Program Notes

AT A GLANCE

Title: Fanfare for the Common Man
By: Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
Composed: 1942
Length: 3:30 minutes
Instrumentation: 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, tam-tam

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

• Born in Brooklyn, New York as the youngest of five.
• Began composing music at age eight.
• Credited for blending American folk music with classical style, creating the “American Sound.”
• His signature “Americana” compositional style continues to influence American composers.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Aaron Copland composed Fanfare for the Common Man in 1942 in response to the United States’ entry into World War II. Commissioned for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the work honors the dignity and resilience of everyday people. Scored for brass and percussion, its broad, spaced harmonies create a sense of openness and gravity. The deliberate pacing allows each gesture to feel monumental without becoming overstated. Rather than celebrating military triumph, the music elevates shared human strength and quiet courage. Its enduring presence in concert halls reflects its ability to convey solemn pride and collective identity.

AT A GLANCE

Title: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47: Mvts. 1 & 4
By: Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
Composed: 1937
Length: ~30 minutes
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, Eb clarinet, 2 bassoon, contrabassoon, 4 horn, 3 Bb trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, celesta, violin, viola, cello, bass

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

• Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
• Career defined by Soviet censorship.
• Composed fifteen symphonies and fifteen string quartets.
• Known to write symphonies in his head before putting pen to paper.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony was written at a critical juncture in Shostakovich’s career, since for the first time -and not the last- he had to navigate the peril of Stalin’s disapproval. Disapproval from the regime was a matter of life or death, meaning every note in the piece carries more weight than we can ever know. It was received with widespread enthusiasm as it was written in accordance with the censorship bureau’s “easily accessible” expectation of Soviet music. Shostakovich publicly described his new work as “a Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism.” Privately, he is rumored to say that the finale was a satirical picture of the dictator, deliberately hollow but dressed up as exuberant hypocrisy. One can hear a two-faced nature throughout the piece, as well as moments where Shostakovich navigates having to write how he was told to versus how he wished.

AT A GLANCE

Title: Song of Hope
By: Pete Meechan (b.1980)
Composed: 2020
Length: 4:30 minutes
Instrumentation: 3 trumpet soloists, 4 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, glockenspiel, suspended cymbal, tam-tam

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

• Canadian-British Composer from Nuneaton, UK.
• Primarily composes for Brass Bands.
• 9th winner of the “Canadian Composer Award”.
• Music performed globally, including the Royal Albert Concert Hall, London, UK.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Originally the second movement of the composer’s cornet concerto, Meechan was asked to arrange a version of that movement for an ensemble at the off-hand request of his close friend Ryan. Song of Hope is a piece written for the composer’s dear friend, Ryan Anthony, following his diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. This piece was arranged during peak quarantine of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. It carries the weight of sickness behind its composition. Although tumultuous times inspired the piece, the composer says the following, “seeing the destruction and hatred on our streets, and where love and empathy feel devastatingly lacking, the core idea of arranging this piece […] comes directly from the message Ryan carried with him every day of his incredible battle with cancer: hope.” (Meechan, 2020)

AT A GLANCE

Title: Summon the Heroes
By: John Williams (b. 1932)
Composed: 1996
Length: 6:15 minutes
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, piccolo (+flute), 2 oboes, English horn (+oboe), 2 clarinets, bass clarinet (+clarinet), 2 bassoons, Contrabassoon (+bassoon), 4 horns, 6 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello, bass

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

• Most popular living American composer.
• Williams started composing for TV, but made his big break on Jaws.
• Known for movie soundtracks such as: Harry Potter, Star Wars, Indiana Jones.
• Three-time composer for the Olympics.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Composed and premiered for the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia, Summon the Heroes opens how any opening ceremony of the Olympics opens, with a triumphant entry fanfare. A rich and intense brass beginning signifies the hard work of those who diligently prepare their whole lives for the moment of the Olympics, marked by a trumpet solo emerging from soundscape, signifying the individual triumph as much as the joint effort of the entire ensemble -much like the olympics. A secondary march section develops, building excitement as the fanfare returns, inspiring those who listen to the endless possibilities of competition. Unlike many of William’s compositions, Summon the Heroes puts an emphasis on the brass section, making a vivacious and brilliant piece that truly has only one stage for performance: the Olympics.

AT A GLANCE

Title: Three Pieces from Schindler’s List
By: John Williams (b. 1932)
Composed: 1993
Length: 15 minutes
Instrumentation: 3 flutes (+2 alto flutes & piccolo), oboe, English horn, 3 clarinets (+bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, 3 horns, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta, violin, viola, cello, bass

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

• Most popular living American composer.
• Williams started composing for TV, but made his big break on Jaws.
• Known for movie soundtracks such as: Harry Potter, Star Wars, Indiana Jones.
• Changed composition style for this soundtrack, stepping away from brass fanfares.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Theme from Schindler’s List: The suite opens with the film’s memorable main theme, a profoundly sad and prayer-like solo violin melody. The piece immediately establishes the serious and sorrowful tone of the work, introducing a deeply felt sense of nostalgia and lamentation that defines the entirety of the work. The haunting melody, which rises and falls with a lyrical, soulful quality, serves as a leitmotif throughout the film, representing the immense suffering and loss endured by the Jewish people.

Jewish Town (Krakow Ghetto — Winter ’41): In the second movement of this piece, Williams draws on a sense of desperation clashing with conformity. The solo violin plays a hauntingly painful melody inspired by Jewish tradition -the music of traveling-, which is engulfed in an environment of slow and dark sounds of a march being forced into attention, eventually pulling the violin solo into this march as well. This musical texture is both melancholy and resolute, hinting at the wry humor and deep cultural spirit of the Jewish community even in the face of immense hardship.

Remembrances: Reminiscent of the main theme, a soulful lament in ABA form cries out in remembrance of the millions of innocent lost during the second world war. Written as a musical epilogue, this movement is the last piece of the film, written for a scene where the real life survivors, known as “Schindlerjuden,” visit Oskar Schindler’s grave.

AT A GLANCE

Title: The Tender Land Suite
By: Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
Composed: 1955
Length: 21 minutes
Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta, violin, viola, cello, bass

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

• Born in Brooklyn, New York as the youngest of five.
• Began composing music at age eight.
• Credited for blending American folk music with classical style, creating the “American Sound.”
• His signature “Americana” compositional style continues to influence American composers.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Tenderlands Suite, written by American composer Aaron Copland, is an orchestral revision of Copland ’s only full length opera. The opera, which was received less than enthusiastically by the public, was written from inspiration of American sharecroppers and photography of rural Americans hard at work. Revised in 1955 to an orchestral suite, the piece has three movements; however, for today’s performance we will be playing the second and third movements titled: Party Scene, and Finale: Promise of Living.

During this performance, one can listen to the music and imagine the parts of life we cherish; we invite you to observe the imagery behind the ensemble of our community. We would like to thank those who contributed photos!