For those of us whose introduction to music came by way of public school band programs, no discussion of that medium would be complete without some reference to John Philip Sousa. His marches were challenging to perform, but once mastered, they left you with a genuine sense of accomplishment. More importantly, they whetted an appetite to play more. Today, the thrill of hearing a first-rate ensemble tackle a Sousa march remains an incomparable joy. The Oklahoma City Philharmonic's recent pops concert pair reinforced that feeling, thanks to the efforts of conductor Keith Brion and his re-creation of a typical Sousa concert. Sousa's concerts were meticulously organized, swiftly paced and musically diverse. But Sousa offered his audiences one added benefit: the element of surprise. Instead of tacking on an encore or two at concert's end, Sousa would sprinkle his programs with a half-dozen or more, each identified by a poster-size card bearing the march's name. Sousa composed 136 marches, each a miniature gem featuring an infectious array of melodies, carefully-chosen harmonies and a rhythmic drive that was rarely interrupted. Brion opened with Ambroise Thomas' overture to "Raymond," an attractive curtain raiser that spotlighted the orchestra's collective musical talents. Before the applause had completely faded, Brion segued immediately into what is widely considered the most popular newspaper march ever written: "The Washington Post." The concert continued in similar fashion with a mix of marches, concert works and solo features. Karl Sievers, Charleen Ayers and Nancy Stizza-Ortega proved to be accomplished soloists in works for cornet, soprano voice and piccolo respectively. Bellstadt's "Napoli" (for cornet) and Damare's "Through the Air" (for piccolo) fall under the heading of novelty features. But Sousa, and by extension, Brion, never treated them as such. If they were worthy of being programmed, they deserved just as much attention as an orchestral classic. Ayers tackled "Juliet's Waltz Song" from Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet" but was more convincing still in Victor Herbert's "Romany Life." Other works allowed Brion to shine the spotlight on one of the orchestra's many sections: the trombones gleefully smearing their way through Henry Fillmore's "Lassus Trombone," the percussion creating an entire toy box of sounds in Sousa's "Variations on Gershwin's Swanee," and the cellos sounding especially lush in Percy Grainger's "Irish Tune from County Derry." Sousa enthusiasts had ample opportunities to satisfy their martial desires with a selection of marches that included "The Power and the Glory," "U.S. Field Artillery," "Semper Fidelis" and "Hail to the Spirit of Liberty." The highlight for me was "Daughters of Texas," a little-known Sousa march that my public school band had played for contest 40 years ago. While Sousa is best remembered today for his marches, he was also adept at writing in other musical genres, as evident in Brion's choice of "Songs of Grace and Songs of Glory." Incorporating the hymn "Nearer My God to Thee," this moving work resulted from Sousa's desire to offer something reverential for his Sunday concerts. Sousa's fervent patriotism found vivid expression in works such as "Hail to the Spirit of Liberty" and, since 1987, the official march of the United States: "The Stars and Stripes Forever." In keeping with that spirit of flag-waving, Brion paid tribute to servicemen past and present with a medley that spotlighted each of the five branches of the U.S. military. You wouldn't trust just anyone with the responsibility of preserving and promoting the music of an American icon such as Sousa. But thanks to the efforts of people such as Brion, Sousa's place in American music will always be secure. Perhaps Brion put it best when he said, "I feel like I've been given the keys to the kingdom, so I see myself as someone who has a legacy to take care of. Bravo!
ALAN HOVHANESS
John Wallace (trumpet)
Naxos- 8.559207(CD)
Three of Alan Hovhaness' six symphonies for wind ensemble are included on this Naxos release. After hearing these, I'm eagerly waiting for the label to get to the other three. All of the ensemble playing is flawless, the many solos are ravishingly beautiful, and conductor Keith Brion's grasp of the music results in performances I can't imagine being bettered, surpassing even the classic Mercury Living Presence recording by the late Frederick Fennell and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. The symphonies are separated by two of the composer's works for trumpet and band, the solo part played by Scotland's great trumpeter John Wallace. He soars ecstatically above his colleagues in the Prayer of Saint Gregory, and his more varied part in Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places (the most aggressive music on the disc) achieves a threatening quality without ever losing beauty of tone. Hovhaness' style is so distinctive, and his oeuvre so vast, that it's easy to tag him as having written the same piece over and over. And it is true that these works share many of the same elements: long, arching modal melodies, rich triadic harmonies laced with non-harmonic chiming notes, "spirit murmurs", and fluent, noble fugues. But there is enough difference in the inspiration of these works, and enough stylistic development, that you don't really get an impression of sameness. And there are many passages that haunt the memory: the flowing oboe and harp duet at the heart of the Fourth Symphony; the crossing trombone portamentos in the same work; the gorgeous fugue for all of the bell-like instruments in "Star Dawn"; the emergence from the frightening eruption that represents the "Desolate Places". The recording was made in a church in Paisley, Scotland, and the venue contributes just the right mixture of spaciousness and intimacy to suit the music. If you are the sort of record collector who keeps alert for good new releases of unusual repertoire, this is a disc with the musical values and production quality that you always are hoping for. --Joseph Stevenson
Sometimes it feels good to step back in time - like at least a half century or so. Like Thursday evening's "Sousa At The Symphony" at the Phil, which was, as it turned out, also a "Patriotic Pops." Nestled in the midst of those two themes was the only incongruous music of the evening: a touch of opera, sung by Lee Merrill, a lyric soprano with a marvelous voice. Who cared? She was marvelous, capturing the hearts of the audience, first with "Adele's Laughing Song" from "Die Fledermaus," then with such immortals from Kern's "Showboat" as "Why Do I Love You," "Bill," and "You Are Love." A bonus, Puccini's exquisite "O Mio Babbino Caro," was a crowd favorite. Patriotism was rampant throughout the two-plus hours, not just on stage, but off. Several members of the audience sported American flag designs on their ties, scarves or sweaters. The stage was adorned with the familiar red, white and blue bunting. Naples High School's JROTC color guard unit marched smartly across the stage at the onset of the program. Five local residents, resplendent in full military dress, represented the armed forces during the annual Parade of the Services: Maj. Gen. Rudolph D. Bartholomew, U.S. Air Force; Cpl. Howard C. Terry, U.S. Marine Corps; Capt. Edward Cassidy, U.S. Coast Guard; First Lt. Corbin A. Wyant, U.S. Army; and Capt. Donald Peacock, U.S. Navy. Virtually every man (and several women), it seemed, stood during the playing of familiar refrains from their various military branches. The crowd got some exercise, too. They stood for the "Star-Spangled Banner." They stood and sang "God Bless America." They sang, clapped and whistled during various other selections. Yes, it felt good to wander down memory lane and step back in time. Back to a time when your grandparents and their friends were captured on now faded photographs, smiling, their picnic baskets brimming with real fried chicken and preservative-free home-grown vegetables, mile-high biscuits with real butter and preserves, the aroma of freshly baked pies and cobblers wedded to the delicate fragrance of crabapple blossoms and lilacs. The omnipresent bandshell was nearby, as was, of course, the pure, crystal clear river or lake, where everyone swam without the threat of toxic waste, or pedophiles and lunatics lurking nearby to snatch and savage happy children playing Hide and Seek in the woods. It was for these people, whose lives were lived in the key of C major, and for whom church socials were the Elmer's glue of their faith, that Sousa composed. Keith Brion, guest conductor and former director of the Yale University Band, is an admitted Sousaholic. His arrangements, program creations "in the style of Sousa," uniform, gloves, baton and conducting style are part of his meticulous research and attention to detail - guaranteed to provide audiences the feeling they have just stepped back in time. Unlike the other programs in this year's Pops series, this one re-created the ambience of small-town America, particularly during the 1930s, '40s and '50s. The "Nifty Fifties," "Big Band," "Broadway," all either venerated the dawning of television, or took Neapolitans mentally back in time to performances and dances they heard in the "big city." John Philip Sousa and his contemporaries defined small-town America and the surrounding countryside. If you played in the band, it was Sousa's marches that were drilled into your mind. Freezing in the bleachers, your fingers numb, it was Sousa whose marches you most often performed before and during halftime of football games. You sweltered in your wool band uniforms as you sat in the bleachers waiting to perform during basketball games. You nervously awaited your debut playing taps, or your first piccolo solo during "Stars and Stripes Forever," while hundreds of people stood at somber attention in the cemetery on Memorial Day and listened to a student recite Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. You marched to Sousa and his contemporaries at the excitedly awaited county fair, at the State Fair and in countless band competitions. Sousa was performed during Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving parades and services at the cemeteries, on the courthouse square and during political rallies. Every parade (and there were many in small-town America) was influenced by Sousa. In theory, something like 10 selections constituted the "regular" published program Thursday evening, including a few medleys. In actuality, since numerous marches were interspersed, their titles flashed to the audience on large cardboard placards, there were more like 22 selections. That was fine with the audience, all of whom appeared to be having a wonderful time. Principal trumpet Matt Sonneborn received cheers (and a few members of the audience even stood) following his conclusion on cornet of a brisk, very dramatic solo, "From The Shores of the Mighty Pacific." The trombone and baritone sections shined on numerous occasions, standing to performing their fortissimo slides during the aptly title "Miss Trombone." "Auditorium Festival" was a strangely wonderful number, originally composed to give the Pittsburgh Symphony the opportunity to prove they were equal to the Chicago Symphony (this was more than a few years ago); nestled in the midst of the melody were several rounds of "Auld Lang Syne." Principal flautist/piccolo Suzanne Kirton dramatically staggered to the front of the stage, lugging a tuba belonging to the Phil's tuba player, Dennis Nulty. Nulty, who not unsurprisingly resembles a fullback, carried Kirton's tiny piccolo. Pure corn, and the audience loved it. They also loved "The Elephant and the Fly," a duet performed by the two players, as well as Kirton's clear mastery of the tiny instrument, demonstrated during "The Whistler and his Dog." Interspersed in this bouillabaisse of music was the Irish air most commonly known in this country as "Danny Boy." The Phil's cello section gave a particularly fine rendition of this nostalgic number. And interspersed in this and several other later selections were some luscious, heavily vibrattoed sections performed by Concertmaster Glenn Basham and his associate, the always passionate Ming Gao. "Doesn't it make you proud to be an American?" commented one woman in the audience to her friends as they were leaving. Peg Goldberg Longstreth was trained as a classical musician and owns Longstreth-Goldberg art gallery in naples. You may email her at jlongstreth@plgart.com.
The Wichita Symphony Orchestra celebrated John Philip Sousa at its "Sousa at the Symphony" pops concert Saturday night. It also presented a different kind of concert in the Century II Convention Hall -- one where serious and popular music were seamlessly mixed. Though guest conductor Keith Brion set about to recreate the sound and pacing of a Sousa concert as it was heard 100 years ago, he also presented music in a formula that seems perfect for listeners today. Brion was dressed like Sousa in a plain black band uniform with white gloves. He led the orchestra through an opera overture and Sousa's own variation on "Swanee." It also performed "Auditorium Festival," written by Victor Herbert with "Auld Lang Syne" as one of its themes. Soprano Charleen Ayers sang a lilting aria from Gounod's opera "Romeo and Juliette" and three gorgeous songs from the Broadway musical "Showboat." The styles mixed perfectly, partly because Brion and the orchestra (like Sousa before them) didn't differentiate in his treatment of them. Good music is good music, they seemed to say -- just sit back and enjoy it. The full house in the Convention Hall seemed generally pleased throughout the evening -- though one concert-goer was overheard wishing the orchestra would play more Sousa marches. As it was, they were performed as encores after the major songs on the program -- the "Washington Post," "Semper Fidelis," the "U.S. Field Artillery" march. Brion had the audience sing, clap and whistle along, turning to face the audience and conducting it as much as the orchestra. A big hand was reserved for the march "Kansas Wildcats." A couple of instrumental soloists were featured on solo numbers -- Judith Saxton played cornet on "Southern Cross" and Jerry Scholl the xylophone on "Nola." Soprano Ayers was wonderful throughout the evening, but was best singing "Bill" in the "Showboat" medley, in which her sweet smile and luxurious sound conveyed all the excitement and joy of being in love. Brion in the "Sousa at the Symphony" performance was able to mix the silly and the sublime and not miss a beat. The balance in the orchestra was sometimes a bit off. (Amplification must be used in the Convention Hall, and it took a couple of numbers for the sound engineers to dial it in.) And the violins sometimes sounded lost at sea. But the concert's concept was a great one. John Philip Sousa had it right -- he gave the people what they wanted, but he never played down to them. Though he was a star a century ago, his ideas are still good ones for orchestras today.
John Philip Sousa's ghost was not on the podium at the Milwaukee Symphony Pops Thursday afternoon, but almost. Keith Brion, clad in a reproduction of Sousa's custom U.S. Navy uniform, led a program modeled on Sousa's own. Beneath that costume is a good conductor. Brion's economical baton technique drew lively, neatly articulated readings of the Overture of Glinka's "Ruslan and Ludmilla" and E. Strauss' "Clear Track Polka." He could be lyrical, too, as he was in shaping the rounded phrases of Grieg's nostalgic "The Last Spring." He managed the complicated traffic in Percy Grainger's "Clog Dance: Handel in the Strand" and Sousa's "Variations on George Gershwin's 'Swanee' " nicely. (Sousa had a sense of humor, most evident in the "Swanee" variations. They include a startling evocation of a crying baby getting a swat on the bottom.) Sousa's bandsmen were legendary virtuosos, so it was natural for Dennis Najoom to step out of the ranks to play a cornet solo, "Willow Echoes." Frank Simon, Sousa's principal cornetist, composed it; Najoom's lush tone, generous phrasing and etched rhythm did Simon justice. Linda Raymond Siegel played two deeply wacky xylophone solos, "Xylophonia" and "Log Cabin Blues." She was laughing so hard at the end that she almost forgot to take a bow. Sousa balanced hijinks with a high-toned elegance, and Brion followed suit. Soprano Lee Merrill was fetching in her black-and-white gowns. With a boost from amplification, she sang Doretta's Aria from R. Strauss' "La Rondine" and "My dear Marquis" from J. Strauss Jr.'s "Die Fledermaus" prettily, but her two Gershwin songs were too operatic for my taste. There were marches aplenty: "Washington Post," "Semper Fidelis," "Invincible Eagle," "Daughters of Texas" and more. In Brion's hands, they were not crude. Trios glided by elegantly, and marches stepped with a tread that was powerful and determined, but light. The bright buoyancy of this music would put a spring in anyone's step. E-mail Tom Strini at tstrini@journalsentinel.com.
GALA SOUSA CONCERT
The Royal Swedish Navy Band earned a well deserved success (at the Swedish Wind Music Festival) Saturday evening before a full audience in the Pentecostal church. With a program that Sousa's Band might have performed at the turn of the last century, the appreciative audience was treated to an evening full of tuneful melodies and magnificent wind sound. The American conductor Keith Brion has been studying the March King's way of moving, dressing and conducting since 1978, including viewing old movies. Since 1978, (he appeared in 1982 with the Gothenburg Symphony) and still later in 1988 with the Stockholm Wind Orchestra for a concert later filmed for Swedish Television (1990). All the while he has remained busy with Sousa in his own country. This is especially so this year as Sousa's 150th birthday is being celebrated. The popular favorite (among the soloists)without a doubt was Mr. Randefalk....as his name appeared in the historic Sousa style program. His euphonium interpretation of the well-known variations on "The Carnival of Venice" was thoroughly convincing. But, Mr. Stolpestad's version of the William Tell Overture for xylophone also led to a standing ovation. Sousa's......pardon, Brion's clear conducting allowed the orchestra to make music that sounded better and freer than usual. We especially enjoyed the musical playing of the percussion section. We in Sweden have things to learn from this rapid style of programming. The next selection often quickly began before the applause had ended for the previous one. The concert opened elegantly with an old showpiece...the Overture to Light Cavalry and finished with Wagner's Introduction of Act. III of Lohengrin. Between them, among others, were found music by Percy Grainger and Bach. The latter's choral: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring was heard in a transcription by Erik Leidzen, who in American wind music circles is our best known Swedish composer. Between each of the selections of the printed program, various of Sousa's fine marches were performed. A favorite among them was Hands Across the Sea, which Sousa composed when his band was invited to the Paris Exposition at the beginning of the 20th century. One unavoidable extra item is of course The Stars and Stripes Forever, proclaimed in the program as "The greatest march ever written." Nearest of course after (our) Under a Yellow and Blue Flag.
Their act is one of homage rather than simple imitation. True, the uniforms duplicate the late 19th century originals and so does the music, but Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band are no mere copycats. They have been touring for more than two decades, presenting the marches and songs created by a venerated American figure, the composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa (1854-1932). Conductors wanting an upbeat finish to their concerts find it almost mandatory to dispatch audiences with "The Stars and Stripes Forever". Sousa composed more than 100 popular marches and 10 comic operas, the most successful being El Capitan, dating from 1896. He also invented the Sousaphone, an instrument often alluded to as the "raincatcher." Brion and his cohorts not only tap into the original repertoire but convey much of its patriotic style, sound and spirit. Their mission has a special poignancy in these worrisome times. Trim and precise in his military bearing, Brion's firm conducting leaves no doubt as to who's in charge. He can get his musicians to switch from fully vented fortissimo to shy pianissimo in the blink of an eyelid. Just as was done in Sousa's time, printed signs announced titles of the numbers. Among the first was an admirably fused "The Thunderer." This troupe's cohesion is remarkable. One of the original stars of the band is tubist Don Harry, a professor at the Eastman School of Music who also appears with the Buffalo Philharmonic. Unwieldy as his instrument appears, Harry can coax an astonishing range of expression from it, ranging from the gentle bleating of a foghorn to rapid tootling. He ventured from solemnity in Catozzi's "Beelzebub" to humor when duplicating the adventures of a tubist who "played the rhumba on the tuba down in Cuba." A more recent star of the ensemble is soprano Virginia Croskery, a winner in the Third Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition, a veteran of several international tours and of national as well as Broadway performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera." Simply put, she has a full-blown, gorgeous voice. The remainder of this article has been truncated and will be posted if it becomes available...
I had the pleasure of hearing the New Sousa Band Saturday night at the
Midland Center for the Arts. The organization is the brainchild of conductor
Keith Brion who is dedicated to keeping alive the tradition of John Philip
Sousa, the great icon of American bandology and patriotism. Sousa founded the
Marine Band in the late 19th century and then later took his own band on tour
throughout the country, giving two performances a day, seven days a week.
In pursuance of his dream, Brion has assembled a crack team of winds,
brass and percussionists from professional orchestras, university music
faculties and military ensembles, and now has commenced to tour with this
group several times a year.
The Sousa repertoire, as it turns out, is as vibrant and attractive today
as it was at the turn of the century, including overtures, popular melodies,
virtuoso solos, patriotic songs and a liberal sprinkling of the military
marches which were at once Sousa's creations, and his trademark. A capacity
audience filled the MCFTA auditorium and responded with constant toe-tapping
(at least those who sat near me), singing, when requested, and several
standing ovations.
A word must be said about Brion's conducting. Blessedly bereft of knee
bends, he stood at ease, at times barely flicking the baton, and yet always
communicated absolute precision, and intense musicality ... a virtuoso of the
podium is he.
The opening National Anthem gave the flavor of the band's playing style.
Laid back, and smooth in its execution of the notes, the band performed a
song that was elegant in its restraint. The audience joined in with a sweet
communal sound. The concert was sponsored by the Midland Performing Arts
Society.
It was not Brion's purpose to blaze new paths with his repertoire;
familiarity and tradition were the keynotes. Therefore, we heard Von Suppe's
"Light Cavalry Overture," the variations for cornet on "Carnival of Venice"
and "Lassus Trombone," all within the first 15 minutes of the concert. Carl
Rowe easily negotiated divisions upon divisions of "Carnival," and the three
trombones delivered their glissandos on "Lassus" with lock-step expression
and timing. The band in general played as if it was barely dipping into its
reserve of technical ability, and always with near perfect balance,
articulation, dynamics and all the rest.
It was especially enlightening to hear the playing of the Sousa marches.
There was a complete absence of franticness or pomposity in these renditions.
Typically the percussion did not play loudly in the opening strains, but
rather rat-ta-tatted in almost chamber music style. Another rare
characteristic for this kind of music was the absence of rushing by the band.
To top it off, Brion's left hand sculpted sensitively phrased melodies (the
lyrical trios of Sousa!), and well-graded dynamics leading to the climaxes.
Charleen Ayre's stylish soprano voice joined forces with the band several
times, being featured on Juliet's Waltz from Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet" and
on Jerome Kern's great standard, "All the Things You Are." Also special in
the program was Brion's interpretation of Percy Grainger's arrangement of the
"Irish Tune from Country Derry" (otherwise known as the "Londerry Air").
Brion led the timing and development of this piece with great artistry, and
brought a sort of radiance out of the melody and accompanying voices.
Showmanship also played a strong role in this concert as platoons of
piccolos, or brass trouped to the front of the stage to display their wares,
and an American flag lowered behind the band at the playing of the "Stars and
Stripes Forever." Another nice idea was having Miss Ayer lead the audience in
the singing of a George M. Cohen medley, and "God Bless America."
In a moving gesture, Brion had veterans of the various military services
stand in the audience as the particular identifying music of each service was
played in a medley (e.g. "Anchors Aweigh" for the U.S. Navy, etc.) It was
surprising how many there were! Far from being gimmicky, this put a genuinely
patriotic stamp on what was already a superb concert, and brought that
patriotism home.
©Midland Daily News 2002
For starters, Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band put on a splendid
concert Friday night at the Weidner Center. Then came the fireworks.
They started in a singalong of George M. Cohan tunes that included "I'm a
Yankee Doodle Dandy," "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "God Bless America."
Four people in the audience supplied spirit, waving small American flags they
brought along.
A salute to the military services that followed revealed much.
The first words spoken on this night were about the concert being "a
tribute to great national unity in the face of adversity."
Now the true colors of the audience were to show. They were red, white
and blue.
As the uniformed band played the song for each service, veterans stood.
That ranged from one for the Coast Guard, to many each for the Air Force,
Army, Marines and Navy.
Most of the men (and a few women) in the audience of about 1,200 were
veterans. They came to hear tunes by a great veteran and a symbol of
patriotism-John Philip Sousa-played in front of a huge flag that unfurled
behind the band. Cheers erupted.
The audience stood and cheered more during five encores. It clapped in
rhythm. It sang heartily. This was an exciting night.
Along the way, Brion led a parade through tunes of splashy color,
sensitive grace and light fun. Sousa marches were spotlighted here and there
- "the Thunderer," "U.S. Field Artillery," 'Hands Across the Sea" and
"Liberty Bell" among them.
Singer Virginia Croskery sand opera, the Cohan tunes and Victor Herbert
numbers that included the comical "I Want to Be a Prima Donna," done with
mock grandeur.
Early jazz of W.C.Handy, a tour de force on euphonium by narrator Earle
Louder, the heart-wrenching "Danny Boy" and the merry "The Whistler and His
Dog" were among the selections.
As he travels, Brion picks up skilled local players when available.
Friday, they included clarinetist Scott Wright and trumpeter Thomas
Pfotenhauer from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay and Frederick Schmidt
of St. Norbert College. Monday, Schmidt will direct the St. Norbert
Community Band in concert, featuring Katherine Borst Jones of Ohio State and
the New Sousa Band.
In this day and time of expensive but fortunately not scarce fuel, guest
conductor Keith Brion and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic
supplied their own version of great octane output.
At the Scranton Cultural Center on Friday evening, Bandmaster John
Philip Sousa's marches reigned supreme. Their brand of energy offered an
alternative firing that reflected an overall major system efficiency.
The stimulation at this concert was not the soothing rolling and
splashing of the old-fashioned energy mill wheels, so often sung about, but
rather like a high-velocity turbine's swirl converting water flow into very
fast motion--mostly in 4/4 time.
This was a varied program, liberally sprinkled with Sousa works. There
was something for everyone, from solo instrumentalists and a singalong to a
second guest conductor and a soprano named Charleen Ayers, who electrified
an already turn-on audience. This full house stayed put for the entire program.
And what sheer pleasure it was to have the evening's program narrated by
the mellifluous, well-modulated voice of that airwaves icon, Lisa
Mazzarrella. Has Lloyd's of London heard hear?
Marches included: "Hands Across the Sea", a preliminary to a European
tour of 100, "Washington Post" and that masterpiece, "Stars and Stripes
Forever." Some say that it is the best military and patriotic march every
written. It follows Sousa's favorite form; an arresting introduction, a
light skipping rhythm for the first melody, a broader tune and then the
immortal strain.
There was a mesmerizing arrangement of "Danny Boy" and some very melodic
works of Jerome Kern and George M. Cohan.
The vitality displayed by the audience at times approached an optimum
temperature. The precise attacks and releases of the marches were
reminiscent of a Pershing Rifles drill team. And so much of the other music
suggested the accurate, flowing dance experience brought to fruition by
regional grand dames Helen Graus and Joanne Arduino.
Was it Sara Teasdale who said, "Spend all you have for loveliness?"
This was one of those not-to-be-missed concerts!
CEDAR RAPIDS--The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra's star-spangled salute
to America's "March King," John Philip Sousa, was a joy to experience
Saturday evening at the Paramount Theatre.
Guest conductor Keith Brion, the CRSO and guest soprano soloist Virginia
Croskery delivered a two-hour pops concert that set toes to tapping and
involved the audience in the celebration of an American music giant.
Brion, who assumed the persona of Sousa, from his physical appearance to
the composer's distinctive conducting style, put the CRSO through its paces
with a concert of familiar compositions.
Such well-known marches as "Washington Post," "U.S. Field Artillery" and
Semper Fidelis" were performed along with the "Merry Wives of Windsor" by
Nicolai, "Morning Journals" by Johann Strauss Jr. and "Variations of
Gershwin's 'Swanee.' "
Croskery, artist in residence at Simpson College in Indianola, showed her
versatility with selections ranging from Dvorak's "Song to the Moon from
Rusalka" to "All the Things You Are," by Hammerstein and Kern.
The evening also brought bravura performances by several members of the
symphony orchestra.
Trumpeters Randy Grabowski and Bryan Bennett were right on the mark with
their performance of the "Side Partner" trumpet duet by J.L. Clarke.
Kim Helton drew thunderous applause for her piccolo solo "Through the
Air" by Damm and her delightful performance of "Whistler and His Dog," by
Arthur Pryor.
The latter song prompted audience members to whistle, followed by the
musicians barking at the conclusion of the selections. it was typical of the
shenanigans that Sousa and his band were noted for in their heyday.
Should Keith Brion return to Cedar Rapids or Eastern Iowa in the near
future, you would be well advised to attend one of his Sousa concerts.
It will prove to be a most enjoyable evening.
It has been quite awhile since band concerts fell out of fashion in this
country. But listening to conductor Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band at
the Pabst Theater Saturday evening, it is hard to remember just why that
happened.
Brion has made a career of conducting the music of Sousa and
his era, with bands and symphony orchestras.
On Saturday, he and his latter-day Sousa band brought patrons to their
feet several times with a program that ranged from the expected Sousa
marches to some of Gustav Holst's military band music and selections by Wagner,
Puccini, Kern and Gershwin.
Both conductor and players were dressed in replicas of original Sousa
Band uniforms.
Although the uniforms are standard attire for the group, they were
particularly apropos in the Pabst, as that is what the original band would
have looked like during its three Pabst Theater performances in the early
20th century. Sousa and his band played Milwaukee, in various venues, some
30 times in all.
But Brion and the band are more than a nostalgic gimmick. This is a tight,
polished ensemble made up of players that gather from around the country to
play these tours.
Players frequently step out of the sections to take the spotlight as
soloists. Entire sections make their way to the front of the stage, or out
into the house, periodically.
Dennis Najoom, co-principal trumpet of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra,
performed with the band, both in the section and as soloist in Tchaikovsky's
"Dance Neopolitan." Najoom brought the warm sound of a mezzo to the piece's
lyrical passages and tossed off the piece's flashier bits with ease.
Other soloists on the evening's program included Earle Louder on
euphonium, Diane Powers on piccolo and soprano Virginia Croskery.
Brion included a medley of the songs of the five U.S. military branches
on the program.
He asked that house lights be raised and invited anyone in the audience
who was currently a member of the military, or had been at one time, to
stand for a moment of recognition when the song of that branch was played. A
surprising number of men, as well as a few women, rose during the various
songs, many visibly moved by the experience. A "Stars and Stripes" reprise
and a rousing "On Wisconsin" were the last of five encores.
Concert review (**** Excellent; *** Good; **Fair, * Poor)
After the fifth encore, conductor Keith Brion begged off. He pointed to
his wristwatch. He touched his heart, mouthed "thank you" and waved
goodbye.
Meantime, the crowd in the Weidner Center cheered, whistled and called
for more. Friday night was one of those special times when a concert could
have kept going and going.
Brion started it. He won the crowd over--had 'em cheering'' on the
first song after "The Star-Spangled Banner." Brion had his New Sousa Band play
"On, Wisconsin." The state is steeped in pride, what with the rose Bowl and
today's Final Four basked all appearance. Brion played right into it.
Sousa, the showman, would have smiled.
From there, the concert wove through pieces both serious and silly.
Instrumentalists were featured in solo, as was a singer, who even sang a bit
of opera.
Sprinkled throughout were other encores, John Philip Sousa's
marches--icing on the cake.
Sousa performed in Green Bay six times between 1898 and 1928. "Tonight,
imagine you are hearing the Sousa Band some 80 years ago," narrator Earle
Louder told the crowd.
The sound would have been largely the same--not amplified. The music
would have been largely the same--being all of Sousa's era. The result we
don't know for sure, but Sousa would have savored certain moments.
"Parade of the Services" was precious. As the band played each of the
five U.S. military service themes, men and women in the audience from each
service stood. The crowd clapped in rhythm for them in each song. People
beamed.
The concert was as much about emotion as about musicianship. Brion has
put together a fine group that relishes playing together. Basically the
players have other jobs (playing symphonies, teaching at universities, etc.)
and tour only occasionally. The band plays respectably and generates a
good time.
One of the stellar times came with the blessed "The Stars and Stripes
Forever." Out came the three piccolos, trilling way. Front and center
marched a bunch of brass, snapping their instruments to their mouths and
letting peppery sounds fly. Down behind the band unfurled a huge American flag.
up rose brilliant sounds embedded in a definite beat. The only thing
missing was a date: July 4.
"Artbeat Shipping-out music,” a veteran overheard at intermission called it.
For sheer invocation of patriotic fervor, it would be hard to beat the program
Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band presented at the latest Englewood Performing
Arts Series concert Tuesday at Englewood United Methodist Church. There was,
however, a lot more to it than martial spirit. Aside from the band’s own high
caliber musicianship, the tradition it represents continues to touch people
where they live and to bring the past into the present.
Like the march king himself, Brion includes dance, operatic and folk music
in his maneuvers. The conductor, a former director of bands at Yale University,
maintains the unassailable standards of precision and virtuosity that defined
Sousa. He augments that achievement by including the works of later band-leaders
who reveal Sousa’s impact in some fashion. It all adds up to great fun
and stirring moments for listeners. This kind of history requires no sugarcoating.
Gustav Holst’s brilliant Jupiter section from his suite “The Planets” headed
the program. Larry Zalkind, a masterful trombonist, was featured in that familiar
refrain, “Annie Laurie,” a seemingly simple number. Zalkind went from poignant,
bleating sounds to mindblowing pyrotechnics on his instrument. He was not above
an occasional humorous byblow either, making his trombone ape the Bronx cheer.
A melody that devotees of ‘50’s popular music recognize as “But It’s All in the
Game” gave Zalkind another chance to shine. Not listed on the program, the original
composition stems from Charles G. Dawes, a remarkable fellow who not only adored
band music but who became vice president of the United States under Herbert Hoover
and authored the plan for German reparations after World War I.
Winner of the Third Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition, soprano
Virginia Croskery gave a thrilling rendition of “Vissi D’Arte” the climactic aria
from Puccini’s “Tosca.” She was not as fortune in later selections, being
occasionally drowned out, either by the orchestra or possible a problem with
placement of the mike. Hers is a glorious voice, worth of encore hearing.
Interspersed with the solos were several Sousa marches, the most irresistible
being, to my mind, the “Washington Post.” Celebrating Sousa’s ongoing musical
legacy, Brion and the band offered a medley of great themes from famous bands.
Of these, unquestionably the most effective numbers came in the Glenn Miller
portions. Miller, who was a U.S. Air force bandleader, concocted a unique sound
and swell to his music. “Moonlight Serenade,” “A Sting of Pearls” and “Little
Brown Jug” drew an extraordinary, unanimous response from the audience.
They were like one being, awash in the mood and cohesion of public sentiment
during the war years. The New Sousa Band recreated the indelible Miller swing
with remarkable fidelity. We heard not nearly enough of the great numbers
from that peerless American musical theater show, Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man.”
What an achievement that was. “76 Trombones,” “Till There Was You,” “Wells Fargo,”
etc. May it go on and on. A dazzling xylophone performance by John Beck added
to everyone’s enjoyment.
The old time music and visual charms of Sousa's original traveling concerts
are re-enacted as Keith Brion and his modern "New" Sousa Band crisscross
Florida in January. Their program is a typical Sousa-like blend of light
classics, novelties, and virtuoso solos, plus the great marches. Those
marches, with such famous titles as Semper Fidelis and The Washington Post
and The Stars and Stripes Forever, generously pop up throughout the concert
in the guise of rapid-fire encores, each heralded with a sign held aloft.
The action is all a part of Sousa's universally popular showmanship and
programming style. The second half welcomes the new millenium just as
Sousa's own Band welcomed the last. This segment spotlights Sousa's
continuing and powerful influence on American music.during the years since
the March King's passing in 1932.
Highlights of the varied program include selections from the "Music Man",
composed by Sousa's piccolo player, Meredith Wilson. A tribute to many of
the great bands who have followed Sousa will be the subject of a special
musical salute. Classical entries include works by Bach, Holst, Grainger
and Villa Lobos.
A stellar roster of solo performers includes virtuoso trombonist Larry
Zalkind, principal trombonist of the Utah Symphony, trumpeter Fred Mills, of
Canadian Brass fame, soprano Virginia Croskery, winner of the 1989 Pavoratti
competition, and xylophone artist John Beck, a former soloist with the US
Marine Band.
The patriotic ending includes a tribute to America's armed forces, plus
Sousa's immortal (and 100 years old) "The Stars and Stripes Forever", staged
authentically in the manner of Sousa's own band, and featuring the words he
penned for his famous melody.
The concert begins with the band costumed in exact replicas of Sousa's
original. The band tours under the watchful approval of John Philip Sousa
Inc., John Philip Sousa IV, President. They emulate the staging, programming
and production of Sousa's Band (1892-1931) to the smallest detail. The 1986
PBS television special "The New Sousa Band On Stage at Wolf Trap" first
brought the band to national attention.
The forty three members are selected from throughout the United States.
They assemble three times a year for touring. These coast to coast
personnel include numerous symphony orchestra members, artist teachers from
major universities, retired members of the Washington service bands and top
free lance musicians. Earning their stripes in 1996 with a critically
acclaimed tour to Japan, they became the first American professional concert
band to perform overseas since Sousa's own tours flourished at the beginning
of the century.
Band leader Keith Brion has been conducting his Sousa revival concerts for
twenty seasons. In addition to assembling a superb contemporary professional
band, his goal is to give audiences who were not alive during Sousa's time
(1854-1932), an experience very close to the real thing.
Besides directing his own New Sousa Band, Mr. Brion has frequently led his
Sousa programs with the vast majority of America's symphony orchestras,
including the Boston Pops and the Philadelphia Orchestra. In Florida he has
appeared frequently with the Florida Orchestra, The Florida Philharmonic and
the Southwest Florida symphonies.
This tour marks the New Sousa Band's fifth visit to Florida including their
debut tour in 1989. The popular band will be appearing for repeat
performances at Ruth Eckard Hall in Clearwater and the Maxwell King Center in
Melbourne.
Sousa and his original band performed in Florida some 8 times, from 1897
until 1930, giving thirty concerts, largely in Central and Northern Florida.
Jan. 5-8
For additional information: Web Site: "http://www.newsousaband.com"
KEITH BRION and his NEW SOUSA BAND
Flutes
Piccolos
Oboes
Clarinets
Saxophones
French Horns
Cornets
Trumpets
Trombones
Euphoniums
Tubas
Percussion
Soprano soloists
CLAREMONT - For those who heard Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band
at the Claremont Opera House last Saturday night, it will be an
evening long remembered.
From the opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner", which brought
the singing capacity audience to its feet, to the final reprise
of Sousa's own "Stars and Stripes Forever", people applauded, tapped
their feet and sang along to the stirring martial music.
Brion, who has assembled an extraordinary corps of musicians,
many college deans of music and younger conservatory musicians,
has carefully studied the Sousa style, and each concert is almost
an exact duplication of those early concerts. The musicians are
dressed in replicas of the original band uniforms, and conductor
Brion has perfected the walk and body movements of Sousa himself.
Each of the more formal selections of the concert was followed
by encores of Sousa's marches, such as "Semper Fidelis," "King Cotton,
etc. with the shining brass instruments and the rolling drumbeats of
the 45 musicians filling the theater with moving music.
In addition, there were featured soloists. Earle Louder gave a
virtuoso performance on the euphonium, a tenor tuba, and teamed
with Fred Mills on the clarinet for the duet, "Side Partners".
Soprano Virginia Croskery, a former Pavarotti winner, delighted
the audience with her first operatic solo and won even stronger
applause with a humorous lament about wanting to sing on an opera
house stage. She returned during the second part of the program to
sing the familiar "Thine Alone" and to lead the audience in the
George M. Cohan sing-along.
Soloist Janet Axelrod's expert piccolo playing drew repeated
applause from the audience.
Most impressive was the Parade of the Services with a color
guard of area veterans standing at attention, and audience veterans
standing to applaude as their signature songs were played, and the
stars and stripes came down backstage. One could almost feel the
emotions of pride and patriotism of a half century ago.
The concert ended with many Sousa marches, and red, white and
blue balloons descending on the musicians.
The evening was a fitting climax in the year-long 100th anniversary
series at the Claremont Opera House (It is also the 100th anniversary
of the "Stars and Stripes march), and Brion noted Sousa and his band
had played not once but four times here just after the turn of the
century. (If Sousa's ghost was just offstage, he would have been
applauding also.)
Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band was sponsored by Claremont
Savings Bank, Bob and Ginny Holbrook, John and Carol Bennett, Radio
Station WNTK, and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.
When Yankee magazine's "Traveler's Journal" listed the scheduled
performance by Keith Brion and the New Sousa Band at the Claremont
Opera House in their May issue, the item was under the heading "Well
Worth the Drive."
The monthly feature, which offers "advise, wisdom & lots of fun
things to do all across New England," caught the eye of Sousa fans
in New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland, sending them on the road
to Claremont for the illustrious performance.
The year of publicity leading up to Saturday night's gala, which
included a gourmet picnic before the show and an after-show party
following, resulted in a packed house for the Opera House's 100th
anniversary celebration.
Brion, portraying the beloved Sousa, was fun to 'watch.' His
baton movements were finely controlled, but his legs bounced, jumped
and danced with excitement on the red carpeted podium.
The program listed l0 pieces the band was scheduled to play, but
these were interspersed with a variety of Sousa's own compositions.
A sign would pop up at the back of the stage, announcing the title
of the piece, and murmurs of recognition could be heard at the
opening strains of old favorites like "Semper Fidelis," King Cotton"
and "Fairest of the Fair".
While Sousa's was an all-male band except for a female soloist,
harpist, and violinist, one-third of the New Sousa Band members
are women. Made up of professional musicians from all over the
country, the band' plays together only two or three times a year
for one or two weeks at a time.
When asked if he auditioned musicians who want to join the band,
Brion answered emphatically, "I never audition. Band members are
hired based on recommendations. They are hired, and if they work out,
they stay in.
Featured performers included Earl Louder on the euphonium, a
small baritone tuba, from which he was able to coax playfill low
notes that brought chuckles from the audience, and cornetist Fred
Mills, who joined Louder for a duet.
Vocalist Virginia Croskery, a Greenwich, Conn., native now living
in Chicago, entertained with several selections, both operatic and
popular. Her strong soprano carried through the hall with or without
the microphone as she graced the stage in turn-of-the-century style.
When oboist, Alecia Lawyer left the stage before the band began
to play "U.S. Field Artillery," many assumed she was ill. The
perky, red-headed Texan provided one of the big surprises of the
evening by returning to the stage with a pistol in each hand. Taking
several steps down toward the audience while five trombonists marched
to front of stage, Lawyer fired off both guns to punctuate the drum
beats in that familiar chorus, ending the first act with smoking
guns and the audience's roars of delight.
Janet Axelrod's piccolo solo, her fingers flying as Brion picked
up the tempo of the band behind her, had the audience psyched by
the time she began the playful "Whistler & His Dog." Brion turned
to direct the audience to whistle along with the piccolo, while a
percussionist in the rear began a series of old-fashioned sound
effects. Suddenly, the music stopped, leaving the audience whistling
alone and the whole band barking in response!
The eight-city tour to commemorate the 100th anniversary of
Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever," which began in Lansing, Michigan,
and included stops in Milwaukee and New York, closed the final "Stars
and Stripes Salute" here in Claremont.
The New Sousa Band under Keith Brion presented eight performances
during 11 days in Japan recently. With the blessing of John Philip
Sousa IV, the 48-member ensemble was making its first appearance here.
In 1892, having served as conductor of the United States Marine
Band, 38-year-old John Philip Sousa formed the concert band which
carried his name, his music and particularly his marches around
the world. In 1979, Yale University band director Brion, then 46,
planned, prepared and presented an authentic Sousa-style revival
concert, reflecting not only the popular programming style of the
world-famous Sousa Band but also the showy personal style of the
eminent composer/conductor himself.
The most immediately apparent aspects of this recreation were
the carefully designed reproductions of Sousa Band uniforms, and
the white gloves, military medals, period spectacles and full mustache
essayed by the conductor. Still more pertinent were the quick turns
and immediate starts of the musical numbers, and the inclusion of
Sousa marches and other favorites as encores following each of the
selections on the fast-paced program. More to the point, though,
were the crisp conducting and excellent playing—a credit not only
to the tradition of Sousa and His Band, but also to the remarkable
skill of the American musicians.
Due principally to the great demands it places on the woodwind
section, the overture to Weber's "Oberon" is regarded a distinct
challenge by most concert bands. Any impression of technical
difficulty disappeared however in the fine musicality of the
performance. The subtle accentuations were brought out with taste,
and the verve of the playing was energizing.
Simone Mantia's virtuoso euphonium solo ''AII Those Endearing
Young Charms" was just the sort of popular potboiler, long on
technique, that endeared itself to audiences in America a century
ago. Earle Louder's acrobatic playing drew a warm applause, and
has to hive impressed the young brass players in the audience.
Piccolo soloist Janet Axelrod was given the spotlight in August
Damm's "Through the Air," and managed to maintain a very pleasing
tone through a lot of nonstop rapid tonguing. Virginia Croskery's
silvery soprano solos in each half were expressive, moving and
nicely characterized.
Brion guided the accompaniments with skill, discretion and
excellent musical judgment. He must be credited too with selecting
an ideal programming mix to reflect Sousa's knowledge of the audience.
Sousa's compositions included some 200 works which were not
marches, such as the selection "Songs of Grace and Songs of Glory"
written in 1893. A potpourri of 18 well-known melodies designed
to please, it contained little of substance but was permeated
with a delightfully showy sense of theater.
Percy Grainger's arrangement of the Bach chorale-prelude
"O Mensch" provided, the moment of greatest depth on the program.
Played standing, the beauty of the resonant tonal column was magnificent.
Sprinkled throughout the program as encores were 11 of Sousa's
137 marches, including four (one of them untitled) that I had never
before heard. A band is surely at its best playing marches, and
Sousa's marches number among the best of the best: He knew how to
add a little theater to make them utterly captivating moreover, and
the New Sousa Band brought all this charm again to flourishing life.
Don't let the theatricalism fool you. This was a fun program-performed
by a first class ensemble, and it's worth catching the next time they
appear.
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