Welcome to 
HOMEPAGE MAY 2016
Tim Reynish
On a day, alack a day! Love, whose month is ever May, Spied blossom passing fair, Playing in the wanton air. |
R.I.P
|
Control+ left click on this heading to hear all fifteen wind works by Guy.
GUY WOOLFENDEN COLLECTED WORKS
Guy Anthony Woolfenden sadly died on Friday 15th April at his home in Sibford Ferris, Oxfordshire, aged seventy eight.
I had only recently started on my homepage for May, which was planned to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of Shakespeare by introducing any browsers to the Shakespearean works of Guy Woolfenden, when news came that Guy had died at home, peacefully, surrounded by his family. Our careers and lives had criss-crossed for nearly sixty one years, ever since we met in the horn section of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Guy was undoubtedly one of the greatest composers of music for the theatre, and we are so lucky that he took material from so many of the plays and turned them into suites of music which are charming, witty, well scored and often just plain beautiful. He was my best man fifty four years ago, and also my best mate, but despite all that and my natural bias, I urge you to explore the works that perhaps you have not heard. There are some gems to play instead of Gallimaufry and Illyrian Dances.
LOVE TRANSFORMING for Wind Ensemble
Love Transforming is an extended slow movement charting the progress from strident despair to peaceful fulfilment through the expressions and emotions associated with love, isolation, confusion, turbulence, resolve, poignancy and finally rapture. Materials in the piece are not developed, simply presented from different angles and include lines from Shakespeare's 'Love Labour's Lost' sung by two female members of the ensemble: 'Love whose month is ever May'; but in this instance the love is not lost but gained.
NEW DISCOVERY
One of the most impressive works I have heard in the last few years is The Here and Now by Christopher Theofanidis, available on this Telard disc together with works by Del Tredici and Bernstein.
Published by Bill Holab Music duration 33 minutes and available for soloists, chorus and orchestra and now also for WIND ORCHESTRA
TWO WORKS FOR BAND BY GERARD SCHWARZ
ABOVE AND BEYOND Gerard Schwarz (2012)
World Premiere Strathmore, North Bethesda, MD United States Marine Band, Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Reviews ...it develops into a really fine and rather thrilling work, skilfully scored for the forces available.
PREMIERE OF RUDOLF AND JEANETTE by Gerard Schwarz (2016)
Premiered in Alexandria 26 February 2016
Rudolf and Jeanette was written in 2007 for a chamber ensemble of 14 players, premiered in Seattle, Washington by the Music of Remembrance series. As when I made the large orchestra version from the chamber version, I have made many revisions to create a new work for band. I am very grateful to LtCol Jason Fettig for doing the premiere with “The Presidents Own” United States Marine Band in February and have dedicated the work to LtCol Fettig and the Marine Band.
PREMIERE AT UNIVERSITY of MICHIGAN by LEMBIT BEECHER
An Anthology of Joy
solo viola and winds (2 2 2 2 – 4 0 0 + D.B.)
duration: 25 minutes
An Anthology of Joy was commissioned by Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, University of Michigan and Oberlin Conservatory. It was premiered by the University of Michigan Symphony Band on April 8, 2016 and by Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings on April 17, 2016, both concerts featuring James Van Valkenburg, viola, and Michael Haithcock, conductor.
Control/left click on the title to watch a wonderful performance of Michael Daugherty’s Labyrinth of Love for soprano and chamber ensemble with incomparable
HILA PLITMANN
NOT THE CORE REPERTOIRE
ARE YOU PLANNING YOUR WIND LITERATURE CLASSES AND PROGRAMMES FOR NEXT YEAR?
Why not lead your students out of the box and explore the wonderful world of wind music recorded in my International Series.
UPDATE ON NEW MUSIC
I have just received an update from Albert Roque on new music for chorus and wind and he recommends
by Daniel Davis