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Frostburg State University Presents Wind Ensemble in “Celebrations and Dances”

The Frostburg State University Department of Music will present the Wind Ensemble in a concert titled “Celebrations and Dances” on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center.

Conducted by Joshua Long, the ensemble will perform a range of pieces, including some seasonal selections.

The “William Tell Overture” is the overture to the opera “William Tell” (“Guillaume Tell”), composed by Gioachino Rossini. “William Tell” premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini’s 39 operas. The overture is in four parts, each following without pause. There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of parts of this overture in classical music and popular media, most famously as the theme music for “The Lone Ranger.”

Ralph Vaughan Williams was an influential British composer and folk-song collector. His powerful and expressive orchestral music is notable for its very “English” sound, and his works for wind band form a foundation for the serious literature in that medium. “Toccata Marziale” is a masterpiece of counterpoint and instrumental color, and a unique and important work in the wind band repertoire. Written in 1924 for the Commemoration of the British Empire Exhibition, it was only Williams’ second work for wind band.

“Appalachian Spring” is a composition by Aaron Copland that premiered in 1944 and has achieved widespread and enduring popularity as an orchestral suite. The ballet was created for choreographer and dancer Martha Graham. The story tells of a spring celebration of the American pioneers of the 19th century after building a new Pennsylvania farmhouse, and broadens out to become a parable about Americans conquering a new land. Copland based his ending variations on “Simple Gifts,” sometimes referred to as the “Shaker Hymn.”

“National Emblem” is an American march composed in 1902 by Edwin Eugene Bagley. It became the most famous of Bagley’s marches and is a standard of the American march repertoire. The U.S. military uses the trio section as ceremonial music for the color guard when presenting and retiring the colors.

The “William Byrd Suite” showcases the talents of two composers: William Byrd, an English Renaissance composer, and Gordon Jacob, a 20th-century British composer who is known as an early champion of the wind band and a skilled composer in the medium. Jacob assembled the suite in 1923, most likely as part of the festivities for the tricentennial of Byrd’s death.

“The Eighth Candle: Prayer and Dance for Hanukkah” was written in 1997 by Steve Reisteter, an American musician and composer. Alluding to the story of Hanukkah, this work begins with an extended hymn-like section followed by an exciting dance of celebration.

"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral Christmas music standard composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946 and finished the work in February 1948. It was originally an instrumental piece; the lyrics, about someone asking another to come for a ride in a sleigh, were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and members of the military, $3 for students and free for children 12 and younger. Tickets will be available at the door. Cash and credit cards are accepted.

For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.

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