Carolyn Bremer forged a path as a composer after extensive training as a double bass
player. She studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, the
California Institute of Arts in Santa Clarita, and the University of California, Santa
Barbara, and later in her career served as associate director of the Bob Cole
Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach. She composed Early
Light for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, which premièred the work in 1995. Its
musical material is derived primarily from “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In this bright and
uplifting piece, Bremer—a passionate baseball fan since childhood— frames her
excitement at hearing the national anthem before ball games. The percussive slap
heard near the end echoes the crack of the bat on a long home run.

This composition is a transcription by the composer from his New England Triptych:
Three Pieces for Orchestra after William Billings, of which When Jesus Wept is the
second movement. The composer wrote the following program note:
“William Billings (1746–1800) is a major figure in the history of American music. The
works of this dynamic composer capture the spirit of sinewy ruggedness, deep
religiosity, and patriotic fervor that we associate with the Revolutionary period. Despite
the undeniable crudities and technical shortcomings of his music, its appeal even today
is forceful and moving. I am not alone among American composers who feel an identity
with Billings, and it is this sense of identity that accounts for my use of his music as a
point of departure. New England Triptych does not constitute a fantasy on themes of
Billings, nor variations on his themes, but rather a fusion of styles and musical
language.”
Schuman used the text of the hymn in its original round form, and the movement
functions as the central prelude to the third movement, Chester. The composition calls
for controlled, sensitive, legato playing from the ensemble. The solo euphonium and
trumpet parts are demanding in range, color, and intonation. When performed in
succession, the composer wished for movements two and three to be performed
virtually attacca.

When Jesus wept, the falling tear
in mercy flowed beyond all bound;
when Jesus mourned, a trembling fear
seized all the guilty world around.

The tune on which this composition is based was born during the very time of the
American Revolution, appearing in 1778 in a book of tunes and anthems composed
by William Billings called The Singing Master’s Assistant. This book became known
as Billings’ Best following as it did his first book called The New England Psalm
Singer, published in 1770. Chester was so popular that it was sung throughout the
colonies from Vermont to South Carolina. It became the song of the American
Revolution, sung around the campfires of the Continental Army and played by fifers on
the march. The music and words, both composed by Billings, expressed perfectly the
burning desire for freedom which sustained the colonists through the difficult years of
the Revolution.

Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
And Slav’ry clank her galling chains,
We fear them not, We trust in God, 
New England’s God forever reigns.

The Foe comes on with haughty stride,
Our troops advance with martial noise,
Their Vet’rans flee, before our Youth,
And Gen’rals yield to beardless Boys.

What grateful Off’ring shall we bring?
What shall we render to this Lord?
Loud Hallelujah let us sing,
And praise His Name on Ev’ry Chord.

Of Our New Day Begun was written to honor nine beautiful souls who lost their lives to
a callous act of hatred and domestic terrorism on the evening of June 17, 2015, while
worshipping in their beloved sanctuary, the historic Emanuel African Methodist
Episcopal Church (affectionately referred to as “Mother Emanuel”) in Charleston, South
Carolina. My greatest challenge in creating this work was walking the line between
reverence for the victims and their families, and honoring my strong, bitter feelings
towards both the perpetrator and the segments of our society that continue to create
people like him. I realized that the most powerful musical expression I could offer
incorporated elements from both sides of that line – embracing my pain and anger while
being moved by the displays of grace and forgiveness demonstrated by the victims’
families.
Historically, black Americans have, in great number, turned to the church to find refuge
and grounding in the most trying of times. Thus, the musical themes and ideas for Of
Our New Day Begun are rooted in the Black American church tradition. The piece is
anchored by James and John Johnson’s time-honored song, Lift Every Voice and
Sing (known endearingly as the “Negro National Anthem”), and peppered with blues
harmonies and melodies. Singing, stomping, and clapping are also prominent features
of this work, as they have always been a mainstay of black music traditions, and the
inclusion of the tambourine in these sections is a direct nod to black worship services.
This work received its premiere on February 20, 2016, at the College Band Directors
National Association (CBDNA) Conference, held at The Gaillard Center in Charleston,
South Carolina. Members of the Mother Emanuel AME congregation were in
attendance.
This work was commissioned by a consortium led by Dr. Gary Schallert and Dr. Jeff
Bright of Western Kentucky University to honor the nine victims and families of the June
17, 2015, terrorist attack on Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, SC.
Program Note by Omar Thomas

David Maslanka was born in Bedford, Massachusetts in 1943. He attended Oberlin
College Conservatory, where he studied composition. He spent a year at the
Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and did graduate work in composition at Michigan
State University. Maslanka’s music for winds has become especially well known. Among
his more than 150 works are over 50 pieces for wind ensemble, including eight
symphonies, seventeen concertos, a Mass, and many concert pieces. His compositions
are informed by his deep connection to the natural world. This connection permeates
his music and results in powerful works imbued with a wealth of spiritual and
environmental meaning
Mother Earth (A Fanfare) was commissioned by and is dedicated to Brian Silvey and
the South Dearborn High School Band of Aurora, Indiana. The dark fanfare is based on
the short poem by the influential, medieval friar St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of
animals and the environment:

Praised by You, my Lord, for our sister, MOTHER EARTH,
Who nourishes us and teaches us,
Bringing forth all kinds of fruits and colored flowers and herbs.

Both the title and concept of Sound and Smoke were derived from a line from Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe’s play Faust, when Faust equates words to “mere sound and
smoke” and declares that “feeling is everything.” Each of the two movements has been
given an abstract, parenthetical title to further incorporate Goethe’s conjecture that
words will never be able to fully express what feelings and, in this case, music can.
Therefore, these titles serve merely as starting points for personal interpretation and
should not interfere with the music itself.
The first movement, (feudal castle lights), blurs the many different timbres of the
ensemble to create a resonant and slowly “smoldering” effect. Because reverb is
essentially built into the orchestration, harmonies must shift using common tones and
are always built upon the notes preceding them. The second and final movement,
(avalanche of eyes), opens with an alternating unison-note brass fanfare that is then
spun out into a fast-paced toccata. Suspense and excitement are created as the
spotlight moves quickly between the various colors of the ensemble and the fanfare is
transformed.
The original concept of “sound and smoke” unifies these two otherwise dissimilar
movements; often times ideas are presented and then promptly left behind or
transformed. Musical events therefore appear and dissipate as quickly as sound and
smoke.
-Program note by Viet Cuong