Thank you so much for coming to our performance today! This is the first time Somerville High School has performed at the NJMEA Conference. We are beyond honored to represent the community of Somerville. Below is a brief description of all the pieces we are playing today. The students and I took the time in September to carefully choose the repertoire that best represents who we are as musicians and people. We hope you enjoy!
- Sean Ferguson, director of bands
- Sean Ferguson, director of bands
Big City Lights - Marie A. Douglas
A piece for wind band, inspired by the Hip-Hop sub-genre “Trap Music” which finds its roots in Douglas's hometown, Atlanta, Georgia. The piece includes textures, melodic, rhythmic and harmonic content that are divergent to the traditional wind band realm. When performed, the piece utilizes electronic and acoustic means.
Click here for the perusal score.
Click here for the perusal score.
Adoration - Florence Price arr. Cheldon Williams
Florence Price (1887-1953) was a prolific American composer whose race and gender made it difficult for her contributions to join the widely accepted musical canon in the decades following her life. A trailblazer, Price is considered the first Black woman recognized as a symphonic composer and was the first to have her music performed by a major American orchestra when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra gave the world premiere of her Symphony No. 1 in 1933.
Price's catalog of works boasts an impressive array of symphonies, concertos, chamber music, various symphonic works, choral works, piano music, and music for the organ. Adoration in its original form is one of Price's compositions for organ and fits within the genre of her semi-secular output. William's goal in transcribing this piece is to grant performers exposure to Price's story and the gift of performing her music outside of its intended medium.
Click here for the perusal score.
Price's catalog of works boasts an impressive array of symphonies, concertos, chamber music, various symphonic works, choral works, piano music, and music for the organ. Adoration in its original form is one of Price's compositions for organ and fits within the genre of her semi-secular output. William's goal in transcribing this piece is to grant performers exposure to Price's story and the gift of performing her music outside of its intended medium.
Click here for the perusal score.
Country Club Stomp
This piece is written in the style of a "second line" groove, which originates from New Orleans brass band parades. The parade block would traditionally consist of the brass band in the front (forming the first line), followed by the crowds of people marching and dancing along with the band (forming the second line). The drummers, the leaders of the second line, provide a joyful and energetic pulse to keep the participants moving along using cross-rhythms that span over several measures or even phrases to give forward direction and spirit to the piece. This cultural staple of New Orleans is West African dances.
Enslaved Africans brought these dances to America, where it became a staple in Black American celebrations, including funerals. It is believed that long ago, when children would join as percussionists and enthusiastic participants in the celebration, the circle dance developed into straight lines, forming a parade block. Country Club Stomp gets its name from Country Club Drive, the school that the Hall was formally the band director of.
Click here for the perusal score.
Enslaved Africans brought these dances to America, where it became a staple in Black American celebrations, including funerals. It is believed that long ago, when children would join as percussionists and enthusiastic participants in the celebration, the circle dance developed into straight lines, forming a parade block. Country Club Stomp gets its name from Country Club Drive, the school that the Hall was formally the band director of.
Click here for the perusal score.
Ember Skies - Kevin Day
Ember Skies is a Grade I composition for young band that depicts a red-orange-colored sky that awakens from the darkness of night, bringing forth the first light and signaling the start of a new day.
This piece was recommended to us by a fellow elementary music educator who was looking for more challenging band repertoire for their select group. Most notably, the parts are built to support strong percussionist and utilizes very basic, beginner timpani writing.
Click here for the perusal score.
This piece was recommended to us by a fellow elementary music educator who was looking for more challenging band repertoire for their select group. Most notably, the parts are built to support strong percussionist and utilizes very basic, beginner timpani writing.
Click here for the perusal score.
Dragonfly: A Rhapsody in the Style of Joe Hisaishi
Dragonfly pays homage to a composer who has influenced Katahj Copley’s in a huge way since his childhood. Joe Hisaishi is a Japanese film composer born in 1950 who has over 100 film scores and solo albums to his name. Dubbed "the John Williams of Japan" by Pitchfork in 2017, he has won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Music seven times. He is best known as the main musical associate of the Studio Ghibli film studio, having scored all but one of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films. Some of his most famous works include the music from Ponyo, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke.
Click here for the perusal score.
Click here for the perusal score.
