The CD came out particularly well. Take a listen!

Playlists:
A Salute To Big Bands Playlist(m3u) Streaming
A Salute To Big Bands Playlist(ITunes) Streaming

Individual Songs:
Satachmo! (A Tribute to Louis Armstrong), arr. Ted Ricketts
Salute to Ol’ Blue Eyes, arr. John Moss
Introduction of Bill Prince
Trumpet Samba, arr Bill Prince
Bill’s Remarks
Big Band Tribute, arr. Bill Prince (Bill Prince, Soloist)
Someone to Watch Over Me, George Gershwin, arr. Warren Barker (Todd Eckstein, Alto Saxophone)
Bill’s Remarks II
Big Band Ballads, arr. Bill Prince (Bill Prince, Soloist)
Saint Thomas, Sonny Rollins, arr. Bill Prince
Just a Closer Walk with Thee, arr. Bill Prince (Bill Prince, Clarinet)
When the Saints Go Marching In, arr. Bill Prince
Moscow Nights, arr. Bill Prince

Our setting will be the Fellowship Hall of Trinity United Methodist Church, 4000 N W 53^rd Avenue in Gainesville.  This is a great venue for playing (and listening to!) a concert.  The acoustics are wonderful, and there is ample seating and parking.

Dr. Gerald Poe, music director for the Gainesville Community Band, has put together an exciting program, including a solo performance by Joseph Hughes, GCB’s principal euphonium.  The list of compositions scheduled for the concert includes the following:

The Nutmeggers, by Eric Osterling.

The Nutmeggers was the first of several popular marches by Osterling to be published and to catch the fancy of bandsmen and their audiences. All have a unique, lively, and cheerful sound. The title for this march came from one of the two nicknames of Osterling’s home state, Connecticut. The early Connecticut traders were said to have sold wooden nutmegs for real ones.  Osterling is a composer, arranger, music educator, and ASCAP award-winning writer, and his teaching career included, among other settings, six years on the faculty at Florida Southern College.

Velocity, by Robert Sheldon.

Velocity, Sheldon’s opus 137, was commissioned by the Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr., School of the Arts Wind Ensemble in West Palm Beach, Florida.  It is described by the publisher, Alfred Music Publishing, as follows: “’Velocity’ is defined in physics as the rate of change of position. This brief musical essay seeks to portray velocity in all of its forms—breathtaking speed to brutal force, the flowing elegance of flight to the heart-pounding thrill of a reckless drive. Full of rhythmic intensity, Doppler effects and technical flair, Velocity takes you on a musical ride you won’t soon forget.

Dances Americanesque, by William Owens.

Three dances are musically interpreted in this fanciful multi-movement work. The lively Promenade opens with a fanfare-like statement and a tempo setting that instructs the band to play “Gallantly.” The Waltz begins with a flute solo, then goes through different moods, from carefree to mysterious and back. The work concludes with the hard-driving Galop, a fast, furious and exhilarating finale. William Owens teaches instrumental music in the Everman (Texas) Independent School District and is a member of the summer music faculty at Villanova University.  He is very active as a composer, clinician and conductor throughout the United States and Canada.

”Western One-Step” and “Wallflower Waltz” from Suite of Old American Dances, by Robert Russell Bennett.

This 1950 composition recreates the mood of a hoedown and features popular dances from the composer’s youth.  The GCB performs two dances from the Suite:  “Western One-Step,” a variation of an early ballroom dance that was a precursor to the foxtrot, and “Wallflower Waltz,” a beautiful dance that charms with its familiar 1-2-3 meter.  Bennett wrote extensively for concert band but is perhaps best known as orchestrator and arranger for Broadway shows and films, including Porgy and Bess, The Sound of Music, Show Boat, Camelot, and numerous others.

Bayou Breakdown, by Brant Karrick.

Starting with a four-part fugue scored for woodwinds, this work next moves to a folk song-like lyrical theme, then eventually back to the initial fugue.  Dr. Karrick, who is director of bands at Northern Kentucky University, said he had been influenced by bluegrass music and wrote, “These wonderful sounds along with the live Cajun music I enjoyed listening to while living in Baton Rouge . . .  served as the musical inspiration for Bayou Breakdown.”

All Those Endearing Young Charms, by Simone Mantia, arr. Harold Brasch.

Joseph Hughes

The origin of this beautiful traditional air has been claimed by England, Scotland and Ireland.  Simone Mantia, a pioneer of the American euphonium style, set the melody into a theme and variations piece.  The late Harold Brasch, former euphonium soloist with the U.S. Navy Band, wrote this arrangement, which has become one of the major works of the original euphonium repertoire.

Our soloist is Joseph Hughes, principal euphonium with the GCB.  Mr. Hughes is a graduate of Louisiana State University and Florida State University and is director of bands at Eastside High School.

Latin & Lace, by John F. Edmunds.

A play on the phrase, “Satin and Lace,” the title of this piece reflects the composition’s mixture of . . . Latin and lace.  Mr. Edmunds, recently retired professor of music at Louisiana State University, is credited with more than 100 publications for band, and a regular recipient of ASCAP special awards. He holds degrees from Florida State University and the University of Florida and currently lives in Sugarmill Woods, Citrus County, Florida.

Tree City Fanfare, by Richard W. Bowles

Richard W. Bowles (1918-2009), nationally recognized band director and composer, joined the University of Florida faculty in 1958 as director of the Gator Marching Band and professor of trombone.  In 1961 he was appointed Director of Bands.  In addition to the hundreds of compositions and arrangements he wrote for the university bands, he had over 400 published works of music.  Upon his retirement from the university in 1985 he became a special friend of the Gainesville Community Band, serving as guest conductor of the band on many occasions. He composed this, the band’s signature piece, in 2003 and dedicated it to the citizens of Gainesville.

Richard W. Bowles (1918-2009)

Richard W. Bowles (1918-2009), nationally recognized band director and composer, joined the University of Florida faculty in 1958 as director of the Gator Marching Band and professor of trombone. In 1961 he was appointed Director of Bands. In addition to the hundreds of compositions and arrangements he wrote for the university bands, he had over 400 published works of music. During his UF years he served as president of the College Band Directors National Association and was a frequent guest conductor and clinician. Elected to the American Bandmasters Association, he was also the first inductee into the Florida Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame. Other musical awards came from ASCAP, Phi Beta Mu, Tau Beta Sigma, and Kappa Kappa Psi.  In 1975 he stepped down as Director of Bands and ten years later he retired from the university.  Active on the local music scene, he worked with local school bands and became a special friend of the Gainesville Community Band, serving as guest conductor of the band on many occasions. He composed the band’s signature piece, Tree City Fanfare in 2003.  An avid angler, Professor Bowles regularly contributed columns and photographs on sport fishing to various publications.

The Program includes performances by the GCB and the GHS Concert and Symphonic Bands:

The GCB will play:

Burst of Flame, by Richard W. Bowles.
Tree City Fanfare, by Richard W. Bowles.  Professor Bowles dedicated this composition to the city of Gainesville.
Heat Lightning, by Richard W. Bowles.
The Saints, by Richard W. Bowles.  Featured in the movie, Drumline.
Trumpet Song, by Richard W. Bowles.  Performed by Amanda Moo.
“Schottische” and “Cake Walk” from Suite of old American Dances, by Robert Russell Bennett.

The GHS Bands will play:

Concert Band:
Capitol Bicentennial March, by Richard W. Bowles.
Ravensgate, by Carl Strommen
Sing A Long Medley, by Richard W. Bowles

Symphonic Band:
Try Again, by Richard W. Bowles.  Dedicated to Martha Stark, late GHS Director of Bands.
A Symphonic Prelude, by Alfred Reed.
Armida Overture, by Franz Joseph Haydn, arranged by Richard W. Bowles.

As Time Goes By (Playlist)

Tree City Fanfare, by Richard W. Bowles (3.5M)
Alligator Alley, by Michael Daugherty (7.5M)
The Rakes of Mallow, by Leroy Anderson (4.6M)
American Salute, by Morton Gould (6.8M)
Selections from Chicago, by John Kander (7.3M)
They Can’t Take That Away from Me, George Gershwin w/guest vocalist Barbara Jimenez (4.2M)
As Time Goes By, by Herman Hupfeld, arr. Warren Barker w/guest vocalist Barbara Jimenez (4.9M)
Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin, arr. James Barnes (13M)
West Side Story, by Leonard Bernstein, arr. Duthoit (15M)
The Roosters Lay Eggs in Kansas, by John Philip Sousa (1.9M)
Clarinet Candy, by Leroy Anderson (4.8M)
The Christmas Song, by Mel Torme, arr. Robert Wells w/guest artist Gary Langford on Flugelhorn (5.4M)
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Newell H. Long w/narrator Gary Langford (12M)
Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson (4.2M)
Stars and Stripes Forever, by John Philip Sousa (5.8M)

All pieces performed by the Gainesville Community Band.

Here’s the intro paragraph:

“The love of music is a common bond shared by members of the Gainesville Community Band. It dates back to junior high, high school and college when the 80 members played in respective bands across the country. Some went on to perform as professional musicians while others found careers far removed from the music world. The camaraderie for the band continues to shine for this diverse group at concerts throughout the Gainesville area.”

Read more at: Gainesville Community Band: The Sound of Music

The Silent Hills of My Childhood (Playlist)

Tree City Fanfare, by Richard W. Bowles (3.7M)
Tribute to Elvis, by Ted Ricketts (11M)
March Forth, by R. Gary Langford (4M)
The Silent Hills of My Childhood, by George Farmer (5.9M)
American Salute, by Morton Gould/arr. Lang (7M)
Salute to American Jazz, arr. Nestico (12M)
Flight of the Piasa, by Robert Sheldon (9.2M)
An Irish Ayre for Winds, by Warren Barker (5.4M)
National Emblem, by E.E. Begley/arr. Fennell (4.3M)
Metroplex, by Robert Sheldon (7.1M)
Symphonic Oveture, by Charles Carter (7.2M)
Fugue on Yankee Doodle, by John Philip Sousa (3.4M)
Symphony No. 9 from the New World, mvt. 4, by A. Dvorak/arr. John Kitts-Turner (18M)
Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson (5M)

All pieces performed by the Gainesville Community Band.

Tree City Fanfare by Richard W. Bowles (2.3M)
Third Suite by Robert E. Jager:

• March (2.4M)
• Waltz (2.9M)
• Rondo (3.1M)

High and Mighty by Fred Jewell, arr. Andrew Glover (1.9M)
When the Saints Go Marchin’ In arr. Myokoin (3.9M)
With Pleasure by John Philip Sousa (3.1M)
A Leroy Anderson Portrait by Leroy Anderson, arr. J Barnes (6.7M)
Midway March by John Williams, arr. John Currow (Conducted by John R. Williams, Denver CO) (4.6M)
Journey Through Orion by Julie Giroux (6.9M)
Try Again by Richard W. Bowles (Conducted by Richard W. Bowles) (3.2M)
Carnival – Trumpet Trio by Harry Warren, arr. John Edmunds (Trio = Bill Dishman, Steven Sparks, Paul McReynolds) (2.3M)
Gelato con Caffé by Toshio Mashima (3.8M)

*F&F has been canceled this year. Hopefully it will return in 2010.