2 November, 2024
WEST CITY YOUTH CONCERT BAND
Mischief – Robert Thurston
Mischief, composed by Robert Thurston, provides a challenging but delightful glimpse into an active and event-filled day in the life of an energetic toddler. You’ll experience their herky-jerky first steps, mercurial moods, blissful and imaginative naptime dreams, and most of all their wide-eyed, innocent-yet-impish happiness. The constant changes in musical metres conveys the little human’s efforts to get around just like a grown up. It’s the brisk and playful dance of a ball of energy who is loving every minute of the best day ever.
Oblivion – Ástor Piazzoll
Oblivion is an instrumental work by Ástor Piazzolla. Composed in 1982, it was originally arranged for bandonéon, piano and bass, but its growing success over the years inspired many reprises for piano solo, clarinet, orchestra, and of course, concert band. Oblivion is a lyrical milonga, a rhythmic Uruguayen-Argentine dance form that predates the tango. The atmosphere evoked by Oblivion is tinged with nostalgia and sadness, as though the music seeks to fall away and disappear into forgetfulness. Today’s performance will feature Richard Breed on Flugelhorn.
The Typewriter – Leroy Anderson
Composed in 1950 during a trip to Woodbury, Connecticut, Leroy Anderson’s The Typewriter is one of his most iconic works. Leroy Anderson’s The Typewriter has been described as “one of the wittiest and most clever pieces in the orchestral repertoire”. Although typewriters have more or less died out in today’s world, the piece is still a hit with ensembles. The comedy that oozes from the music can make for a great performance.
Into the storm – Robert W. Smith
Into the Storm was composed by Robert W. Smith during the March 1993 weather event that gripped the eastern half of the United States. That storm has become known as the “Storm of the Century.” Following a brief yet mysterious introduction, the storm is unleashed. Syncopated rhythms with swirling ostinato lines create the fury of
the storm, with the haunting melody intertwined throughout. This piece vividly presents all the intensity, fury, and relentless pounding of the wildest of storms! After a brief “eye at the center of the storm,” the excitement returns in full force.
WEST CITY STRING ORCHESTRA
Capriol Suite for String Orchestra – Peter Warlock
- Basse-Danse
- Pavanne
Peter Warlock (1894 – 1930) was the pseudonym that prominent British music critic and musicologist Peter Heseltine composed under. Much of his musical training was informal and driven by self-directed research.
The Capriol Suite for String Orchestra, composed in 1928, consists of six dances drawn from the Renaissance dance manual Orchésographie by the French priest Jehan Tabourot, published in 1589. “Capriol” refers to both a dance-step and a character in this manual, which takes the form of a dialogue between the teacher, Arbeau, and his pupil, Capriol—the archetypal dance student.
This suite blends beautifully early music forms with Warlock’s modern harmonic language, making it popular both in concert halls and among musicians. Each of the six contrasting movements are based on a different dance form. Tonight, you will hear the first two:
– Basse-Danse: A stately dance characterised by a dignified striding motion, where the feet remain low (en basse) rather than raised (pieds-en-l’air).
– Pavane: An Italian court dance from the 16th and early 17th centuries, originally called Padovana, from its roots in the city of Padua. This dance is traditionally slow and solemn in character.
Isma’a (Listen) – Setting by Leanne Darling
Isma’a, meaning “listen” in Arabic, offers a medley of themes from the Arabic musical world. This medley is structured in three parts, beginning with a taqsim, an improvisational form characterised by its free-flowing nature and expressive melody. Typically featuring a solo instrument such as the oud, qanun, or violin, tonight, our violist, Neil Shepherd, will perform the taqsim.
Next, we transition into a section inspired by the muwashshah — a traditional form of Arabic poetry and music that originated in Al-Andalus (mediaeval Spain). This section features the samai or sama’i rhythm of Turkish origin that is used in Arab music, which has a distinctive structure: typically a 10-beat cycle, divided into groups of 2, 2, 2, and 4 beats. This cycle provides flowing and dynamic rhythm, with its syncopated feel creating a sense of forward momentum and allowing for intricate interplay between melody and rhythm.
The piece concludes with a vibrant dance inspired by the renowned Egyptian composer Muhammad Abdel Wahab (1902 -1991). Muhammad was an actor, singer, oud player, and composer renowned for incorporating Western musical instruments, melodies, rhythms and performance practices into his work. Often seen as the founder of contemporary Arabic music, he also left a mark on the Western world by exposing Egyptian music to Western classical and popular traditions.
Bond… James Bond – arr. Robert Longfield
For over five decades, music from the James Bond film franchise has captivated audiences and introduced new generations of fans to its thrilling world. The powerful melodies and unforgettable lyrics of the songs enhance the exciting stories of espionage, romance, and adventure.
This medley spotlights some of the most iconic and memorable Bond themes:
James Bond Theme: Composed by Monty Norman, this instrumental piece serves as the signature tune for the franchise, embodying the elegance and intrigue associated with the world’s most famous secret agent.
Live and Let Die: Paul McCartney & Wings delivered a dynamic title track for the 1973 film, blending rock and orchestral elements. Its dynamic shifts and powerful vocals reflect the thrilling action of the film.
Nobody Does It Better: Carly Simon’s smooth ballad for The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) captures romance and longing, making it a beloved classic.
Goldfinger: Shirley Bassey’s powerful vocals in this 1964 hit highlight the opulence and danger of the franchise’s iconic villain.
Skyfall: Adele’s haunting and dramatic theme for the 2012 film marked a modern resurgence of Bond music, winning numerous accolades, including an Academy Award.
It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) – Duke Ellington (1899 -1974) and Irving Mills (1894 – 1985)
arr. Robert Longfield
“What good is melody?
What good is music
If it ain’t possessing something sweet?
Now it ain’t the melody
And it ain’t the music
There’s something else that makes this tune complete, yes”
Duke Ellington was a celebrated American pianist, renowned as the greatest jazz composer and bandleader of his time, and a prominent figure of the swing era. His jazz standard “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” composed in 1931 with lyrics by his longtime collaborator Irving Mills, stands as a significant milestone in jazz history. This piece is closely associated with the development of swing music — a style that emerged from African American roots and the big-band traditions of the 1920s in cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and New York City. Swing music thrived in American popular music from the early 1930s to the mid-1940s
WEST CITY CONCERT BAND
Colours (Mvt 3 – Blue Sapphire) – Roger Cichy
Colours is an impressionistic work with each of the six movements of the piece representing a particular colour. Each movement (Amber, Dark Jade, Blue Sapphire, Mauve, Dark Ivy, and Burgundy Red) go beyond the colour itself, deeply delving into the symbolic meaning and “musical” pigment of each colour. Composed in early 1997, Colours was commissioned by the Kansas State University Bands. The music of each movement is not based so much on the outward appearance of its colour, but rather the pigments that are combined to produce the particular colour. Taken one step further, the colour of each pigment is translated into its symbolic meaning which is then represented through the music. The musical “pigments” are blended into the composition of each movement to create the impression of the colour. This movement, Blue Sapphire, combines jazz inflection, rhythms and harmony with the more traditional wind band instrumentation.
New York Cityscapes (Mvt 2 – Tango 1932) – Jeff Tyzik
Tango 1932 by Jeff Tyzik is the 2nd movement from ‘New York Cityscape’, a 5-movement suite of musical styles and sounds connected with New York. Each of the movements is linked to a specific location, Tango is linked to 103 Rd Street St. and Riverside. Tyzik writes “Astor Piazzolla composed his first tango in 1932. I am a big fan of his music, and I composed this tango as my Homage to Piazzolla.” The piece was originally written for the Canadian Brass and the Eastman Wind Ensemble as a Tuba solo, but James will be playing on bass trombone.
Soloist: James Marriott
“I joined the West City Concert Band on trombone in 2014 when I was 12, the youngest member of the band at that time. I was also one of the founding players of the West City Youth Concert Band. I also play in Waitakere City Brass Band, Queen City Big Band, and the West City Jazz Orchestra. I am currently in my final year of a Bachelor of Computer Science and work part-time as a Junior Programmer.”
A Trumpeter’s Lullaby – Leroy Anderson
A Trumpeter’s Lullaby was written at the request of Roger Voisin, then principal trumpet of the Boston Pops Orchestra. While casually sitting and talking with the composer after a concert, he had asked for a trumpet solo that wasn’t the usual loud, martial, and triumphant trumpet piece. Anderson states, “after thinking it over, it occurred to me that I had never heard a lullaby for trumpet, so I set out to write one — with a quiet melody based on bugle notes played by the trumpet and with the rest of the orchestra playing a lullaby background.”
Soloist: Chad van Dolleweerd
“I began playing the trumpet in 2019 at Te Atatū Intermediate. At the end of my first year, my teacher Antonina Marriott encouraged me to attend the West City Youth Band Camp, which inspired my continued growth in music. I joined the West City Youth Concert Band, where I quickly progressed from 3rd trumpet to 1st trumpet within a year. I am now proud to be a member of the West City Concert Band. West City Music has played a significant role in my musical journey, offering invaluable opportunities and support that have shaped me into the musician I am today.”
Concertango (Mvt 3) – Luis Serrano Alarcón
Concertango is a work of fusion. There is instrumental fusion, combining a classical symphonic group with a jazz trio (piano, bass, drums). Above these two groups, the saxophone soloist is the absolute protagonist. On the other hand, there is stylistic fusion: from symphonic music from the beginning of the 20th century to later jazz elements. Above all, the tango is always present – like Tyzik, Alarcón was clearly inspired by the work of Astor Piazzolla. The title is a reference to Piazzolla’s most famous pieces, such as Libertango or Violentango.
Guest Soloist: Michael Jamieson
Michael, originally from Taranaki, began playing at 14 and studied at Victoria and Massey Universities (NZSM). In 2000, he was a winner in the inaugural Duo Competition at Victoria University. He also received the Patricia Pratt Scholarship which enabled him to study the Netherlands and France with some of the world’s best tutors. Michael is in demand as an orchestral player and has played with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, APO and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, among many others. He has been a soloist in works by Glazunov, Villa-Lobos and Debussy and is an active teacher and chamber musician. Since returning to New Zealand in 2013, he has founded the NZ Saxophone Society and the NZ Classical Saxophone Summer School and Festival. Currently, he teaches at the University of Auckland and is completing a doctorate at the University of Canterbury. Michael is a D’Addario, Buffet-Crampon and Selmer-Paris performing artist.
Riffs – Jeff Tyzik
Concerti (pieces for a soloist accompanied by orchestra or band) may be common, but Riffs is an incredibly unique piece – a concerto for drumset. It is a one-movement composition in three sections, which include a fast swing, a heavy medium swing and an Afro-Cuban finale that turns the wind ensemble into a huge jazz ensemble with the jazz drum soloist leading the way. This work was premiered by Michael Burritt and the Eastman Wind Ensemble conducted by Mark Scatterday at the Chicago Midwest Clinic in December 2009.
Soloist: Josh Siaki
“Music has always meant a lot to me. I started playing the drums at age six, and Chad Davenport introduced me to the world of percussion while I was at intermediate school. This opened many doors for me, and set me along my path. I joined West City Concert Band in 2018, and this further inspired me to keep pushing myself; going on to study percussion at the University of Auckland where I am finishing my second year studying under the principal percussionist at the APO. Though I am no longer a regular member of the band, I thoroughly enjoy the opportunities when I get to return to West City, and it will always hold a strong place in my heart.”