Winter Band Concert Program

For the New Day Arisen was commissioned for the dedication of the new George Washington Carver Middle School in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Steven Barton (b. 1954) is an American composer and percussionist. Barton lives in Virginia and worked as a band director in Chesterfield County, where he taught marching band, concert bands, the jazz ensemble, and music theory. He performs as a freelance percussionist in the Richmond area, playing with many community bands, churches, and dance bands. Currently, he performs with the Keystone Wind Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Jack Stamp.

Originally composed for unaccompanied voices with his own text as inspiration and sampled works such as Sanctuary, Earth Song unites the power of words and images with melody, harmony, and dynamics to blend this work into a tonal analogue of emotive life.

The following is Ticheli’s original text:

Sing, be, live, see

This dark stormy hour

The wind, it stirs

The scorched Earth cries out in vain

Oh war and power, you blind and blur

The torn heart cries out in pain

But music and singing have been my refuge

And music and singing shall be my light

A light of song, shining strong

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Through darkness and pain and strife

I'll sing, I'll be, live, see

Peace

Commissioned by and dedicated to the Faubion Middle School Band for its performance at the 2012 Midwest Clinic.

Frank Ticheli is an award-winning American composer and longtime USC professor, is praised for music that is both expressive and brilliantly crafted. His orchestral and wind band works are widely performed around the world, and he frequently appears as a guest conductor internationally. Throughout his career, he has earned numerous prestigious honors, reflecting his significant influence on contemporary concert music.

Powerful, cinematic music from some of the world’s most beloved video games comes to life in this exciting concert-band arrangement. This medley features themes from Assassin’s Creed III, Fullmetal Alchemist, Skyrim, Naruto, and Civilization IV—franchises whose cultural reach is enormous. Skyrim alone has sold over 60 million copies worldwide, placing it among the best-selling games in history, while Civilization IV surpassed 3 million copies sold, and Assassin’s Creed III reached over 12 million players.

These games have shaped entire generations of fans, not only through gameplay but through their unforgettable soundtracks. From soaring heroic melodies to introspective, emotional themes, Paul Murtha’s arrangement unifies these iconic musical worlds into a vivid, powerful concert experience. The result celebrates the artistry, impact, and global popularity of modern game music—and why these themes resonate so strongly both inside and far beyond the gaming community.

American Riversongs is based on traditional and composed music of an earlier time, when the rivers and waterways were the lifelines of a growing nation. American Riversongs begins with a rousing setting of "Down the River," followed by an expansive and dramatic treatment of "Shenandoah," or "Across The Wide Missouri," as it is sometimes called. After a brief transition, a brass band is heard playing a quadrille-like version of Stephen Foster's "The Glendy Burk." As the "Glendy Burk" travels along, a second theme is introduced by piccolo, flutes and tambourine. The second theme is based on a Creole bamboula tune that probably originated in the Louisiana delta region. Other composers have used this melody, including Louis Moreau Gottschalk in his La Bamboula, Op. 2 for piano and his Symphony No. 1, subtitled A Night In The Tropics. The bamboula theme is marked by an incessant syncopated ragtime rhythm and used to good effect in the coda to bring American Riversongs to a rowdy, foot-stomping close!

Pierre LaPlante (1943-2024) was an American composer who grew up in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he was a composition student of James Christensen. LaPlante played bassoon with the Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra. Before retirement, he taught general music and beginning band at Pecatonica Elementary School in Blanchardsville, Wisconsin, for 25 years. LaPlante adjudicated for solo and ensemble contests and played bassoon in regional orchestras, including the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and the Beloit-Janesville Symphony.

Program note from the composer: Commissioned by the Bowling Green State University Band Alumni Association, All the Earth and Air was written in honor of Dr. Bruce Moss and his 30th anniversary as Director of Bands at BGSU.

In writing a work that celebrates Dr. Moss' significant and lasting contributions to music education, I chose to delve into his early years, rooted in the picturesque landscapes of Kingsport, Tennessee. While traditionally structured in ABA form, my goal was to provide a dynamic exploration of the vivacious spirit and introspective depth he is known for. An intriguing aspect of the work is the thematic connection to ZIP codes, deriving inspiration from Kingsport, TN and Bowling Green, OH. These motives are interwoven throughout the piece, serving as the foundations for the majority of melodic material and reflecting Dr. Moss' clever and memorable fascination with numbers and places.

The title All the Earth and Air draws inspiration from the Percy Bysse Shelley poem, "To a Skylark." Much like the skylark's music encompassing the vast expanse of the sky, the resonant echo of Dr. Moss' boundless influence continues to permeate the lives of his colleagues and former students.

Tyler S. Grant is an internationally recognized composer, arranger, conductor, and clinician of music for concert bands, orchestras, and chamber ensembles of all levels. Since 2010, Tyler has regularly accepted commissions for new works and produced new publications for bands and orchestras each year. He has served as a clinician with over 150 school instrumental music programs and honor groups across more than 25 states. Before becoming a full-time composer and arranger, Tyler served as the Director of Bands at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School from 2019-2023. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and maintains an active composing and conducting schedule. 

Sammy Nestico’s A Fireside Christmas brings together four familiar holiday favorites: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Winter Wonderland, and The Christmas Song. All were written during the mid-20th century, a time when radio and early popular music helped turn these tunes into the classics we still hear everywhere today.

Nestico’s arrangement moves easily from one song to the next, highlighting what makes each melody memorable while bringing to life to the familiar favorites. It also showcases his ability to adapt popular styles to the band's symphonic brass and woodwind sections.

Sammy Nestico (1924–2021) was a prolific American composer and arranger. Over a career that began near the end of the swing era and ran through bebop, cool jazz and well into the rock ‘n’ roll era, Nestico wrote some 600 published arrangements, many of them his own compositions. His work also extended to writing for major artists like Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Sara Vaughan, Phil Collins and more, as well as TV shows, commercials and movies. He was also a respected trombonist. But it was his longtime association with Basie that made him jazz royalty. His manuscripts, recordings, and personal papers are preserved in the Library of Congress for public research and study.

Composed in 1956 for the Eastern Music Education Conference, A Festival Prelude has become one of Alfred Reed’s most enduring and celebratory works for concert band. Reed opens with a bold brass fanfare that quickly unfolds into a sweeping, lyric main theme—music that captures both the grandeur and joy of a significant ceremonial occasion. The piece is rich in contrast: energetic rhythmic figures give way to warm, expressive melodies before returning to a triumphant finale. With its clear structure, vibrant colors, and uplifting spirit, A Festival Prelude remains a staple of the wind band repertoire.

This well-known folk song, rooted in John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera (1728), has appeared in many versions over the centuries, from its publication in The Bardic Museum (1802) to the Welsh song Llwyn Onn (1806) and the familiar lyrics by Thomas Oliphant. The tune has also been used for several hymns, and the ash tree itself holds deep significance in Celtic, Welsh, and Norse mythology as a symbol of protection, renewal, and sacred places.

This reimagining of The Ash Grove develops motifs from the original melody while weaving through long hemiolas and shifting meters, all while keeping a steady underlying pulse. Rather than focusing on the traditionally mournful lyrics, this setting celebrates the ash grove as a place of magic, mystery, and joyful energy.

Bursting with energy and vibrant color, Havana Nights is Randall D. Standridge’s musical tribute to the rhythms and spirit of Cuban dance music. Drawing inspiration from styles such as mambo, cha-cha, and salsa, the piece features driving percussion, syncopated grooves, and bold melodic lines that bring the excitement of a Havana street festival to the concert stage.

Standridge balances infectious rhythmic momentum with lyrical interludes, allowing the ensemble to showcase both precision and expressive phrasing. The result is a dynamic, audience-friendly work that celebrates culture, movement, and joy—an irresistible musical “night out” in Havana.

featuring - Corey Pajarillo & Mr. Reid Larsen

One of Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s most iconic works, Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 blends the beloved carols “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “Carol of the Bells” into a dramatic, electrified symphonic rock setting. First released in 1996, the piece tells the story of a lone cellist performing in the ruins of war-torn Sarajevo on Christmas Eve, offering music as a symbol of hope amid devastation.

Driving rhythms, powerful dynamic contrasts, and rock-inspired energy create a cinematic experience for performers and audiences alike. The combination of familiar melodies with TSO’s signature intensity has made Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 a modern holiday classic.