Wind Ensemble accepts prestigious performance invitations

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
September 7, 2010

The Wind Ensemble at Texas State University-San Marcos Wind Ensemble has accepted invitations to perform at the 2011 Texas Music Educators Association Convention on Feb. 10 and the National Conference of the College Band Directors National Association on March 24 in Seattle, Wash.

The ensemble was selected for each performance through a juried process involving live recordings from the 2009 fall semester.

The concert for TMEA will be held at Lila Cockrell Theater in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio at 2:00 p.m. The tentative program for the convention is as follows:

  • Celebration Overture, Op. 61 (1955) Paul Creston
  • Tower Ascending (2009) Wayne Oquin
  • Ecstatic Waters (2008) Steven Bryant
  • Across the Groaning Continent from Symphony No. 1 (2009) Jonathan Newman
  • The Battle of Shiloh (1888) C.L. Barnhouse/arr. Paynter

Tower Ascending, a work composed by Texas State Distinguished Alumnus Wayne Oquin, will feature Vanguel Tangarov, new adjunct instructor of clarinet at Texas State. The work is dedicated to the former conductor of the Texas State Wind Ensemble, John Stansberry, who worked closely with Oquin when he began composing during his undergraduate days in San Marcos. Also featured on the program will be Ecstatic Waters, a monumental work for wind ensemble and electronics by Steven Bryant. The program closes with the exciting march The Battle of Shiloh by legendary bandmaster C.L. Barnhouse.

Immediately following their performance in San Antonio, the ensemble will begin preparations for a concert on a prominent national stage. Nearly 30 ensembles from across the country applied for performance at the 2011 National Conference of the College Band Directors National Association, and Texas State was among seven ensembles selected to perform. The CBDNA holds biannual national conferences, with divisional conferences held in non-national years. In 2008, the Texas State Wind Ensemble performed the finale concert of the Southwest Division Conference in Kansas City, Mo. Next year’s conference will be held on the campus of the University of Washington, with Texas State’s performance taking place in the Meany Hall for the Performing Arts at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 24. The program includes the following works:

  • Frenergy (1998/2005) John Estacio/arr. Fraser Linklater
  • Folk Tune (1923/1942) Eugene Goosens/arr. Percy Grainger
  • Symphony No. 1 My Hands Are a City (2008/2009) Jonathan Newman
  • Music from The Redneck Songbook (2011) Scott McAllister
    World Premiere Performance

The spring semester will feature collaboration with four composers in preparation for the performance of their works, one of which is a world premiere. Scott McAllister, currently a composer on the faculty of Baylor University, is writing a 12-15 minute, multiple-movement work entitled Music from the Redneck Songbook II. He will work with the Texas State Wind Ensemble during the fall and spring semesters as he finishes each movement, with the potential of a preview on the ensemble’s November concert. Schueller is leading the consortium that commissioned the work, one that includes universities from across the country.

Along with the aforementioned Oquin, two other composers will work with the ensemble on works they have already composed. Texas State was a consortium participant for Jonathan Newman’s Symphony No. 1 “My Hands Are a City.” The 27 minute, three-movement work is based on the mid-20th century “Beat” culture, with influences such as Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and Robert Frank from the worlds of music, poetry and photography. The symphony will be performed on campus on Oct. 1 and Newman will be on campus to work with the ensemble during the week leading up to the concert. He will also attend the performances in San Antonio and Seattle.

Steven Bryant is no stranger to the Texas State campus. He was the Department of Bands Visiting Artist in 2009 (Newman was the Visiting Artist in 2008) and will return to operate the electronics for his Ecstatic Waters, an exciting, emotional and reflective piece. The ensemble will perform the work on its Nov. 21 program in Evans Auditorium, with Bryant present for the February performance in San Antonio.

For more information about the Texas State Wind Bands, please visit
www.txstate.edu/bands. For more information about the outstanding composers and their music, please visit:
www.lydmusic.com (web home of Scott McAllister)
www.jonathannewman.com
www.stevenbryant.com
www.wayneoquin.com