Blue Sky Day

Timothy Mahr is a well-known and highly acclaimed composer, conductor and clinician. He currently serves as Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, where he conducts the St. Olaf Band and teaches classes in conducting, composition and music education. Mahr’s works have been performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, the Midwest Clinic, the Music Educators National Conference, national conventions of the American Bandmasters Association and the College Band Directors National Association, and numerous state and regional conventions.

About the piece, the composer writes:

Nothing beats waking up in the morning, stepping outside and finding that there isn’t a cloud in the sky. Such great promise is held in a “blue sky day.” This work hopefully reflects the optimism embodied in this somewhat innocent phrase. ~ Timothy Mahr

Hymn to a Blue Hour

The blue hour is an oft-poeticized moment of the day – a lingering twilight that halos the sky after sundown but before complete darkness sets in. It is a time of day known for its romantic, spiritual, and ethereal connotations, and this magical moment has frequently inspired artists to attempt to capture its remarkable essence. This is the same essence that inhabits the sonic world of John Mackey’s Hymn to a Blue Hour.

Programmatic content aside, the title itself contains two strongly suggestive implications – first, the notion of hymnody, which implies a transcendent and perhaps even sacred tone; and second, the color blue, which has an inexorable tie to American music. Certainly, Hymn to a Blue Hour is not directly influenced by the blues, per se, but there is frequently throughout the piece a sense of nostalgic remorse and longing – an overwhelming sadness that is the same as the typically morose jazz form. Blue also has a strong affiliation with nobility, authority, and calmness. All of these notions are woven into the fabric of the piece.

- Program note by Jake Wallace

Shooting Stars

Filled with rich musical imagery, the opening section features prominent roles for alto and soprano sax soloists while the percussion section provides a pulsating ostinato accompaniment. After a beautiful lyric section, the fast pace returns with antiphonal trade-offs, and culminates in a bombastic statement from the entire ensemble.

Richard L. Saucedo is currently Director of Bands and Department Chairman at the William H. Duke Center for the Performing Arts at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. Under his direction, Carmel bands have received numerous state and national honors in the areas of concert band, jazz band and marching band. The Indiana Bandmasters Association named Mr. Saucedo Indiana’s “Bandmaster of the Year” for 1998-99. Mr. Saucedo was recently named “Outstanding Music Educator,” in the state of Indiana for 2010 by the Indiana Music Educators Association.

Sunrise at Angel’s Gate

Sunrise at Angel’s Gate was commissioned by Colonel Finley Hamilton, conductor of the United States Army Field Band, and first performed by them in March 2001.

About the piece, the composer writes:

“In October 1999, I was privileged to be invited to Flagstaff, Arizona, to take part in the centenary celebrations of Northern Arizona University. The University is two hours drive from the Grand Canyon, so a visit was compulsory!

It’s really not possible to describe this amazing natural phenomenon – it’s just too big. You can’t even photograph it effectively but it undoubtedly leaves a lasting impression on anyone who visits it.

Sunrise and sunset are the best times to view the Canyon, as a sun low in the sky casts shadows that give depth and form to the vast panorama. Angel’s Gate is one of the many named rock formations on the northern side of the Canyon and in this piece, I have tried to depict the sights and sounds of dawn there, birdsong in the early morning sky and the gradual revelation of the Canyon itself as sunlight reaches into its rocky depths.

The faster central section depicts the arrival of the tourist buses, which run back and forth along the Southern Rim, and towards the end of the piece, to the sound of a tolling bell, we are reminded of the dangers that the beauty of the Grand Canyon so cleverly hides.”

Sun Dance

About the piece, the composer writes:

While composing Sun Dance, I was consciously attempting to evoke a feeling: bright joy. After completing the work, I found that the music began to suggest a more concrete image – a town festival on a warm, sun-washed day. I imagined townspeople gathered in the park, some in small groups, some walking hand in hand, others dancing to the music played by a small band under a red gazebo. Throughout the composition process, I carefully balanced the songlike and dance-like components of “bright joy.” The gentle statement of the main melody establishes the work’s songlike characteristics, while in the work’s middle section, a lyrical theme of even greater passion appears. Several recurring themes are indeed more vocal than instrumental in nature.