 18969 in St. Joseph Missouri. Arthur Pryor was a highly skilled trombone player and soloist for the band of John Phillip Sousa. Pryor would play with the Sousa Band for 12 years, performing around 10,000 solos. From 1895 - 1903, Pryor would serve as the assistant conductor of the Sousa band. He would go on to tour throughout the United States and Europe, performing in front of significant historical characters such as Czar Nicholas the 2nd. After his father’s death, Arthur Pryor left the Sousa Band and became the head of his father’s band. Pryor would lead the band on tours all throughout the United States for the next 30 years. Arthur Pryor would later pass away on June 18th, 1942 at his home in New Jersey. Arthur Pryor created hundreds of musical compositions in his lifetime. One of the most notable compositions he wrote was an arrangement of “Blue Bells of Scotland” for an accompanist and trombone. He would also write some significant band works like “The Whistler and His Dog”. 

Arthur Pryor’s tune “Thoughts of Love” was originally written as a waltz for the Sousa Band. Later on, Arthur Pryor would rewrite it for a trombone solo with an accompaniment. The original tune named “Love Thoughts”, generally follows the same flow as the solo version we have today. The revision of the original tune takes the band melodies and transfers them to the piano.

“Thoughts of Love” is a fast paced waltz with a mixture of smooth and beautiful melodies with technical fast paced melodies. The solo begins with the piano winding up the waltz. The soloist then comes in with a powerful cadenza before moving into the main melody of the piece. As the song progresses, the intensity of the song begins to increase with more advanced phrases and melodies being introduced. As the song reaches a climax, it stops and creates a feeling of silence which is taken over by the soloist. The soloist then moves back into the main melody of the piece and then gives a grand finish to Arthur Pryor’s “Thoughts of Love”.

Carl Maria von Weber was a German composer who lived from 1786-1826. He started composing at a young age under the guidance of Michael Hayden, brother to Joseph Hayden. Weber traveled and changed jobs a lot during his life. He is best known for his operas such as Der Freischütz (The Freeshooter) and Oberon. Weber also helped establish the transition between the Classical and Romantic periods in German music.

Concertino, Op.26, was written in 1811 for a German clarinetist named Heinrich Bärmann. This piece was written at a time when the clarinet was not yet a very popular instrument. Weber composed Concertino in such a way that it highlights the range of the clarinet. He would eventually write five more clarinet works for Bärmann.

Concertino, Op.26, begins with a slow, dramatic introduction. It then introduces a lively theme followed by an intermezzo. Variation 1 consists of a triplet melody whereas Variation 2 includes exciting sixteenth note runs. Variation 3 brings a switch to 6/8 time and technical passage that foreshadows the ending of the piece. That is followed by a beautiful, soaring section before moving into a fast paced ending that ends on a high trill.

Ryan Fraley born in 1973 is an accomplished composer known for his jazz and orchestral pieces. He composes multiple levels and genres of different music to express himself. He is a co-founder of Wave Mechanics Union which is a studio jazz orchestra which has published multiple albums and uses his own website to sell his music. Ryan went to the State University of New York Potsdam where he achieved his masters degree in composition, and went to Ball State University where he received his bachelors in music theory and composition. He has also received multiple ASCAP Plus Awards, and is also known for his piece Fascinating Rhythm which he arranged from George Gershwin and Bad Apple composed by him. 

This piece is originally composed for a jazz ensemble with a solo clarinet commissioned by Marian University and the Symphonic Youth Orchestra of Greater Indianapolis for Shawn Goodman. She has a transcribed part of an improvised solo she played in the middle of this solo. There is also a Concert band version derived from the jazz band score written for different instruments. This piece is written in a bright swing style and is very exciting with fast groups of notes. The piano accompaniment was derived from the ensemble backing and combines all of the instruments from the original to one part. There is an improvised section towards the very end where it is just the clarinet playing and the piano comes back in for the final few measures.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

Frédéric Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola, Poland, and lived from  1810-1849. Chopin demonstrated an extraordinary musical talent from an young age, earning him recognition as a virtuoso pianist and composer. He spent much of his life in Paris, where he became a key figure in the Romantic era of music, wel known for his very expressive and difficult compositions. Chopin’s nocturnes, études, waltzes, and ballades, are some of the most popular in piano repertoire, due to the lyrical melodies and emotional connection to the music. His most known compositions are the Nocturnes, Op. 9, the Études, Op. 10 and Op. 25, the 24 Preludes, Op. 28, and his four ballades.

Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 was composed between 1831 and 1835, it is the first of Chopin’s four ballades and is known as one of his most dramatic and compelling pieces ever written. It was written during the failed Polish uprising of Russia, a dark and hard time for Poland and its people. Many researchers speculate that this piece was inspired by the poetry of Adam Mickiewicz, a well-known poet during the same time period. The Ballade No. 1 is a very personal and romantic piece, and known as one of the most difficult and expressive compositions ever written.

The piece starts with a mysterious and suspenseful melody that is repeated multiple times throughout. Each repetition signifies a different direction the piece continues in, whether that’s hope, despair, or foreshadowing. The first occurrence of this melody, forshadows the intense ending of the piece, while then moving to a graceful and expressive section. The second occurrence of the melody experiences musical key change, as it continues to a hopeful and exciting section of the piece. Finally, the third variation of this melody returns to the original key, and is darker and more mysterious. This then leads to the “ coda” of this Ballade, an intense, difficult, and very well known section in piano compositions. The coda concludes with many chromatic runs and difficult jumps for the hands. For the sake of time, the second variation of the pieces melody and other middle portions of this piece will be cut.

Brian Montgomery Slawson was born on August 2, 1956, in Plattsburgh, New York and was raised in Brookfield Connecticut. At a very young age he fell in love with percussion and played many different instruments. At 7 he was playing snare drum, at 10 he was playing the drum set, and of course marimba. In late life he became very successful being a Professor of percussion at Eastern Florida State College. 

 For this piece you should expect to hear a very fun song. This piece is made for people to dance to it, so you can imagine how it sounds. It is also very fast and has no key signatures so some parts might sound a little funky. There is no articulation, however there is some dynamic contrast. You will also hear the same beginning part a lot and you come to love it.