Vicki Deken
The Arizona Wind Symphony closes out its 2017/2018 season with dance music from around the world with music by Sullivan, Susato, Arnold, Bennett, Reed and more. ”Bandancing” takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 12, at the Tempe Center for the Arts (700 W. Rio Salado Parkway). On this night, the AWS also welcomes guest conductor Wayne Bailey from Arizona State University.
Tielman Susato was a Renaissance composer whose roots are from the Netherlands. His music is rarely performed by large ensembles, as small chamber music was the style of the period (the 1500s). In 2002, Patrick Dunnigan set some of his melodies to be played by band; they were originally scored for four recorders. The AWS will perform some of those selections.
Pineapple Poll is a suite based on music written by Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan fame. Due to copyright legalities, the music was only adapted in instrumental form and thus became a ballet. This suite weaves together themes from the ballet.
Englishman Malcolm Arnold was asked to compose some dances in the style of Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances. The result was two suites called “English Dances.” The Arizona Wind Symphony will perform set 1 of this multi-movement work.
Australian pianist Percy Grainger – Percy was known for having some odd personal habits. In the musical world, he took the selection “Shepherd’s Hey” – a musical dance from the English dancing style called Morris (still danced by ‘Morris Men’ in England). This piece is one of the classic band works.
American composer Alfred Reed wrote several suites of “Armenian Dances.” Although the full work presents five traditional Armenian dance melodies, the AWS will present the fast-paced finale. This melody is called “Gna, Gna” which translates to “Go, Go.”
The “Suite of Old American Dances” was premiered by the famous Edwin Franco Goldman band in Central Park in 1949. Composed by Robert Russell Bennett, it is one of the more popular band. The work is presented in five different movements.
Guest Conductor Wayne Bailey is no stranger to Tempe and the Arizona Wind Symphony. He is in his final semester as faculty at Arizona State University where he also served as Director of the School of Music for six years dating back to 2000. When not in Arizona, Wayne resides in Seattle, Washington, and conducts the Seattle Wind Symphony, a group similar to that of the Arizona Wind Symphony. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Concert Bands, an organization which furthers the growth of community bands across the United States.
What: Bandancing – Dances from Around the World
When: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 12, 2018
Where: Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 West Rio Salado Parkway
Tickets: $10 plus service fees; K-12 students $7; children under 6 years free. Tickets are available at the TCA Box Office or through http://tca.ticketforce.com/.
Now in its 17th season, the Arizona Wind Symphony is under the musical direction of William J. Richardson. It has grown to be a 95-piece concert band comprised of adults whose careers cover a broad range including teaching, health care, music professionals, computer science and many more. The common thread among the band members is to present music of the highest caliber. The group is a Tempe-based, non-profit organization, funded in part by the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the City of Tempe. You can find more information at arizonawindsymphony.com. Follow the Arizona Wind Symphony on Facebook by searching for “Arizona Wind Symphony.”
The last presentation of the year (Music Under the Stars) will be outside at the Tempe Center for the Arts Amphitheater on Friday, April 27.