WASBE Newsletter, Vol. XXI, No. 3 - World Association for ...

WASBE Newsletter 

Volume XXI, Number 3 September 2006 

Message from the President 

Bert Aalders 

After a very good summer in Europe 

and a very nice stay and successful 

meetings in Killarney, Ireland, our 

WASBE business becomes more 

intensive this Fall. The Local Organizing 

committee of Killarney did a 

wonderful job and our visit was well 

prepared. It was my first visit to Ireland 

and I was very impressed; what 

a beautiful country with very kind 

and helpful people. 

Fergus O’Carroll and Danny Carroll 

had already informed us that 

Killarney is a beautiful environment 

and that the location of the concert 

hall and hotels are conveniently 

located, but still we were surprised 

to find it takes only a few minutes to 

walk from the hotels to the conference 

centre and concert hall. 

The WASBE Artistic Planning 

Committee selected the events that 

are to take place at the Conference, it 

and the Killarney Local Organizing 

Committee prepared the Conference 

schedule, and the WASBE Board 

approved that whole package. Thus 

an exciting 2007 WASBE Conference 

is well on its way. 

Jim Cochran will organize five 

repertoire sessions, including music 

for chamber ensembles and music 

for chorus and wind ensemble. 

There will be discussion sessions 

with composers, and the International 

Youth Wind Orchestra will 

premiere a new work commissioned 

by World Projects. 

The Conference will consist of 

several strands, including a percussion 

strand with two percussion 

ensembles, one from Ireland and one 

from The Netherlands. 

Among the bands that will participate 

are the Birmingham Symphonic 

Winds from Great Britain, the Concertband 

Vooruit Harelbeke from 

Belgium, the Louisville Wind Ensemble 

from the USA, the Nanset Wind 

Ensemble from Norway, the Kraka 

Wind Orchestra from Slovenia, the 

Cincinatti Chamber Winds from the 

USA, the National Youth Wind 

Ensemble of Great Britain, the Irish 

Youth Wind Ensemble, the Toronto 

Wind Orchestra from Canada, the 

Chetham’s School of Music Wind 

Orchestra from Great Britain, the 

Nagoya University of Arts Symphonic 

Band from Japan, the Symphonic 

Wind Orchestra of the Swiss Army, 

and of course the International 

Youth Wind Orchestra with conductor 

Gerhard Markson of the National 

Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and 

Glenn Price, who will conduct the 

Schwantner Percussion Concerto 

with Evelyn Glennie as soloist. Other 

ensembles from Sweden, Spain, Australia 

and the USA still need to be 

confirmed. All the bands have proposed 

very interesting programs and 

information on the programs and 

the bands will appear in upcoming 

Newsletters. 

Don DeRoche and Rick Greenwood 

received a large number 

of applications for those wishing 

to make presentations at the 

Conference. Based on their 

Continued on page 2 

In This Issue 

Elections for the WASBE Board 

of Directors are coming right 

up.We tell you how to get your 

nominations in. ........3, enclosure 

In our Speaker’s Corner segment, 

Past President Dennis 

Johnson draws an analogy 

between hardwood flooring 

and repertoire................................8 

As a precursor to the 2007 

Conference, Robert O’Brien 

writes about important Irish 

wind band music composed 

since 1922. ....................................10 

Continuing on a nationalistic 

theme,Tim Reynish wonders 

aloud why Western bands do 

not programme much Japanese 

repertoire and tries to right 

that wrong by providing a 

number of suggestions............15 

Our News & Events section is a 

full 10 pages of great information, 

including reports on the 

IGEB Conference and World of 

Winds.............starting on page19 

We make a virtual visit to yet 

another continent when Leon 

Bly reviews two Brazilian wind 

music CDs......................................30 

“Promoting symphonic bands and ensembles as serious and distinctive mediums of musical expression and culture.”

WASBE Newsletter Vol. XXI, No. 3 

Editor ......................................................................Dr. Leon J. Bly 

Publisher..........................................................Anthony Reimer 

Assistant Editor......................................................Jon Mitchell 

Assistant Editor......................................................Keith Kinder 

Assistant Editor / Special Projects..................John Stanley 

Submissions to the WASBE Newsletter 

Send materials to: 

Dr. Leon J. Bly 

Editor, WASBE Newsletter 

Graf-von-Galen-Str. 28 

D-70565 Stuttgart, Germany 

Tel: +49 / 711 / 715-7747 

Fax: +49 / 711 / 715-7761 

Email: WASBE@T-Online.de 

Submission Deadlines: 

15 January for March issue 

15 April for June issue 

15 July for September issue 

15 October for December issue 

The opinions expressed in all reviews and feature articles 

are solely those of the writers and should in no way 

be interpreted as reflecting official WASBE statements. 

© 2006 WASBE and/or the authors of the articles. 

Officers 

President 

President Elect 

Past President 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

Executive Director 

Bert Aalders, The Netherlands 

Glenn Price, Canada 

Dennis L. Johnson, USA 

James Ripley, USA 

Marianne Halder, Germany 

Leon J. Bly, Germany 

recommendations, the Artistic Planning Committee put 

together an exciting group of clinics, research sessions 

and masterclasses. Some highlights are: a masterclass 

with Evelyn Glennie, Timothy Reynish’s session on new 

music for wind band/ensemble from 2005 to 2007, new 

music for percussion ensemble performed by the percussion 

ensemble from The Netherlands, and Odd Terje 

Lysebo’s session on the unknown music for winds by 

Dmitri Shostakovich. 

Every evening after the last concert there will be a 

WASBE club with different performing groups, socializing 

and of course traditional Irish Folk Music and beverages. 

I personally like the Irish whiskey very much. 

I hope this gives you a good idea about what is in 

store for you next year. At the WASBE reception at the 

Midwest Clinic in Chicago in December, there will be a 

DVD presentation on the Conference, the beautiful city of 

Killarney and the surroundings country side.. 

Among the other important business undertaken by 

the Board was the selection of a new Executive Director 

to replace Leon Bly, who will be leaving the position at 

the 2007 Conference. After a very careful review of the 

candidates, the WASBE Board selected Donald DeRoche 

for the position. Don will be working closely with Leon 

for the next twelve months in order to make the transition 

as smooth as possible. 

With this September newsletter, you are being sent the 

form for nominating members for the WASBE Board and 

for the position of President Elect. Please take this opportunity 

to be a part of the selection process. Your nominations 

are very important, so please fill out the form and 

return it to Dennis Johnson by 15 November 2006. 

I hope to see many of you at the WASBE reception in 

Chicago and all of you at the Conference next July. 

WASBE Board of Directors 

For a complete list of the Organizational Structure, 

visit the People section of the WASBE Web Site 

President’s Message 

Continued from page 1 

Board of Directors 

Peter Bucher, Switzerland 

Danny Carroll, Ireland 

James Cochran, USA 

Martin Ellerby, UK 

Adam Gorb, England 

Ralph Hultgren, Australia 

Tian-Tee Lee, Singapore 

Odd Terje Lysebo, Norway 

Johann Mösenbichler, Austria 

Dario Sotelo, Brazil 

Rodney Winther, USA 

Yeh Shu-Han, Taiwan 

2 

Volume XXI, No. 3 (September 2006) 

WASBE Newsletter

Call for Nominations 

WASBE Board Elections 2007 

Four members of the WASBE Board (Peter Bucher, Johann Mösenbichler, Yeh 

Shu Han, and Odd Terje Lysebo) will retire from the Board at the WASBE Conference 

next year in Killarney, Ireland. Four new Board members and a President 

Elect will be elected by the membership next Spring. Now is the time to 

nominate candidates for these positions. 

The nomination and election process according to the WASBE Articles of 

Association is as follows: 

• The WASBE membership nominates candidates for the WASBE Board and 

President Elect. 

• A Nominating Committee, consisting of the Immediate Past President and 

two WASBE members appointed by the President, prepares a list of candidates 

for the WASBE Board to review at its meeting in December. 

• The WASBE Board reviews the list and establishes a slate of candidates. 

• The Chairman of the Nominating Committee prepares and sends a ballot to 

all WASBE members a quarter year prior to the WASBE Conference. 

• The new Board members and the President Elect are announced at the 

WASBE Conference. 

To be nominated for the Board, the nominee must be a members in good 

standing. To be nominated for President Elect, the nominee must have served 

as a member of the WASBE Board. The following members are eligible to serve 

as President Elect: 

Toshio Akiyama 

Virginia A. Allen 

Frank Battisti 

Leon J. Bly 

John Bourgeois 

Geoffrey Brand 

Peter Bucher 

Danny Carroll 

Franco Cesarini 

Jim Cochran 

James Croft 

Martin Ellerby 

Roberto Farias 

Trevor Ford 

Adam Gorb 

Egil Gundersen 

Felix Hauswirth 

Håkon Hesthammer 

Paula Holcomb 

Ralph H. Hultgren 

Donald Hunsberger 

Birger Jarl 

Leif Jansson 

Dennis L. Johnson 

William V. Johnson 

Philippe Langlet 

Tian-Tee Lee 

Henk van Lijnschooten 

Odd Terje Lysebo 

Laszlo Marosi 

Juan Mas Quiles 

Motti Miron 

Johann Mösenbichler 

Jan Molenaar 

Vicente Moncho 

Francis Pieters 

Timothy Reynish 

James Ripley 

Rolf Rudin 

Dario Sotelo 

John Stanley 

Wolfgang Suppan 

David Whitwell 

Rodney Winther 

Yeh Shu Han 

Please fill out the enclosed nominating ballot and mail or fax it to the 

Chairman of the Nominating Committee so that it is received no later than 

15 November 2006. 


WASBE Nominating Committee 

Music Department 

Murray State University 

Murray, KY 42071 USA 

Fax: +1 270 762 3965 

Email: Dennis.Johnson@murraystate.edu 

[Publisher’s Note: The full Articles of Association are posted on the WASBE Web 

Site. Click on the “About WASBE “tab, then “Articles of Association.”] 

Board of Directors 

Committees 

Networks 

Also In This Issue 

Profiles of Board members Jim 

Cochran and Adam Gorb ...........4 

Treasurer Marianne Halder 

reports not only on financial 

issues, but about 2007 Conference 

venue Killarney as well. ...5 

The Executive Director position 

changes in July 2007. ..................7 

Volume XXI, No. 3 (Sept. 2006) 3

Who’s Who on the WASBE Board 

James Cochran 

James Cochran is regarded as one of 

the world’s foremost authorities on 

wind band and wind chamber music 

literature. He studied clarinet with 

George Mellott and conducting with 

Allan McMurray at Southern Illinois 

University in Edwardsville, Illinois, 

where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1974 

and Master of Music degree in 1976. Further conducting 

studies were with Gerhardt Zimmerman, associate conductor 

of the St. Louis Symphony. Cochran has been 

employed by Shattinger Music for 30 years and became 

President of the company in June 2000. 

He has presented repertoire sessions at many symposia 

and festivals in the United States, England, South Africa, 

Singapore, and Israel. He is in constant demand as a 

repertoire consultant and has conducted sessions for 

numerous organizations, including ASBDA, CBDNA, 

BASWBE, and WASBE. In 2005, he was elected to the 

WASBE Board. He served on the Artistic Planning Committee 

for the 2005 WASBE Conference and is a member of 

the Artistic Planning Committee for the 2007 WASBE Conference. 

In 2004, he became the Chairman of the International 

Repertoire Committee and during the WASBE 

Conference in Singapore presented four repertoire sessions 

consisting of 38 works from 15 different countries. 

Among the awards that Cochran has received are the 

Distinguished Service to Music Award (2001), presented 

by Kappa Kappa Psi in recognition of, and appreciation 

for, the invaluable contributions to the growth and development 

of modern college and university bands in the 

field of Industrial Research, and the Russell and Dorothy 

Chambers Award (2004) for outstanding and distinguished 

service to Music Education in Missouri. 

He is a constant champion of the wind band and wind 

chamber music. In 1999, he initiated the Cochran Chamber 

Commissioning Project. The project’s purpose is to 

introduce, inspire and educate young musicians as to the 

joys of chamber music through shared music making and 

commissioning, while at the same time contributing significant 

repertoire to the wind chamber medium. The 

project has commissioned works for chamber winds from 

Clark McAlister, Michael Weinstein, Scott McAllister, Daniel 

Kallman, and Adam Gorb. Cochran has also sponsored 

wind band commissions from Christopher Marshall and 

Boris Pigovat. 

Adam Gorb 

Adam Gorb was born in 1958 and started 

composing at the age of ten. At the 

age of fifteen, he wrote a set of piano 

pieces – A Pianist’s Alphabet – of 

which a selection were performed on 

BBC Radio 3. He did his undergraduate 

studies at Cambridge University, where 

his teachers included Hugh Wood and 

Robin Holloway. After graduating in 

1980, he divided his time between composition and working 

as a theatre musician. After further studies with Paul 

Patterson, he did his graduate studies at the Royal Academy 

of Music in London, where he received a MMus degree 

in 1993 with the highest honours, including the Principal’s 

Prize. He is currently Head of the School of Composition 

and Contemporary Music at the Royal Northern 

College of Music in Manchester. 

Gorb’s wind band/ensemble compositions include 

Metropolis (1994), which has won several prizes including 

the Walter Beeler Memorial Prize, Awayday (1996), Yiddish 

Dances (1998), which has had thousands of performances 

world wide, Towards Nirvana (2002), which won a 

British Composer Award in 2004, Dances from Crete 

(2003), and Adrenaline City (2006) for the United States 

Air Force Academy Band. His concertos include Elements 

(1998), a percussion concerto written for Evelyn Glennie 

and the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Ensemble, 

a Clarinet Concerto for Nicholas Cox and the Royal Liverpool 

Philharmonic Orchestra, and a trombone concerto, 

Downtown Diversions (2001). Other works include Prelude, 

Interlude and Postlude for piano, which won the 

Purcell Composition Prize in 1995, Kol Simcha, a ballet 

which received over fifty performances by the Rambert 

Dance Company, a Violin Sonata premiered at the Spitalfields 

Festival in London in 1996, Reconciliation (1998) 

for Clarinet and Piano, Weimar (2000) for chamber 

ensemble, the String Quartet No. 1 (2000) for the Maggini 

Quartet, Diaspora (2003) for eleven strings, La Cloche 

Felee (2004) for soprano and piano, and Burlesque for 

clarinet ensemble, which received its premiere in 2005. 

For news 

inbetween newsletters... 

www.wasbe.org 

4 



Message from the Treasurer 

Marianne Halder 

Traveling to the WASBE Executive and Board Meetings in 

Killarney in July was an exciting time for me in several 

ways. First of all, I had never been to Ireland, and the 

only thing I knew about this island was that it has lots of 

rain. Well, we had rain, but not only; Ireland also has 

summer with sunshine. However, more about this later, 

since the main reason I went to Killarney was of course 

for WASBE business. 

It was a successful three days of meetings, although 

unfortunately not all Board members were able to attend. 

Naturally, the major task was to prepare a wonderful conference 

for next year. 

I felt much more comfortable traveling to the Board 

and Executive Meetings in Killarney then I felt traveling to 

Chicago last December. I have learned a lot about what it 

means to be the treasurer of a world organisation, and I 

felt less apprehension about presenting the Treasurer’s 

and Membership Reports this second time. I made several 

proposals to the Board, which resulted in the following 

decisions: 

• The books from the year 2005 were successfully closed 

by the Auditor, Steuerberater Braun & Partner, 72461 

Albstadt / 72336 Balingen, Germany, and I shall close 

the books in the future yearly on 31 December, since 

the fiscal year of WASBE runs from 1 January to 31 

December. 

• Student membership will be offered to students up to 

the age of 25 years. 

• A “Life Membership Card” will be developed for our life 

members. 

• The Membership Letter which you received yearly in 

the past will be replaced with a “Receipt of Payment,” 

which can be used for tax purposes. Important 

information like passwords will still be included 

with this mailing. 

The year 2006 has been a good year for WASBE as sponsorship 

has been particularly good. World Projects, 

Musikverlag Kliment, Gobelin Music and Biblioservice 

Gelderland are sponsoring Newsletters. World Projects is 

sponsoring the WASBE Reception at the Midwest Band 

Clinic in Chicago in December. Biblioservice Gelderland 

printed the 2006 Annual Dues Statement, Membership 

Cards, and visiting cards for the Treasurer at no cost to 

WASBE. 

Thanks to the WASBE President, I was able to observe 

the meetings of the Conference Artistic Planning Committee 

in Killarney. It provided me with new insights concerning 

how WASBE conferences are financed. It was very 

interesting to observe how discussions between the Local 

Organizing Committee and WASBE are handled to create 

an exciting WASBE Conference every two years. 

Now let me tell you about the setting for our meetings, 

since this is what you all can expect when attending the 

Killarney Conference next year. The Local Organizing 

Committee hosted us in the wonderful Brehon Hotel with 

lovely accommodations, fantastic food and good wine — 

do not miss a chance to taste the Stickleback Red Wine 

2004 from South Australia. The hotel is directly next to 

the Conference Center, and we had a chance to take a 

look to all of the rooms, concert halls and exhibition 

space, which will be used next year. You will not want to 

compare the facilities with Luzern or San Luis Obispo — 

everything is smaller and older, but so lovely and friendly 

that everyone will certainly enjoy this Conference. 

Killarney is in the southwest part of the island, and 

already traveling there can be a very nice adventure. Fly 

to Dublin directly or via London for good overseas rates 

and take a three hour train ride through the lovely green 

Irish scenery. There is a bus connection directly from the 

airport to the railway station “Heuston,” and friendly and 

helpful people see to it that you never get lost. One can 

also fly from Frankfurt, Germany directly to Cork in the 

south of Ireland and take a short bus or taxi ride to Killarney. 

For those considering renting an auto while in Ireland, 

please note that the Irish drive on the left side of the 

road, and the roads are not super highways! An auto trip 

from Dublin to Killarney takes five hours; the train trip 

only takes three. 

Killarney itself lies directly near the marvellous Three 

Main Lakes — Lough Leane, Muckross, Upper Lake — 

where one can walk, jog, bike, or just stand and enjoy the 

silence of these great bodies of water. Along the main 

street from the center of Killarney to the conference 

center (about a fifteen minute walk), one finds a number 

of “Bed & Breakfast” lodges, where prices begin as low as 

US$30.00 a night. There are also some wonderful hotels 

such as the Brehon described above which are offering 

excellent rates for WASBE delegates. Just have a look at 

the Conference website. 

Most of the WASBE Board members left one day before 

I did, and I had a day for myself, since I booked a rather 

inexpensive flight that did not have daily service. I rented 

a bicycle and went up to the Gap of Dunloe with the 

famous Kate Kearney’s Cottage and further to Black Lake, 

Cushvalley Lake, Auger Lake, and to Head of Gap. Passing 

the Killarney famous Jaunting Horses, the trip took me 


www.wasbe.org Volume XXI, No. 3 (September 2006) 5

WASBE Foundation 

The WASBE Foundation, established 

in 1991 and incorporated in 1992, 

aims to provide benefits to WASBE 

members which will advance the 

goals and aims of the organization. 

Funds that support the Foundation 

come from the music industry and 

members like you. 

As WASBE continues to fulfill its 

aim (to enhance the quality of the 

wind band music throughout the 

world), it is crucial that the organization 

provide assistance to individual 

members and disadvantaged areas 

for conductor scholarships, innovative 

projects, membership development, 

and other essential activities. 

Three projects have been identified 

that the Foundation wishes to 

fund on a priority basis. 

Project No. 1: 

Commissions 

The future of the international wind 

band for the next fifty years depends 

on the creative force of today’s internationally 

acclaimed composers. Like 

Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan 

Williams, Paul Hindemith, Arnold 

Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky and 

others of the early part of the 20th 

Century who wrote major works for 

wind ensembles, today’s composers 

must be approached in the same 

manner and commissioning projects 

and consortia must be developed. 

Goal: US$ 400 000 endowment 


WASBE Participation 

The number of countries represented 

by current WASBE members is 

approximately 55. Most members 

find the annual dues for membership 

to be inexpensive. These are members 

from developed countries with 

currencies highly compatible with 

the US dollar. In addition, WASBE 

conferences have been attended 

almost exclusively by people from 

developed countries whose economic 

system is compatible with the normal 

cost of transportation, hotel, meals 

and the conference registration fee. 

Only a small number of people from 

less developed counties manage to 

attend. Numerous people have made 

personal donations to assist in this 

inequity, but a more formal system of 

inclusion is needed. 



Educational Assistance 

Most members of WASBE are accomplished 

professionals in the field of 

music. Many have extensive formal 

education in music and many have 

numerous years of experience as 

conductors, composers and performers. 

This is a valuable resource to the 

association and has made it possible 

to produce conferences that provide 

members with extraordinary educational 

experiences. There are regions 

of the world, however, who have 

developing wind bands with conductors 

and performers who seek the 

instruction that WASBE can provide. 

Through international wind band 

workshops and symposiums, cosponsored 

by WASBE and regional 

wind band organizations and associations, 

WASBE could better achieve 

its goal of enhancing the quality of 

wind band performance throughout 

the world. 


Help WASBE reach its 

goals; become a 2006 

Honor Roll member! 

Donations are tax deductible 

in most countries. 

Donors Honor Roll 

January – June 2006 

Platinum (US$1,000 or more) 

Anonymous 

Gold (US$100 or more) 

Peter Bucher 

Hiroshi Kasai/Cafua Records 

Donald Lovejoy 

Göteborgs Musiken 

James Ripley 

Silver (US$50 or more) 

Renato Ambiado 

Karsten Gerhard Dalsrud 

Danilo Delfin 

Jo Dongmin 

Gustavo Fontana 

Dick van Heuvel 

Kwangsull Ko 

Joonhyung Park 

Jose Ignacio Petit Matias 

Linda Taylor 

Bronze (US$5 or more) 

Arild Andersen 

Teo Aparicio-Barberan 

Mark Arroyo 

Roland De Yeung 

John Dickinson 

Kirby Fong 

Richard Greenwood 

Glenn Hayes 

Anthony Houghton 

Karel Husa 

Mark Lammers 

Fraser Linklater 

Willeke Molenaar 

Joseph Oluwasegun 

Mjejskie Oplata Czlonkowska 

Jose Rafael Pascual-Vilaplana 

Anthony Reimer 

Carleton Sperati 

Carolin Uhlemann-Short 

Ugnius Vaiginis 

Christian Wilhjelm 

6 



New Executive Director Selected 

At its meeting in Killarney, Ireland in July, the WASBE 

Board selected Donald DeRoche to replace Leon Bly as the 

WASBE Executive Director 

when Leon leaves this position 

in July 2007. The selection was 

made after a careful review of 

the applications from several 

very well qualified candidates. 

Don has been active in 

WASBE for many years. He has 

been a member of the Artistic 

Planning Committee for recent 

conferences and along with Rick Greenwood has put 

together the clinics, research sessions and master classes 

for the 2007 Conference in Killarney. 

Don is Director of Bands and Chairman of the Performance 

Studies Department at DePaul University in Chicago, 

where he has been on the faculty for twenty-five years. 

He earned degrees in music education and performance at 

the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in music education at 

Northwestern University. Before coming to DePaul, he was 

principal clarinetist with the Victoria [Canada] Symphony 

Orchestra and a member of the United States Army Band 

in Washington, D.C. He also spent six years as Director of 

Bands at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois. 

The DePaul Wind Ensemble has performed under his 

direction in Austria, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Ireland and 

Hungary. In addition, it has performed for meetings of the 

College Band Directors National Association, the Music 

Educators National Conference, and the Illinois Music 

Educators Association. His Wind Ensemble can be heard 

on several commercial recordings, including French Plus 

2 on the Toshiba/EMI label and with Chicago Symphony 

clarinetist John Bruce Yeh on the album Ebony Concerto 

available on the Reference Recordings label. Two albums 

entitled The DePaul University Wind Ensemble [Albany 

Records] feature twentieth-century wind music and 

soloists Larry Combs and Donald Peck. 

In order for Don to be able to concentrate on the 

administrative duties of running WASBE, a great deal of 

the clerical work that Leon had being doing will be handled 

by Biblioservice Gelderland in The Netherlands starting 

in July 2007. For example, Biblioservice Gelderland 

will be responsible for storing and mailing WASBE Journals 

and back issues of WASBE Newsletters, printing 

WASBE flyers and other promotional materials and mailing 

said materials to those interested in becoming members 

of WASBE. Since Biblioservice has a staff that is able 

to speak several languages, it will also be helpful to Don 

in facilitating translations of documents and articles for 

the WASBE Newsletter. 

Treasurer 


around the whole Killarney Lakes area through marvellous 

scenery. It was so beautiful and inviting that I would 

probably still be there if it had not started to rain. Going 

on to Molls Gap, Ladie’s View, along the Upper Lake and 

Long River Range back to the Middle Lake, Meeting of the 

Waters, Muckross House, and finally tired, hungry and 

wet, but very very happy I arrived back at the hotel. I can 

only encourage everyone to make such a trip, whether by 

car, bus, taxi, jaunting horses or like me by bicycle. 

See you in Killarney in July 2007! 

Spanish Translations 

Spanish translations of major articles from the WASBE 

Newsletters may now be found on the WASBE Web Site.To 

read these articles, go to www.wasbe.org and click on 

“Newsletter” near the top of the screen.The list of articles 

available will be displayed on the right hand side of the 

screen. Since these pages are available only to WASBE 

members, you will need to type in your WASBE 

membership number when asked for your 

Name and then your current Password in 

order to access this page. If you do not 

remember your number and password, 

check the letter you received in the mail 

when you joined or renewed your membership 

this year, or contact the Treasurer 

(mariannehalder@web.de). 

Traducciones en Español 

Las traducciones en español de los artculos mas relevantes 

del Boletín de Noticias WASBE pueden ahora ser 

localizados en la página web de WASBE. Para leer estos 

artículos, vaya a www.wasbe.org y presione el botón 

“Newsletter” cerca de el borde superior de la pantalla. 

La lista de articulos disponibles será mostrada en la parte 

derecha de la pantalla. Debido a que estas páginas sólo 

estarán disponibles únicamente para los miembros de 

WASBE, usted necesitará su número de membrecía 

cuando se le pregunte su nombre y luego introduzca 

su clave secreta para poder asi tener acceso a 

esta página. Si usted no recuerda su número y 

clave secreta, revise la carta que recibió en el correo 

cuando usted ingreso o renovó su membrecía. este año, o 

contacte el Tesorero (mariannehalder@web.de). 


Opinion 

8 

Volume XXI, No. 3 (Sept. 2006) 

Speaker’s Corner 

Selecting Good Wood and Good Compositions 


[The following article originally appeared in German in the May 2006 issue of 

clarino.print and is reprinted here in English with the permission of the publisher.] 

I recall a conversation I had with H. Robert 

Reynolds (retired Director of Bands at the 

University of Michigan) many years ago 

concerning a conductor whom we both had 

never met nor whose bands we had never 

heard perform. We were, however, constantly 

amazed at how many works and composers 

consistently appeared on his band programs 

that we had never heard about. 

Although there was no way to judge 

the quality of the works, we did 

respect the research time that must 

have been devoted to locating and 

identify these composers and compositions. 

Learning about the literature 

probably was the impetus that 

led me to WASBE, although it certainly 

proved not to be the answer I 

had hoped it would be. Instead, it 

only led to additional composers 

and works that I could not readily 

identify or relate to. This was, however, 

the beginning of a great adventure. 

As Robert Louis Stevenson 

wrote in El Dorado, “…to travel 

hopefully is a better thing than to 

arrive, and the true success is to 

labour.” Well, lo these many years I 

have certainly laboured, and I am 

still enjoying the journey. 

Hardly a week goes by that I do 

not hear from a composer in some 

part of the world asking if he may 

send a score and recording of his 

most recent work in the hopes that I 

might perform it with one of my 

ensembles. There is now a desk in 

my office completely covered with 

scores and tapes that eventually will 

require my attention and response. 

While some are inevitably more 

accomplished than others, all represent 

the soul and spirit of a composer 

yearning to share his musical voice 

with me (us). This story is certainly 

not unique, and there are many 

fellow conductors who shoulder this 

burden as well. Whether I eventually 

program their pieces or not, I can 

assure all of these composers that I 

do study each piece very carefully. 

What is most encouraging is the 

growing multitude of composers 

who are turning to the wind band/ 

ensemble as their preferred musical 

medium. This is why I am constantly 

encouraging conductors to program 

both the old and the new. By programming 

earlier compositions, we 

are cementing the cornerstones of 

our literature, while performing and 

encouraging newer works insures 

that we shall identify the new building 

blocks of a more substantial and 

ever growing repertoire. 

Recently my wife and I had hardwood 

flooring installed throughout 

two rooms of our house. It was interesting 

to watch as the craftsmen 

carefully withdrew each new piece 

from the large delivery crates and

examined all for defects or inconsistencies. 

When a board passed that 

test, it was examined for its appropriateness 

to fit in with those boards 

around it so as to complete a total 

effect. Throughout this process, some 

boards were placed in a pile to be 

used in another room with similar 

boards or in less conspicuous areas. 

Some were reworked to fit in different 

places, while many were simply 

discarded as being unfit and eventually 

not used at all. Out of each box 

of wood delivered, roughly 60% fell 

into this latter category. The boards 

that were selected could have been 

used on any floor and will certainly 

stand the test of time for their construction 

and satisfying appeal were 

of the highest level. Others will find 

occasional use, and some will never 

be accepted and must be discarded. 

As I watched this process, I began to 

see an amazing analogy with how 

conductors select new works. While 

our lumber was constructed from the 

same wood (and some undoubtedly 

from the same tree) and was prepared 

using the same basic manufacturing 

process, much ended up 

simply as unacceptable. Was the tree 

to blame? Was the manufacturing 

process inferior? Of course not, but it 

does demonstrate how critical the 

final criteria are. 

We all must constantly encourage 

composers to write new compositions 

for us, yet they must take great 

care to create superior works. 

Regardless of genre, grade level, 

instrumentation or purpose, each 

composition must be constructed 

using only the finest materials and 

craftsmanship, or it risks being 

labeled as unusable. As my wife and 

I were going through the process of 

selecting our flooring, it was amazing 

to me to see the many brands 

that were “almost” the same; “close” 

to the quality; “very similar” in 

appearance and not surprisingly less 

expensive. The temptation to pick 

one of these brands was understandably 

strong, but they did not meet all 

of our criteria, which basically was to 

pick something that was durable and 

pleasing to the eye. 

Compositions must also meet a 

stringent criteria if their composers 

hope to have the works find a place 

in the literature. It is not enough for 

composers to write for band because 

one has a greater chance to have his 

voice heard. The voice must be a solo 

voice strong enough to rise above the 

average chorus and the group in the 

“wings” waiting their turn to be 

heard. The “almost,” “close,” and 

“very similar” will be rejected. Only 

the finely crafted and distinct have a 

chance of passing the final test. 


Feature 


Reynish: A British View of 

Japanese Wind Music ...............15 

10 

Volume XXI, No. 3 (Sept. 2006) 

Irish Wind Band Music 

Robert O’Brien 

From Percy Grainger’s Irish Tune 

from County Derry to Leroy Anderson’s 

Irish Suite, through the Irish 

Rhapsody by Clare Grundman to 

more recent works, including a vast 

amount of beginner and junior band 

music based on Irish airs, the average 

North American band person 

must feel that they are on pretty 

familiar terms with Irish literature 

for wind band. Certainly, taking into 

account 150 years or more of immigration, 

the Irish Diaspora has 

spread far and wide, in the process 

taking its music to every corner of 

the earth, and this is reflected in the 

affinity many people in North America 

feel for this music. One only has 

to look at the phenomenal success of 

shows such as Riverdance and its 

various spin-offs to appreciate the 

popularity of music from Ireland 

outside its country of origin. Of 

course, what all the above mentioned 

band works have in common 

is that they were not written by Irish 

composers. In recent years a growing 

body of music for winds has been 

created in Ireland, much of which as 

yet remains undiscovered by musicians 

outside of the British Isles. 

While some of this music is based, as 

before, on traditional tunes or variants 

thereof, there is an increasing 

amount of music that is not, and 

which owes its inspiration to a much 

wider and varied set of influences. 

The intention of this article is to 

draw attention to some of the important 

literature for wind band/ensemble 

that has been created in Ireland 

since independence. 

Upon gaining independence from 

the British Empire in 1922, the newly 

formed Irish Free State inherited 

much of its institutions directly from 

the departing British administration. 

Unfortunately while classical music 

was by this time undergoing a renaissance 

in England, the influence of 

this had yet to spread to Ireland, 

which had remained a cultural backwater 

of the British Empire for much 

of the nineteenth century. The formation 

of the Irish Army School of 

Music in 1922 was a hugely significant 

point in the early history of 

wind band music in the country. 

The first director of the school was 

Colonel Wilhelm Fritz Braze, a 

German with an established reputation 

as a military band conductor 

and a composer for same. From this 

point onwards, Ireland had a source 

of trained military bandsmen who 

were to have a significant influence 

on the local civilian bands in the 

areas in which they were based. The 

nationalistic environment that existed 

in the early years of the state created 

a demand for Irish music that 

resulted in the conductors of the 

newly formed army bands making 

many settings for band of traditional 

airs, songs and dances. This tradition 

remains, with successive directors of 

the Army School of Music contributing 

to an ever-growing canon of 

marches and other arrangements. 

Although over time some of this 

music has found its way into the 

hands of civilian bands, the majority 

of it remains the preserve of the 

army bands and is rarely performed 

outside of military settings. One 

series of works that is of note from 

the early years of the state are the six 

fantasias on Irish airs composed by 

Fritz Braze, of which the first was 

published by Boosey & Hawkes with 

the subtitle Let Erin Remember and 

as recently as 2002 was recorded by 

the Irish Guards Band of the British 

Army on a CD of the same name. An 

article in the British band magazine 

Winds describes the work as being 

“wonderfully gothic;” however it is 

now unfortunately out of print. 

The influence of nationalist ideas 

in composition can be seen in some 

of the first works created for wind 

band by composers from outside of 

traditional band circles. Of these, 

one of the most endearingly popular

is Thomas Kelly’s Wexford Rhapsody, composed in the 

early 1950s for the Band of the Curragh Command of the 

Irish Army and premiered by that band at a concert given 

as part of the Wexford Opera Festival. Kelly was from 

Wexford and studied with the influential John Larchet, 

Professor of Music at University College Dublin, before 

spending the majority of his working career as Head of 

Music at Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare. Wexford 

Rhapsody comprises three ballads that are all associated 

with County Wexford in southeast Ireland and, in 

particular, the failed uprising against British rule in that 

county in 1798. The work finishes with a skillful setting of 

two quite different tunes, which are adapted to work in 

counterpoint to each other. It has been recorded on the 

Irish Youth Wind Ensemble CD Where the Wind Blows. 

A number of Ireland’s most significant composers in the 

course of the twentieth century passed away without contributing 

works for wind band. The most famous, Seán 

O’Riada, has one work listed on the website of the Contemporary 

Music Centre of Ireland. The work’s title, Ceól 

Mearsáile i gCóir Socraide, translates as Marching Music 

for a Funeral, but the website has no further details on 

why it was written or for 

…the majority of works 

discussed in this article are 

by composers with no 

specific involvement in the 

wind band world… 

whom. The work is for 

traditional Irish warpipes — 

similar to the more famous 

Scottish bagpipes — and 

wind band, a combination 

that is not as unusual as it 

seems, considering the tradition 

that Irish military bands 

have always had of combining 

with pipe bands, both for 

ceremonial and concert purposes. O’Riada’s teacher was 

Aloys Fleischmann, one of the most important Irish musicians 

of the twentieth century and a noted composer in his 

own right. It is unfortunate that he wrote just one short 

work for band, the Four Fanfares for An Tóstal, which was 

written for one of the army bands to perform at the opening 

of a festival celebrating Irish culture in the 1940s. 

Fleischmann, born in Cork of German parentage, died in 

1992 without ever having written a concert work for band, 

despite a long-time professional relationship with members 

of the Band of the Southern Command of the Irish 

Army, based in Cork. A third figure, also hugely influential 

during his lifetime and one of the most important Irish 

composers of the last century was Brian Boydell. He also 

contributed just one work for wind band before his death 

in 2000, the light work Fred’s Frolic, which was written for 

Colonel Fred O’Callaghan and the Army No. 1 Band. 

One of the best-known and most-performed composers 

of the middle part of the twentieth century was A. J. 

Potter, who was born in Belfast in 1918. Following studies 

in the Royal College of Music in London with Ralph 

Vaughan Williams, he returned to Ireland, and received a 

Doctorate in Music from Trinity College Dublin in 1953. 

He succeeded John Larchet as Professor of Composition 

and Allied Studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 

1955. A prolific composer, he wrote numerous works for 

band, mostly incorporating traditional melodies. The best 

known of these works is probably Finnegan’s Wake, a 

humorous take on an already humorous ballad. Instead of 

a straight setting, Potter jolts the rhythm in places by 

adding beats and augmenting the original melodic rhythm 

and at one point has two muted trumpets playing the tune 

a semi-tone apart. These effects were most uncommon to 

Irish bands of the era, least of all when playing arrangements 

of Irish airs. Of the many other works that Potter 

wrote, the majority are unpublished, and the manuscripts 

that exist are held by the various bands for which they 

were written, including the Band of An Garda Síochana 

(the Irish Police Band) and the Army No. 1 Band. 

The composer Gerard Victory (1921–1995) was Director 

of Music in RTE (Radio Telefis Eireann, the Irish statesponsored 

television and 

radio broadcasting service) 

from 1967 to 1982. He writes, 

“It was not until 1980 that I 

became interested in writing 

for brass and concert wind 

bands. My new interest was 

aroused by a number of factors 

— the European Broadcasting 

Union’s scheme ‘New 

Music for Bands,’ the infectious 

enthusiasm for the medium of RTE’s Assistant Head 

of Music, Michael Casey and the encouragement I 

received from an enterprising young music publisher from 

County Down, Martyn Imrie. Marche Bizarre was my first 

work for concert wind band.” 

Marche Bizarre, which has been recorded by the Irish 

Youth Wind Ensemble, is described by the composer as 

being a “novelty piece with a mock serious style”. 

Although the work is not programmatic, he suggests that 

one could imagine “a procession of wizards who are both 

macabre and yet slightly comic.” A more substantial work 

by the same composer is the St. James’s Suite for brass 

and reed band written in 1992. This three movement, ten 

minute work was written in response to a commission 

from the Irish Music Rights Organisation to celebrate 

the 75 th anniversary of the Performing Rights Society. 

A number of other works exist, including the Mayo 

Rhapsody, written for the Band of An Garda Síochana to 





celebrate the 75 th anniversary of the founding of the 

Irish Police Force and dedicated to the then President of 

Ireland, Mrs. Mary Robinson. Also of importance are the 

Tableaux Sportifs, which were written in 1988 for a 

commission from Radio France, consisting of eight 

movements with a duration of over 15 minutes; it was 

subsequently transcribed by the composer for orchestra 

and for chamber ensemble. 

The Irish pianist Philip Martin has established a reputation 

not just as a renowned concert pianist and teacher, 

both in Ireland and abroad, but also as a composer. While 

he has a significant output as a composer of works for 

piano, he has also composed important works for chamber 

ensemble and for orchestra. In 1987 he was commissioned 

by the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble to compose for 

that group and the result was the work Rain Dance, 

described as “A Fantasy for Wind Ensemble with Piano 

Solo,” but in fact it is a concerto for piano accompanied 

by winds in the tradition of the Stravinsky concerto for 

similar forces. 

John Buckley was born in County Limerick in 1951 and 

studied composition with James Wilson, Alun Hoddinott 

and John Cage. He wrote Where the Wind Blows for the 

Irish Youth Wind Ensemble in 1989, having received a 

joint commission from that ensemble and the Arts Council. 

The piece is in one movement with two contrasting 

sections. The opening section is fast and vigorous and is 

characterised by a strong rhythmic drive and constantly 

varied orchestral densities and colourings. The second 

section is more in the nature of a slow meditation with 

lyrical and flowing melodic lines being highlighted 

against sustained chords in the brass and lower woodwind. 

Fanfares, recalling the opening section, usher in a 

calm reflective ending. Where the Wind Blows has been 

recorded by the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble and in recent 

years has been the test-piece in the advanced category of 

the Norwegian National Band Championships. 

While Seán O’Riada was probably the first significant 

Irish composer to incorporate twentieth century compositional 

trends into his compositions, in recent years a 

number of works for wind band/ensemble have been written 

that reflect a more general trend towards avant-garde 

music in Irish composition. Raymond Deane’s Alembic, 

written in 1992 for the DIT Wind Ensemble upon commission 

by its conductor, William Halpin, is one such work. 

Deane, who was born in 1953, graduated from University 

College Dublin in 1974, after which he spent long periods 

abroad studying composition with, amongst others, Karlheinz 

Stockhausen. The composer describes the Alembic 

as follows: “An alembic is a distilling-apparatus used in 

the alchemical process of transmuting base matter into 

gold. The raw material of the work is the familiar “horncall” 

motif heard in the opening section, which leads to 

an aggressive and increasingly elaborate passacaglia 

(“alembicated” = complicated). Off-stage trumpets sustain 

a dignified commentary on the proceedings, and all join 

together for the triumphant close.” 

In 2001 the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble gave the premiere 

of Jennifer Walshe’s Small Small Big. While the performance 

of new music is nothing new to this ensemble, 

the logistical details of this work were a new departure. 

Walshe, a former member of the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble, 

wrote the work under commission from the IYWE 

with funding from the Arts Council of Ireland and conceived 

the work with the acoustical properties of the 

National Concert Hall in Dublin in mind. Thus the ensemble 

is divided into a number of sub-groups stationed 

…in recent years a number 

of works for wind band/ 

ensemble have been written 

that reflect a more general 

trend towards avant-garde 

music in Irish composition. 

throughout the hall, and the various motivic elements are 

designed to interact with the specific acoustical proportions 

of that hall. While poorly received on its premiere, a 

repeat performance in 2005 with a more mature ensemble 

in the same venue gained an enthusiastic review from the 

influential Irish critic Michael Dervan. 

Two composers who are unknown to Irish bands, 

despite having written for winds, are Kevin Volans and 

Roger Doyle. Both have been commissioned to write for 

the Netherlands Wind Ensemble. Volens, originally from 

South Africa but a naturalised Irish citizen, wrote his Concerto 

for Piano and Wind Ensemble as part of a joint 

commission by the Netherlands Wind Ensemble and the 

BBC Proms in 1995. The concerto, along with a number of 

other works, is available on Chandos Records CD, CHAN 

9563. Roger Doyle specialises in electro-acoustic music 

and has also a CD featuring the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, 

Under the Green Time, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, 

NBECD001. This recording contains a number of works 

incorporating electronics, various combinations of wind 

12 



instruments, and the vocals of traditional Irish singer 

Sarah Grealish. Neither of these composers’ works are 

likely to find their way into the standard repertoire in Ireland 

in the near future; a combination of unusual orchestration, 

difficult instrumental techniques and the use of 

electronics in the case of Doyle’s works mean that these 

works remain outside of the repertoire for Irish Bands. 

One of the works that go against the recent trend in 

Irish composition toward avant-garde music is Eibhlís 

Farrell’s Soundshock. This work was written in 1992 for 

the DIT Concert Band when Ms Farrell was a member of 

the staff at the same institution. She writes: “Soundshock 

evokes the spirit of the late 16 th century polychoral 

antiphonal style where sonority and the exploration of 

instrumental colour contrasts became a vital structural 

element. It highlights the unique sound of the different 

sections of the concert band and the use of timpani and 

unpitched percussion throughout forms an important 

structural, unifying function. The bass drum ostinato 

patterns are reminiscent of the force and power of the 

Lambeg drum, a sound very strongly etched into my 

early soundworld.” 

Soundshock is one of the few works listed here that has 

found popularity with North American ensembles and has 

been recorded by the Rutgers Wind Ensemble (Fanfare 

for Rutger, Mark Custom Recording, 4186-MCD). 

Declan Townsend’s Dreamworld (Taighreamh in Irish) 

was the result of a request for a piece for the Cork School 

of Music’s Concert Band, an institution of which Townsend 

was at the time Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion. 

The origins of the work lie in an earlier composition by 

the composer for string quartet. The work was never performed 

by that band, possibly because some of the individual 

parts, especially the percussion, exceeded the 

capabilities of the then young membership. The Royal 

Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra premiered the 

work in 1998 with the composer’s son Peadar conducting. 

It is published by Macaenas Music. 

As can be seen, the majority of the works discussed in 

this article are by composers with no specific involvement 

in the wind band world and, as a result, much of the repertoire 

consists of pieces written for specific purposes. One 

composer who has an on-going record of writing successful 

works for band is Vincent Kennedy. Born in Dublin in 

1962, Kennedy trained as a trumpet player before deciding 

to concentrate on composition. Essentially self-taught as a 

composer, his style, while reflecting numerous eclectic 

influences, remains firmly rooted in tonal harmony. 

Typical of his recent output is the four movement, fifteen 

minute What’s a Heaven For?, which was premiered by the 

Rathfarnam Concert Band in Dublin in May 2006. The 

work contains elements of minimalism and atonality 

within a strongly melodic framework, as well as using traditional 

Irish dance rhythms in the up-tempo finale. Other 

works by Kennedy include the prize-winning Soliloquy 

and March in Memoriam Michael O’Hehir (1997), In a 

Yellow Wood (2003) and Serendipity (2005). 

Another composer whose works avoid modern avantgarde 

techniques in favour of more tonal values is the 

Cork-born composer Patrick Zuk (b. 1968). However, his 

works for wind ensemble remain unperformed by Irish 

ensembles. Robert Boudreau of the American Wind Symphony 

Orchestra has made a point of commissioning 

lesser-known composers, especially those from outside of 

North America, to write for his ensemble. In 1992 Zuk was 

little known outside of Ireland, yet Boudreau commissioned 

him to write the Scherzo for Wind Orchestra. 

Recently Zuk has also composed a Concerto for Trumpet 

and Wind Orchestra (2003) for the same ensemble. Both 

works are relatively light and tuneful, although the latter 

work does present some technical challenges for the 

trumpet soloist. The Scherzo has had some success, but 

like may of Boudreau’s commissions these works have 

failed to enter the standard wind band repertory, perhaps 

because they are only available for hire and/or because 

the instrumentation is for orchestral winds rather than for 

the normal wind band/ensemble. 

With the exception of his work Omaggio, which was 

composed in 1987, the majority of Michael Ball’s compositions 

for wind band have been written since he moved to 

Ireland in 1992. While there is no specific Irish influence 

on such works as the Concerto for Alto Saxophone and 

Wind Band, the Intrada, Chaconne and Chorale or the 

Three Processionals, the composer has indicated that 

there is a work for band in progress that will more obviously 

reflect the influence of his years living and working 

in Ireland. The composer himself suggests that this could 

be seen as a sort of Irish equivalent to Three Places in 

New England by Charles Ives, that is, a work influenced 

by the area of the Dublin coastline where the composer 

now lives. 

One of the most recent figures to emerge from Ireland’s 

burgeoning wind band scene is Fergal Carroll. From 

County Tipperary and with a background in wind band 

music, his first major work for winds, Amphion, was written 

while studying composition with Adam Gorb at the 

Royal Northern College Music in Manchester, England. 

This single movement work takes its inspiration from 

Amphion, the mythological King of the Thebes in ancient 

Greece. It has a specific tonal feeling due to the composer’s 

use of the Greek modes and displays his very distinctive 

ear for sonority and instrumental colour. Carroll’s 

music has become widely performed both in Ireland and 





abroad, and Amphion has been performed to much critical 

acclaim at both WASBE and BASBWE conferences. 

Subsequent works include the Winter Dances for amateur 

wind orchestra and Song of Lir, which was commissioned 

by Timothy and Hilary Reynish in memory of their son 

William and premiered by the Band of HM Royal Marines 

at the 2004 BASBWE Conference in Manchester. His most 

recent works include a series of easy pieces for young 

bands. All of his music is published by Macaenas Music. 

He is currently serving as an officer in the Irish Defence 

Forces School of Music. 

Of the major composers currently active in Ireland, 

many have yet to write for wind band/ensemble. Two of 

the senior figures in Irish composition circles — Ian 

Wilson and John Kinsella — have, however, been 

commissioned to write works for the 2007 WASBE 

Conference in Killarney. Hopefully the presence of this 

Conference in Ireland will act as a catalyst for promoting 

wind band/ensemble music in the country and will 

encourage more composers to treat the genre as a 

serious medium for composition. 

It is hoped that this article will give those outside of 

Ireland some insight into the wealth of high-quality wind 

band literature being composed in this country. It is 

important to note that the author has limited himself to 

discussing works created by those working within the 

Republic of Ireland (that is, excluding Northern Ireland). 

Much important band activity, including a very strong 

brass band tradition exists in that area, but for political 

reasons, it has not had very much influence on events in 

the south. For further information on the works discussed, 

including publication details, it is advised that readers 

visit the Irish Contemporary Music Centre’s web site 

(http://www.cmc.ie) which attempts to document all 

important compositions by both twentieth century and 

contemporary composers. This invaluable resource has 

available for sale most of the scores not published by 

commercial publishing houses as well as a selection of 

recordings with the music of Irish composers. The main 

source of band music not published by mainstream publishers 

is Fergus O’Carroll’s OCMP, which specialises in 

music for brass and wind bands by Irish composers and 

is responsible for the publication of a number of the 

significant works listed above. Visit OCMP’s web site 

(http://www.ocmpireland.com) for further information. 

This issue of the 

WASBE Newsletter 

has been sponsored by 

Gobelin Music 

Publications 

Discount Shopping 

As an additional service to its members, WASBE periodically 

makes arrangements with various segments of the 

music industry for special discounts for the WASBE membership. 

These discounts are being offered for a limited 

time only, so do not delay in taking advantage of them. 

Be sure to indicate your WASBE membership number 

when ordering. 

De Haske Music 

www.dehaske.com 

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Jan Van der Roost: The Essential Collection 

The complete original works for wind band by Jan Van 

der Roost in an eight CD collection. 

CD1: Overtures and Preludes 

CD2: Marches and other works 

CDs3 & 4: Suites and Rhapsodies 

CDs5 & 6: Symphonic Poems 

CDs7 & 8: Symphonies and Concertos 

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Regular price: Euro 79.95 

14 



Repertoire 

A British View of Japanese Wind Band Music 

Timothy Reynish 

Japan wind band music has looked traditionally towards the USA 

and UK for inspiration and repertoire. Concerts in Japan are full of 

American and British music, but we in the West have not reciprocated 

very well by programming Japanese composers. 

There are two reasons: a great deal 

of their music follows American formulaic 

patterns, and much of the 

more original music is either not 

published, difficult to obtain or very 

expensive. At right is a selection of 

works known to me, which I would 

like to programme. 

The following three discs from 

Kosei Publishing Company and two 

from Brain and one of the 2003 

WASBE Conference from Mark 

Custom Records give a good 

overview of contemporary Japanese 

wind band music. The accompanying 

booklets with the Kosei CDs have 

good notes on the pieces and composers by Toshio 

Akiyama in Japanese and English, while the Brain records 

provide information unfortunately only in Japanese. 

• Japanese Band Repertoire, Vol. 2 (KOCD-2902) 



• Prosperous Future for Band into the 21 st Century, 

Vol. 1 (BOCD-7454) 

• Prosperous Future for Band into the 21 st Century, 

Vol. 2 (BOCD-7455) 

• Kanagawa University at 2003 WASBE Conference 

(MCD-4744) 

Many Japanese composers have a virtuoso command of 

wind band scoring, and this is matched by the excellent 

playing on these discs. The influences are clearly from 

France — especially from the impressionists — and from 

America, particularly in works which echo the big band 

idiom. Every so often, a composer will use traditional 

Japanese musical elements fused with Western influences, 

and the results are sometimes very striking. 

To my ears, the strongest disc is Japanese Band Repertoire, 

Vol. 2 (KOCD-2902). All six works in this anthology 

will repay exploration. The recording contains Michio 

Mamiya’s March: Glory of Catalonia, Tadaoki Ishihara’s 

Composer Composition Publisher 

Hiroshi Ohguri Fantasy on Osaka Folktunes Shawnee 

Hiroshi Hoshina Deux Paysages Sonores Kosei 

Hiroshi Hoshina Koshi: An Ancient Festival Kosei 

Hiroshi Hoshina Fu-Mon (Sand Dunes) Bravo 

Yasuhide Ito Gloriosa Ongaku no Tomo Sha 

Yasuhide Ito Festal Scenes TRN 

Akira Miyoshi Stars Atlanpic ’96 Kosei 

Akira Miyoshi Secret Rites (Subliminal Festa) Maecenas 

Bin Kaneda Symphonic Movement for Band Ongaku no Tomo Sha 

Toshio Mashima Les Trois Notes du Japon Brain 

Fumio Tamura Pretty Woman Brain 

Yukio Kikuchi Suite for Wind Orchestra manuscript 

Miura Hideki Salty Music ? 

Movement for Wind Orchestra No. 2, Hiroshi Hoshina’s 

Deux Paysages Sonores (Part 1), Hiroshi Ohguri’s Fantasy 

on Osaka Folk Tunes, Hiroshi Aoshima’s Parade for Full 

Band, Parts 1–5, and Yasuhide Ito’s Gloriosa. 

Yasuhide Ito’s Gloriosa is already established in the 

international repertoire. There are wonderful impressionistic 

sounds in the compositions by Ishihara and Hoshina, 

and the full version of Ohguri’s work has tremendous 

energy, as does the opening March and the little Parade 

movements with their homage to Americana. Michio 

Mamiya’s March: Glory of Catalonia (JBA) is an attractive 

march well worth playing with some unusual phrasings, 

interesting harmonic changes which have a feel of eastern 

Europe, and a charming bagpipe middle section with an 

organum effect in the upper woodwinds. 

Tadaoki Ishihara’s unpublished Movement for Wind 

Orchestra No. 2 is a scenic tone poem evoking the African 

savanna. A wonderfully evocative impressionistic introduction, 

all too short, gives way to Japanese drumming under 

a filmic passage with glissandi roars and a fascinating use 

of wild harmonies. A slower section repeats an eight beat 

phrase time after time under different orchestrations and 



British View of Japanese Wind Music 


harmonies. I can remember thinking on first hearing that 

this was too long, but the simplicity and repetition of this 

passage has a certain strength which in live performances 

would make a bigger impact, especially with today’s interest 

in minimalism. There is a return to the shimmering of 

the introduction and the piece ends as it began. 

The impressionistic palette of Ravel and Debussy is 

present in Hiroshi Hoshina’s Deux Paysages Sonores, both 

in the wonderful orchestration and also the snatches of 

melody which burst forth. Derivative it might be, but it is 

very effective in its use of the colours of the wind band. 

Hiroshi Ohguri’s The Fantasy on Osaka Folk Tunes was 

originally commissioned for symphony orchestra by the 

conductor Takashi Asahina and was premiered by the 

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1956. Ohguri transcribed 

the work for wind band for the Osaka Municipal 

Symphonic Band in 1974. The version on this recording is 

of the complete work, but it is better known in the shorter 

version, used frequently for band contests, and published 

by Concert Works Unlimited (Shawnee). This is no mere 

stringing together of folk 

tunes but rather a full-blown 

free fantasy with tremendous 

energy underlying all of the 

material. I wish this were 

readily available in the West 

in its full version. 

Hiroshi Aoshima describes 

his Parade as a “theatrical 

piece, accompanied by dance.” It has the wit of so much 

American band music of the ’70s and ’80s, owing much to 

the Big Band idiom, with nods to Copland and Bernstein. 

Ito’s Symphonic Poem Gloriosa has a wonderful programme 

of the “hidden Christians” of Kyushu who 

through the centuries continued to practice their faith, 

combining their use of Gregorian chant with their native 

modal melodies. The first movement is a set of free variations 

on the opening sung plainsong. The second movement, 

Cantus, opens with a solo passage for ryuketi, a 

Japanese type of flute, played with many glissando inflections. 

The third movement, Dies Festus, is based on a folksong 

from Nagasaki. 

Festal Scenes also by Ito is a very effective collage of 

four Japanese folk-songs, scored vividly and aimed at 

about Grade 4. It is well worth exploring, having proved 

to be a most popular encore piece for my tour of Japan 

with the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra 

in 1995. 

Of the music on Japanese Band Repertoire, Vol 3, the 

outstanding work for me is Stars Atlanpic ’96 by Akira 

I hope that we in the West will seek 

out more and more of this very original 

music to add colour to our programmes. 

Miysohi, written for Emory University in Atlanta and premiered 

in 1991 in a Celebration of Japanese and American 

music. Its title reflects the selection of Atlanta as the 

Olympic site for 1996, and the three movements evoke the 

spirit of youth and fellowship. Encounter has enormous 

energy, Joy and Sorrow is more reflective and introvert, a 

lyrical scena of considerable beauty in an idiom which 

derives in part from the composer’s study in Paris with 

Dutilleux. Celebration is another energetic movement, 

built on a snappy dance phrase. Miyoshi has a virtuoso 

approach to the wind band, his musical ideas are far from 

hackneyed or clichéd, and his music never overstays its 

welcome. I think that his is one of the most exciting 

composers in contemporary Japanese music. 

On the same disc, the Timber of Dendrocosmos by Ken 

Ito combines voices and instruments in the manner of the 

traditional bugaku instrumental and roei vocal music of 

ancient Japan. Interesting though the sounds are, there is 

not for me enough contrast of material. However, I should 

be interested in hearing more music by this original voice. 

There are a number of 

works with impressive gestures 

which are not sustained. 

All too often I find that either 

the idioms used are too diffuse 

or that the music lapses 

into sentimentality. On the 

Brain discs, I enjoyed the 

somewhat wistful idiom of 

Ejii Suzuki’s Morning Stars — a useful five minute little 

idyll — and the Sinfonia for Band by Masahiro Yamauchi, 

which has tremendous energy in its 5/8 section. 

Akira Toda’s and all on the earth had gone starts and 

ends with a similar energy. 

The Mark Custom Records recording of the Kanagawa 

University Symphonic Band at the 2003 WASBE Conference 

contains Yukio Kikuchi’s Suite for Wind Orchestra, 

Masamicz Amano’s Yugayo Chugan-azuma kagami ibun, 

Akira Miyoshi’s Subliminal Festa (Secret Rites), Fumio 

Tamura’s Pretty Woman, Bin Kaneda’s Symphonic Movement 

for Band, Hiroshi Hoshina’s Fu-Mon (Sand Dunes), 

and Toshio Mashima’s Les Trois Notes du Japon, 

The opening Suite for Wind Orchestra is grade 5 work 

in four movements with a duration of fourteen minutes 

and fifteen seconds. The first movement is a somewhat 

conventional two minute fanfare but like most Japanese 

music sumptuously scored; devotees of John Williams will 

love the Hollywood ending. The second movement is reminiscent 

of Ravel with gentle mixed metres, an emphasis 

on flute, clarinet and saxophone colours. The third begins 

16 



with a riot of Japanese drumming, a raw energy reminiscent 

of West Side Story, that eventually dissipates into a 

pointillist section with strange chords and motifs. The 

finale is more extended with a rather portentous introduction 

leading to a development of the opening motif; it is 

by turns pompous and energetic. Unfortunately, the work 

remains unpublished. 

Azuma kagami is a history book of the Kamakura era 

in 12 th Century Japan, and Masamicz Amano’s Yugayo 

Chugan-azuma kagami ibun is redolent with the mystery 

of that far off age with the birth of various aspects of 

Buddhism. I love the sound and the inflections of the 

Japanese flute, and this work begins with a languorous 

evocative solo, taken up by figurations in the rest of the 

band. A cadenza-like passage for marimba and percussion 

follows, breaking into a very complex dance which is stilled 

briefly by voices. This seven minute, twenty-five second, 

grade 4 work is available on rental from Brain Music. 

Akira Miyoshi is one of Japan’s leading contemporary 

composers. Following his studies in Tokyo, Miyoshi continued 

his studies at the Paris Conservatoire under Duttileux, 

that most fastidious of composers, and one can 

hear something of his teacher’s brilliant organizational 

skills in all of Miyoshi’s work. The grade 4 Subliminal 

Festa (Secret Rites) was written in 1988 for All Japan Band 

Competition. In this five minute work, Miyoshi introduces 

a post-Stravinsky sound world, full of the swirling energy 

of the opening pages of Le Sacre — maybe it is the opening 

bassoon theme that suggests that to me. This is a 

useful piece as a virtuoso opening number, although 

perhaps too short for its myriad of ideas to be developed. 

It is published by the All Japan Band Association and is 

also available on sale from Maecenas Music. 

Fumio Tamura’s nine minute, grade 5 Pretty Woman 

(Brain Music) is an unashamed tone poem, based on 

Checkhov’s novel of the same title, and the musical 

episodes, each of which are separated by a short chorale 

passage, depict the men who affect the life of the heroine. 

The theme of the pretty woman, Orenka, is stated at the 

start and is then treated in four contrasting ways: Orenka 

and Kukin, the manager of an amusement park, Orneka 

and Prostwarlov, the manager of a lumberyard, Orenka 

and Sumilnine, the veterinarian, and Orenka and Sashya, 

the son of Sumilnine. This work is tougher than the rest 

of the music on this recording, and I must confess to 

having heard performances whereby I found the music 

dense and uncompromising. In this performance, there 

was so much contrast and detail that I found it very powerful 

indeed. 

Like Tamura’s Pretty Woman, the Symphonic Movement 

for Band by Bin Kaneda (1935–1981) was commissioned 

by the Yamaha Wind Orchestra. Written in 1975 

this ten and a half minute, grade 4 composition is more 

traditional in idiom, and I suppose you could consider 

that it comes from the middle ground of late 

romantic/twentieth century styles. This is emotional 

music. The programme note says that “Emphasis was laid 

on hopes to express the symphonic capabilities that are 

harboured in band music performance patterns and 

whether or not it was possible to express not only what 

lies in the surface of the human mind but also the vague 

emotional feeling that stagnantly lies profoundly in the 

bottom of one’s heart.” Weighty ambitions, but the result 

for me is a work with tension and contrast, some very 

exciting writing after the agonized opening statement, 

built on a falling figure full of yearning. This figure 

becomes the basis for a fast moving fugato, giving way in 

turn to a slightly sentimental slower section. 

Hiroshi Hoshina’s Fu-Mon (Sand Dunes) is a grade 4 

composition lasting just over seven minutes and is available 

on hire from Bravo Music. Hiroshi Hoshina is a 

much revered figure in Japanese wind band music, an 

unashamedly romantic composer and a fine conductor. 

As with his Deux Paysages Sonores, Fu-Mon is traditional 

in idiom with the impressionistic palette of Ravel and 

Debussy reflected in the masterly orchestration and 

snatches of melody which burst forth. 

Toshio Mashima’s Les Trois Notes du Japon is a suite in 

three movements intended to depict three typical Japanese 

scenes with western instruments, scales and harmonies. 

Despite more than a nod toward America and the “big 

band” sound, the idiom is clearly Japanese. The first 

movement, “The Dance of the Cranes,” is based on a short 

modal motif which, following a striking opening gesture, 

provides for fast and slow material in a traditional ABA 

form. The second movement, “Snow River,” is extremely 

evocative of a desolate black and white snow scene, with 

its consecutive fifth harmonic background and snatches of 

wind solos. The third movement, “Festival,” storms in with 

a kaleidoscope of noise. Concerning this movement, the 

composer writes: “La fête du feu is the collage of various 

rhythms and notes describing the vigourous Japanese 

summer festival. In the middle, summer scenery with 

towering thunderclouds in the scorching blue sky is 

expressed. The rhythm of drums approaching from far 

away is that of the Neputa Festival of the Aomori region 

where my mother was born.” This grade 5 composition 

has a duration of seventeen minutes and ten seconds and 

is available on rental from Bravo Music. 

I have enjoyed Japanese repertoire at WASBE Conferences, 

and I hope that we in the West will seek out more 

and more of this very original music to add colour to our 

programmes. I believe that any one of these works would 

add excitement and originality to any Western concert. 


Major Orchestral Library Association 

James Ripley, WASBE Secretary 

One of the most significant benefits of WASBE is the sharing 

of ideas between members. The WASBE website is an 

effective way to explore the resources that have been submitted 

by the membership, but perhaps the most valuable 

asset is the on-line directory, which provides a pathway 

for almost limitless dialog and exploration. One of the 

most positive communiqués I have received from a 

member informed me of another useful website, the Major 

Orchestral Library Association (MOLA) web site. Many of 

the United States military bands are members of this association, 

but otherwise this valuable musical resource is 

generally unknown to wind bands/ensembles. Material on 

the web-site is exclusively in English, however the range 

of topics is truly international. 

It is probably enough to report that the association’s 

website is: www.mola-inc.org, and let those of you who 

are interested simply begin your investigation. However, 

for those that would like a small sampling of the site’s 

resources, read on: 

Public Resources: This area contains a wealth of useful 

information on publishers, composers (and their agents), 

professional organizations, and a catalog of errata lists. 

The Nieweg Charts: Information on editions of Pictures 

at an Exhibition, The Nutcracker, Bachianas brasileiras. 

Also includes Music for Harp and Band as a “special 

interest” item. 

Copyright Issues: US copyright law is explained, as are 

procedures for licensing agencies. 

Composer Dates: Includes the MOLA Obituary Index 

and Gaylord Music Library Necrology Page 

Womens [sic] Resources: Information on female early 

music composers, a general women composers collection, 

and other internet resource locations. 

Choral Resources: Information on the Bagaduce Music 

Lending Library, Musica Russica and The Choral Public 

Domain Library 

Libraries & Other Resources: The Leopold Stokowski 

Collection at the University of Pennsylvania, a guide to 

published editions of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, listings 

of music libraries and orchestras, Music Web Hunter 

(Public Domain Music), bibliofind (source for out-ofprint 

scores) and a list of music critic Henry Fogel’s 

record library. 

The Press Room: Varied submissions on music and 

librarianship by the members of MOLA. 

MOLA & Affiliate Publications: A look at orchestral 

repertoire currently being performed, as well as guidelines 

for part preparation and library procedures. 

Broken Pencil: Back issues of the Newsletter of British 

Orchestra Librarians 

National Anthems: A link to midi files of national 

anthems of the world. 

As with most websites, including our own, the “members 

only” area contains some of the most intriguing 

topics: Wind Clips, Errata Database, MOLA-Publisher 

Performance History Chart, and Repertoire Reports. 

The sharing of information in its many forms is central 

to maintaining an active organization. Let us all continue 

to investigate the wider world of music in order to maintain 

the vibrancy of wind music in the 21 st century. 

Taking a quick break for pictures in Killarney during the Board of Directors meetings 

and 2007 Conference Artistic Planning Committee meetings in July 2007. 

18 



International Wind History 

Conference 

Jon Ceander Mitchell 

The International Wind Music History Conference was held from the 27 th 

through the 31 st of July 2006 in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The conference 

was a joint effort of the IGEB (Internationale Gesellschaft zur Erforschung und 

Förderung der Blasmusik) and the HBS (Historic Brass Society). Headquarters 

for the conference was The Archer House in downtown Northfield. Dr. Paul 

Niemisto, Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, served as host for the conference, 

which was overseen by IGEB President Bernard Habla and HBS President 

Jeffrey Nussbaum, 

Beginning on Friday, July 28, thirty-eight research scholars representing ten 

different countries presented the papers listed below. The last two listed featured 

live music and were presented at the Grand Entertainment Center. All 

others were presented at the Archer House Conference Center. 

La Vern Rippley German Immigrant Bands 

Ronald Rodman Wind Symphonies of James Robert Gillette 

Jo Ann Polley The Legacy of Miles “Mity” Johnson 

Bernhard Habla Music and Identity 

Clark Wolf 

Aesthetics of Historical Performance 

Bruce Gleason Mounted Band of the Chicago Black Horse Troop of 

the 1930s 

David Reynolds Butte, Montana Miners Band 

Nola Reed Knouse Music of the 26th North Carolina Regiment Band, 

CSA 

Christopher Knighten From the Stadtpfeiffer Tradition to Gettysburg 

James Davis “Home, Sweet Home”: Civil War Bands and the 

Military Community 

Myron Moss Cultural Identification in Band Music by African- 

American Composers 

Bradley Norman Kent Paul Hindemith’s Konzertmusik für Blasorchester, 

Op. 41 

Elisa Koehler Banda Minichini: An Italian Band in America 

Catherine Parsonage Dixieland Winds in Europe 

David Hebert Transculturation in New Zealand Brass Bands 

Helmut Brenner Theoretical Remarks on the Roots of the Modern 

Concert Marimba 

Ann-Marie Nielson What is Swedish about a Swedish Wind Octet? 

Raoul Camus New York’s 7th Regimental Band 

Sabine K. Klaus The Brass Music Instrument Makers Kaiser & Kohler 

Paul Niemisto Early Brass Instruments of I. F. Anderst found in 

Finland 

Stewart Carter A Manuscript Trumpet treatise, ca. 1795 in the 

Biblioteca Estense in Modena 

Christine Beard 19th Century Piccolo Repertoire 

Joseph Darby 

Francis Pieters 

Handel’s Wind Choirs as Sign and Substance 

Desiré Dondeyne, Pioneer of French Wind Band 

Music 

Anatoly Dudin and Zinainda Kartesheva 

Wind Music Traditions in Russia 

Kari Laitinen European Music Comes to Finland via Bands 

News & Events 


World of Winds report ..............21 

International Events ..................24 

Premieres ......................................27 

News in Brief ................................29 

Appeal for instrument 

donations to Ecuador ...............23 


Volume XXI, No. 3 (Sept. 2006) 19

IGEB/HBS Conference 


Damien Sagrillo Harmonie, Fanfare, and Brass 

Bands in Luxembourg 

Ray Burkhart Brass Chamber Music in 

Circuit Chatauqua, 1904 to 

ca. 1930 

Tim Maloney Parody and Pastische: The 

Wind Music of Lothar Klein 

Keith Kinder Healey Willan: A Canadianized 

British Composer 

Jeremy S. Brown Serge Garant [Canada] – pour 

le Saxophone 

Mikolaj Rykowski Moravian and Czech 

Harmoniemusik in 

Hapsburg, Austria 

Evan Feldman Dvorak’s Relationship with the 

Spillville, Iowa [USA] Concert 

Band 

Richard Scott Cohen The ”Cobla” Band of 

Catalunya, Spain 

Janet Heukeshoven The Harmoniemusik of 

Wenzel Sedlak 

Jon C. Mitchell “Pan’s Anniversary”: Manifestation 

of the English Folk Song 

Revival and Ramifications for 

the British Military Band 

Featured chamber ensembles included the Rocky Mountain 

Alphorn Trio, Dolce Woodwind Quintet, Chestnut 

Brass, Passion des Cuivres [Berlin, Germany], Art-Aria 

Basset Horn Trio, Flaribault’s Flariboneba, Vintage Ensemble, 

St. John’s Trombones, and WindWorks Quintet. 

Bands included Brassworks Band [San Francisco], 

Craig Ebel’s DyVersaCo Polka Band, Carlisle Town Band, 

New Ulm German Band, Newberry’s Victorian Cornet 

Band, Amerikan Poijat Finnish Band, 26 th North Carolina 

Regiment Band, Dodworth Saxhorn Band, Chatfield Brass 

Band, Sheldon Theatre Brass Band, First Wisconsin 

Brigade Band, Lake Wobegon Brass Band, and the Fridley 

City Band. 

Three trips were made available to those attending — 

a pre-conference trip to the Shrine to Music Museum, a 

steamboat trip on the Mississippi, and a post-conference 

trip to the Chatfield Band Library. The highly-successful 

conference concluded with a Vaudeville show accompanied 

by the North Star Theatre Orchestra at the Grand 

Entertainment Center. 

8 th International Youth 

Festival in Ukraine 

Robert M. Gifford 

Through the vision and determination of Andrij Kibita 

and the hard work of his son Pavel, the city of Rivne in 

western Ukraine is developing into a center for wind 

music in that part of the world. The 8 th International 

Youth Festival of Wind Music, “Surmy 2006,” was held in 

Rivne from the 18 th through the 21 st of May 2006. The 

festival included a contest for youth bands, concerts and 

workshops. The festival, which is supported by WASBE 

member and German music publisher Siegfried Rundel, 

has stimulated a new interest in wind bands and WASBE 

in this part of eastern Europe. 

Nine youth bands from Belarus, Hungary, Poland, and 

the Ukraine participated in the contest, which was judged 

by Sergij Zolotariov, Assistant Conductor of the President’s 

Wind Orchestra of Ukraine, Dr. Sheri Mattson, Assistant 

Professor of Music at Central Missouri State University 

(USA), and Dr. Robert M. Gifford, Emeritus Professor and 

Conductor (USA). Dr. Mattson also presented masterclasses 

for double reed students, and Dr. Gifford worked with 

student conductors and area wind orchestras. 

The festival’s finale concert included all competing 

ensembles, as well as the Youth Wind Orchestra “Surma” 

from the Rivne Musical College and the President’s Wind 

Orchestra of Ukraine, conducted by Anatoliy Molotay and 

Sergij Zolotariov. Dr. Mattson was featured on the concert 

as soloist with the Petite Concerto Lyrique pour Oboe solo 

et l’orchestre d’harmonie by Georgy Salnikov. 

Send us your photos! 

Every WASBE Newsletter is full of great articles and information, 

but we also want to communicate to members 

visually. Do you have a photo of a wind band event that 

we could use? Send it to the publisher at wasbephotos@ 

jazzace.ca along with a description that we might use to 

caption your photo in the Newsletter. Photos submitted 

will also be considered for posting on the 

WASBE Web Site. Please note that you 

must own the rights to the 

photograph and by 

submitting the 

photograph, you 

are giving us permission 

to use it in 

our publications. 

20 



World of Winds 

Leon J. Bly 

The first session of the World of Winds, the worldwide 

wind orchestra for pre-professionals sponsored by WASBE 

and Jeunesse Musicales International, was held this 

summer in Norway. The 50 piece wind orchestra with 

players from thirteen countries was directed by Swedish 

trombonist, composer, conductor Christian Lindberg and 

Norwegian trumpeter and conductor Ole Edvard Antonsen, 

who also served as soloist with the wind orchestra. 

The idea for this wind orchestra arose at the time Felix 

Hauswirth was President of WASBE, and he and Håkon 

Hesthammer approached Jeunesses Musicales concerning 

establishing an international youth wind orchestra similar 

to the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. A joint JMI – 

WASBE Committee was then created to develop a plan 

for such a wind orchestra with Felix Hauswirth, Håkon 

Hesthammer and Bert Langeler representing WASBE. 

In 2001, the Norwegian Band Federation approached 

JMI and WASBE about hosting the first world youth wind 

orchestra, which by this time had the name World of 

Winds, because its initials would express the wow impact 

that this ensemble should make. Although it took five 

more years and a great deal of hard work, especially on 

the part of the Norwegian Band Federation, the World of 

Winds finally did make a wow impact on audiences in 

Norway and Germany in August of this year. 

The wind orchestra rehearsed in Trondheim, Norway 

from the 25 th of July to the 1 st of August 2006 with the 

opening concert taking place on 2 August 2006 as part of 

that city’s St. Olav’s Festival. Additional concerts were 

played at the Music Festival in Elverum, Norway and the 

prestigious Rheingau Music Festival in Wiebaden, Germany. 

Trondheim and the St. Olav’s Festival have a wonderful 

old world charm and provided an excellent setting for the 

initial concert. Although Trondheim is Norway’s second 

largest city, it has a small town atmosphere with its beautiful 

surrounding green mountains always in view and 

streets with little automobile traffic. During the Festival, 

which was held from the 27 th of July to the 5 th of August 

this year, the city was alive with people and activities — 

rock concerts, jazz concerts, classical music concerts, and 

plenty of activities relating to the historical and cultural 

life of the region — at all hours of the day and evening. 

At the elegant Britannia Hotel, the Festival headquarters, 

one might hear a Dixieland band playing outside one 

hour, a string quartet in the ball room the next, and a jazz 

pianist in one of the bars an hour or two later. A little walk 

around the city would certainly take one past a church 

with an organ or choir concert, a fair with local arts and 

crafts, and an open-air historical pageant. Among the 800 

artists at this year’s Festival were Placido Domingo, Alfred 

Brendel and the Moscow Patriarch Choir. 

The World of Winds concert took place in the excellent 

Olavshallen, hone of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. 

The very demanding program opened with Antonsen 

conducting Knut Nystedt’s Entrata Festiva, Opus 60 in 

acknowledgement of the host country. Antonsen continued 

with an impressive performance of Florens Schmitt’s 

Dionaysiaques, Opus 62. Lindberg then took the stage 

to conduct a refined performance of Igor Stravinsky’s 

Symphonies of Wind Instruments, after which Antonsen 

returned to the podium to conclude the first half of the 

program with Percy Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy. The 

second half of the program began with Christian Lindberg 

conducting his Concerto for Winds and Percussion in a 

[World of Winds] received 

standing ovations… and 

excellent reviews in the press. 

virtuoso performance that captivated the audience. Antonsen 

and Lindberg then teamed up for an excellent performance 

Magnus Lindgren’s jazz orientated Trumpet 

Concerto. The concert concluded with Lindberg conducting 

Bernardo Adam Ferrero’s Hommaje á Joaquin 

Sorolla, which was performed with great enthusiasm 

and excellent style. 

The concert in Trondheim as well as the concerts in 

Elverum, Norway and Wiebaden, Germany received standing 

ovations from the audiences, a rarity in Germany, and 

excellent reviews in the press. The German music critic 

Richard Hörnicke found the “evening of rarities” so exciting 

that he wrote that it would be nice if the ensemble 

could return to the Rheingau Festival again in two years 

time when the next WoW session is planned. 

Plans for that next session are already well underway. 

If all goes as presently foreseen, the WoW will soon have a 

permanent office at Jeunesse Musicales Germany in Weikersheim, 

Germany. A system for attracting two of the very 

best players from twenty-five to thirty countries is being 

developed with the goal of engaging one of the world’s 

top conductors for the session. This year’s World of Winds 

was a big success, but an even greater WoW is on its way! 


Advertisement 

Open to: 

The Swiss Band Federation announces the following competition 

in connection with the second Swiss Entertainment-Music Festival 2008: 

International Composition Competition 

for Entertainment Music 

Composers of any nationality and age 

Prizes: CHF 3,000.00 – 5,000.00 

Orchestration: 

Grade Levels: 2 - 5 

Deadline: 31 October 2006 

Wind Band, Brass Band and Fanfare Band 

Information: 

Information, Regulations and Applications are available 

at: www.windband.ch or from the secretary 

Teilnahmeberechtigung: 

Preisgelder: 

Besetzung: 

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der Schweizer Blasmusikverband SBV folgenden Wettbewerb aus: 

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Komponistinnen und Komponisten jeder Nationalität und jeden 

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Eingabeschluss: 31. Oktober 2006 

Blasorchester und Brass Band / Fanfare mixte 

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Infos: 

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22 



Appeal For Instrument Donations 

Theft from Brass Band of Ecuador Threatens Program 

John Stanley 

On 20 July 2006, The Brass Band of Ecuador (Quito) was 

the victim of a terrible theft of more than US$20,000 in 

instruments, computers, and equipment. The eleven instruments 

stolen were acquired after a long period of appeal 

for support. They came from Switzerland, Germany, and 

the United States of America with much effort on the part 

of private individuals, organizations, and embassies over 

the last six years. The Brass Band requests any possible 

help in acquiring replacement brass and percussion instruments 

so that this project, which has so greatly benefited 

the Quito community, may continue to operate. 

The fundamental goal of the Fundacion Brass Band 

del Ecuador is to offer to young people of limited 

resources the possibility to study music. It was founded in 

2000 by Jorge Pachacama (President), Patricia Anaguano 

(General Director), and the Swiss violinist, Corina Arpagauss, 

during her visit in Ecuador with La Sinfónica de 

Quito. The first instructors were members of the Sinfónica 

and the Pacific Brass. 

During the first four years of existence, the Foundation 

has made three tours to the United States, a tour to 

Switzerland and has grown remarkably, having at the 

moment 64 young people in its advanced performing 

ensemble. 

The after-school band exists to make access to music 

more universal. Obtaining a music education in Ecuador 

has become a privilege available only to the elite few. 

Several factors contribute to the lack of access. Deteriorating 

economic conditions, the decision in September 

2000 to peg the national currency to the U.S. dollar and 

the resulting high inflation rate has meant that the average 

Ecuadorian family can barely cover their living costs. 

Attending concerts, getting any form of music education 

and developing one’s musical talent remain elusive ideals 

in Ecuador. 

Those donating instruments or music from the USA 

may obtain an address where they may be sent and then 

hand-carried to Ecuador. 

For more information please contact: 

• brass@interactive.net.ec or 

• John Stanley (john@johnstanley.org). 

The 12 th Seminario 

Internacional de Bandas 

Yamaha was held in 

Bogota, Colombia from 

June 21–24, 2006.The 

co-operation between 

WASBE and Yamaha in 

South America is quite 

evident in this picture. 

(L-R) Seated is Yamaha representative 

and sponsor of 

the festival, Juan Ramirez; 

Clinician and WASBE Past 

President Dennis L. Johnson. 

Site Coordinator for 

Yamaha Bellanith Cellis; 

Clinician and WASBE 

member Richard Miles of 

Morehead, Kentucky; Clinician 

and WASBE member 

Gustavo Fontana of 

Buenos Aires, Argentina; 

and former WASBE Board 

Member and current Special 

Projects Editor, John 

Stanley of California. 


International Events 

This calendar of international band related events is provided as a service to the membership. A listing here is in no 

way to be construed as a WASBE endorsement of the event. This list is also available on the WASBE Web Site. 

The 3 rd Congreso Iberoamericano 

de Compositores, Directores, 

Arregladores e Instrumentistas de 

Bandas Sinfónicas will take place in 

Cordoba, Argentina from the 31 st of 

October to the 4 th of November, 

2006. The Conference will consists of 

concerts, workshops and clinics and 

deal with wind band music from the 

Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. 

For more information: 

Vicente Moncho 

Caseros 345-3 “D” 

5000 Cordoba 

Argentina 

Tel./Fax: + 54 / 351 / 4251147 

vicmon@onenet.com.ar 

The 8 th Annual Asian Symphonic 

Band Competition will be held at the 

Mahidol University College of Music 

in Bangkok, Thailand from the 22 nd 

to the 26 th of November, 2006. The 

contest is open to non-professional 

symphonic wind bands from all 

countries. Prize money for the competition 

totals 2,000,000 baht (US 

$50,000) with first prize awarded 

1,000,000 baht and the King’s Cup 

trophy. Participating bands are 

required to perform three selections: 

a piece composed by His Majesty the 

King of Thailand titled Kinari Suite 

(score and parts will be sent to participating 

bands), a piece by a composer 

from the group’s native 

country, and a third selection of the 

conductor’s choice. The competition 

also features a small ensemble division 

with prize money totaling 

200,000 baht (US $5000) with first 

prize awarded 100,000 baht (US 

$2500) and the Tourism Authority of 

Thailand Cup trophy. In addition, 

clinics and workshops with guest 

artists and adjudicators will be 

offered throughout the competition. 


Asian Symphonic Band 

Competition 

Mahidol University College of 

Music 

25/25 Phuttamonthon Sai 4, 

Salaya 

Nakhonpathom, 73170, Thailand 

Tel: +662-800-2525 Ext.9107-109 

Fax: +662-800-2530 

msspelc@mahidol.ac.th 

http://www.music.mahidol.ac.th/ 

asbwec/index.html 

The 35 th Annual Certamen Internacional 

de Bandes de Música Vila d’Altea 

will take place on the 2 nd and 

3 rd of December, 2006 at the Palau 

Altea Centre d’Arts in Altea, Spain. 

The contest is open to non-professional 

symphonic bands, which may 

compete in one of two categories: 

bands of 85 players or less, and 

bands of between 85 and 130 musicians. 

The test piece for bands of 85 

player of less is El Patrañuelo (José 

Salvador González Morenov). The 

test piece for bands of more than 85 

players is Tirant lo Blanc (Ramón 

Pastor Gimeno). Cash prizes will be 

awarded. For more information: 

Societat Filharmònica Alteanense 

Carrer de la Filharmònica, 12 

Apartat de Correus 474 

03590 Altea 

Spain 

Tel./Fax: +34 / 96 / 584 44 99 

certamenaltea@certamenaltea.com 

www.certamenaltea.com 

The 60 th Annual Midwest Clinic: An 

International Band and Orchestra 

Conference will be held at the Chicago 

Hilton and Towers from the 19 th 

to the 23 rd of December, 2006 in 

Chicago. The Clinic consists of a vast 

number of clinics and workshops, an 

extensive trade exhibition, and 

numerous band, jazz ensemble and 

orchestra concerts. For more 

information: 

Kelly Jocius 

Executive Administrator 

828 Davis Street, Suite 100 

Evanston, IL 60201 

USA 

Tel.: +1 / 847 / 424-4163 

Fax: +1 / 847 / 424-5185 

info@midwestclinic.org 

www.midwestclinic.org 

The Annual Conductors Guild Conference 

will be held at the Toronto 

Hilton Hotel in Toronto (Ontario) 

Canada from the 18 th to the 21 st of 

January, 2007. Join the Guild in one 

of the world’s most exciting cities as 

we celebrate our first Conference 

held outside the USA — “Conductors 

without borders.” This major cultural 

event will feature speakers from 

Canada, USA, England, Denmark, 

Finland, Italy, and Israel, bringing 

together internationally acclaimed 

conductors, instrumentalists, musicologists, 

educators, composers, writers, 

therapists, government officials 

and supporters of the arts from 

across the business world. In addition 

to lectures and workshops concerning 

the art, craft and history of 

conducting, performances by 

Canada’s leading musical ensembles 

will also be presented. The Conference 

will offer several professional 

development opportunities for conductors. 


Kristian Alexander 

Conference Chair 

Tel.: +1 804.553.1378 

www.conductorsguild.org 

The 2 nd Annual Muse Festival will be 

held from the 6 th to the 8 th of April, 

2007 in Singapore. Music for Everyone 

2007 (Muse) is open to youth 

wind and brass bands, with a membership 

of 30 to 80 musicians 

24 



etween the ages of 12 and 18 years. 

Participating bands will perform in 

competitions, concerts, workshops 

and fringe events throughout Singapore. 

Competing bands are required 

to perform one compulsory and two 

works of their choice for a maximum 

of 25 minutes duration. The competitions 

and closing ceremony will be 

held in the Ballroom of the Orchard 

Hotel. For more information: 

Orient-Explorer 

141 Middle Road 

#03-02C GSM Building 

Singapore 188976 

Tel.: +65 6339 8687 

Fax: +65 6339 3731 

mail@orient-explorer.com 

www.orient-explorer.com 

Welcome New 

Members! 

Hadrian Avila, Argentina 

Jorge Costa-Pinto, Portugal 

Jane Cross,Virgina, USA 

Harmonie Décinoise, France 

Didier Descamps, France 

Carlos Diéguez Beltrán, Spain 

Fédération Musicale Franche- 

Comte, France 

Vaughan Fleischfresser, Australia 

Antonio Gimenez, Venezuela 

Michelle Harlow, Canada 

José Andrés Vidal Hernandéz, 

Dominican Republic 

Gary Hill, Arizona, USA 

Rommel Jumbo Medina, Ecuador 

Hiroshi Kasai, Cafua Records, 

Japan 

William Kenny, Pennsylvania, USA 

Mitchell Lutch, Iowa, USA 

Aavo Ots, Estonia 

Carlos Antonio Real Pasan, 

Guatemala 

Bruno Pauleau, France 

Christopher Tucker,Texas, USA 

Kimberley Tucker,Texas, USA 

Thierry Weber, France 

Nobuyuki Sawano, Japan 

Andre Granjo, Portugal 

Brian Walden, Virginia, USA 

International Festival of Wind 

Orchestras will be held in Volgograd, 

Russia from the 9 th to the 12 th of 

May, 2007. For more information: 

Anatoly Dudin 

International Department Music 

Faculties 

Moscow State University of 

Culture & Arts 

M. Rubzova 3-136 Khimki 

141410 Moscow 

Russia 

an_dudin@mtu-net.ru 

The 6 th Biennial Internationale 

Musiktage Vöcklabruck will take 

place in Vöcklabruck, Austria from 

the 16 th to the 19 th of May, 2007. 

This biennial festival consists of various 

events, including contests for 

concert bands in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6, 

contests for marching bands and 

show bands, brass, woodwind, and 

percussion ensembles with five or 

more players, and a competition for 

the best produced CD recording. The 

registration deadline is Monday, January 

15, 2007. For more information: 

Internationale Musiktage 

Vöcklabruck 

c/o Fremden VerkehrsFörderungs 

GesmbH 

Feldgasse 1 

A-4840 Vöcklabruck 

Austria 

Tel.: +43 / 7672 / 25566 

Fax: +43 / 7672 / 25566-85 

imt.voecklabruck@fvf.at 

www.fvf.at/musiktage 

The 13th WASBE International Conference 

will be held in Killarney, Ireland from the 8 th 

to the 14 th of July, 2007.The Conference will 

include clinics, a trade exhibition, and concerts 

by bands from all over the world.The theme of 

the Conference in 2007 is “Recognition and 

Surprise.” An e-mail list has been established 

for those interested in being notified of the 

latest updates about the Conference. 

Instructions on how to sign up 

are provided on the Conference 

web site. For 

more information: 

info@wasbe2007.com 

www.wasbe2007.com 


Announcements from the Music Industry 

The following is provided as a service to the membership. The mention of products here or in the advertisements in this 

Newsletter is in no way to be construed as a WASBE endorsement of the products. 

Schott Music now distributes world 

wide all printed music editions from 

the music publisher M.P. Belaieff. 

Belaieff is a major publisher of the 

Russian masters of the 19 th and 

20 th centuries as well as contemporary 

composers such as Alexander 

Raskatov and Ukranian composer 

Valentin Silvestrov. 

Summit Records has released two CD 

recordings by the Columbus State 

University Wind Ensemble under the 

direction of Robert Rumbelow. 

Velocity (DCD397) includes Molly on 

the Shore, O Magnum Mysterium, 

Bells for Stokowski, Cave, October, 

The Light Fantastic, and Wedding 

Dance. Electric Dawn (DCD442) 

includes the American Overture, Op. 

42 by Prokofiev, Memorial to Lidice 

by Martinu, the Rhapsody for Trumpet 

and Winds by Arutiunian, Etenraku 

by Christopher Theofanidis, 

and the Sinfonietta No. 1 by J. N. 

David, as well as works by Hazo, 

Graham, and Ames. 

HAFABRA recently published the fifteen 

minute Concerto for Bass Trombone 

and Wind Band, Op. 239 by 

Derek Bourgeois and a book of sixteen 

warm-up exercises for band by 

the same composer. A new edition of 

the Symphony of Winds by Bourgeois 

is also available. 

HeBu Musikverlag recently published 

Thorsten Wollmann’s five movement 

suite Along the Silk Road, which was 

premiered by the World Youth Wind 

Orchestra under the direction of the 

composer at the Mid-Europe in 2005. 

Beauport Press Music Publications 

now publishes Robert Bradshaw’s 

Countryman’s Flock, which was 

inspired by Aesop’s Fables. The eight 

minute work, which is scored for 2 

flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 

4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 

tuba, tympani and percussion, 

was premiered by the University of 

Connecticut Wind Ensemble under 

Jeffrey Renshaw in December 2005. 

Ludwig Music now publishes the 

Frederick Fennell performance edition 

of Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in 

F for Military Band. The oversized 

score includes Fennell’s corrections 

to the original along with notes on 

his performance practices. 

Boydell & Brewer recently published 

several books that should be of interest 

to serious wind conductors 

and/or music educators: Edgard 

Varèse (1883–1965): Composer, 

Sound Sculptor, Visionary edited by 

Felix Meyer and Heidy Zimmermann 

(ISBN 1-84383211-9), CageTalk: Dialogues 

with and about John Cage 

edited by Peter Dickinson (ISBN 1- 

58046237-5), Letters I Never Mailed: 

Clues to a Life by Alec Wilder annotated 

by David Demsey (ISBN 1- 

58046208-1), Music in Educational 

Thought and Practice: A Survey 

from 800BC by Bernarr Rainbow, 

new revised edition by Gordon Cox, 

with a foreward by Sir Peter Maxwell 

Davies (ISBN 1-84383213-5). 

Beriato Music recently published 

several works for wind band, including 

Oliver Waespi’s Il Cantico, Bert 

Appermont’s Rubicon, Bald Wyntin’s 

Introduction, Meditation & Dance, 

and Teo Aparicio Barberán’s Festa 

das Fogaceiras. 

Acousence Records has released the 

CD Sinfonische Blasmusik (ACO-CD 

10305) by the Brandenburg State 

Police Band under the direction of 

Peter Vierneisel. The CD includes 


Applications to Host the 2011 

WASBE Conference 

Locations wishing to host the 2011 WASBE Conference should send a 

letter of application to the WASBE President prior to 31 October 2006. The 

letter of application should include the following supporting materials: 

• A statement indicating what special features this site has which 

would make it an ideal location for an international conference. 

• A statement indicating that the local organization is familiar with 

the Guidelines for Organizing WASBE International (biennial) Conferences and is 

willing to adhere to these Guidelines. 

• A statement indicating that the local organization is willing two years 

in advance of the conference to sign a Letter of Agreement with 

WASBE specifying the duties and responsibilities of the WASBE artistic 

planning committee and the local organization. 

Selected applicants will be invited by the WASBE President to make a 

presentation at the WASBE Board meeting in Chicago in December 

2006. For copies of the Guidelines and more information on how to apply, 

see the WASBE web site (www.wasbe.org) and/or contact Executive 

Director Dr. Leon J. Bly (contact information is on page 2). 

26 



Premieres 

Kenneth Hesketh: The Doctrine of Affections 

Kenneth Hesketh’s The Doctrine of Affections for wind 

octet was premiered by the Britten Sinfonia, which commissioned 

the piece, at West Road Concert Hall at Cambridge, 

England on 14 February 2006. The wind octet, 

which is scored for flute, clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets 

and 2 trombones, is published by Schott. 

During the Baroque period, the doctrine of Affections 

prescribed certain musical methods and figures for 

expressing emotions such as rage, excitement, grandeur, 

heroism, and wonder. In the octet, Hesketh used the idea 

of four specific aria types laid out in the doctrine — the 

aria di portamento, the aria parlante, the aria d’imitazione 

and aria d’Agilita — and generally adhere to the standard 

forms for such types. For example, in the Baroque aria 

d’imitazione, coloratura and echo effects were often used 

to portray natural phenomena such as storms, bird calls 

or the hunt. These traits are somewhat freely adapted in 

the aria d’imitazione movement of the octet, where the 

coloratura is given to the bassoon and echo and imitative 

effects are used as if birds far off are calling to each other. 

Concerning the composition, Hesketh writes: “The arias 

are introduced and connected by ‘chorus’ movements; as 

in Classical Greek theatre, these chorus sections comment 

on the action, move it forward and bind the whole together. 

These are the only movements which develop across 

the piece through variation and the reordering of gestural 

blocks. The arias on the other hand remain, generally, 

within one affect and are self-contained.” 

The basic structure of the work, which may be understood 

as a small drama, is as follows: Chorus 1 (fanfara), 

Aria di Portamento, Chorus 2 (frammenti di fanfara), Aria 

di Parlante, Chorus 3, (Parabasis – with pistol shot), Aria 

d’Imitazione, Aria d’Agilita, Chorus 4. 

Stacy Garrop: Mirror, Mirror 

Stacy Garrop’s Mirror, Mirror was premiered by the University 

of Connecticut Wind Ensemble under the direction 

of Jeffrey Renshaw at von der Mehden Recital Hall on the 

University of Connecticut campus at Storrs on 19 March 

2006. Garrop, an Assistant Professor of Composition at the 

Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, 

was the winner of the 2005 Raymond and Beverly Sackler 

Music Composition Prize offered annually by the University 

of Connecticut School of Fine Arts. She was selected for 

the US$20,000 cash prize from 100 entries from sixteen 

countries. The prize commissions large ensemble pieces 

such as this one and guarantees a premiere. 

The work is scored for two identical wind ensembles, 

each consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, 

horn, trombone and percussion, The ensembles are seated 

in exact mirror images of each other with one representing 

the mirror’s subject and the other the reflection. 

The three movement work was inspired by stories 

involving mirrors. The first movement is based on the 

Greek legend of Narcissus. The second movement 

explores the mirror of Erised in J.K. Rowling’s Harry 

Potter, and the third movement deals with the Grimm 

brother’s fairy tale Snow White. 

Robert Paterson: Crimson Earth 

Robert Paterson’s Crimson Earth received its premiere by 

the University of Connecticut Wind Ensemble under the 

direction of Jeffrey Renshaw at von der Mehden Recital 

Hall at Storrs, Connecticut on 20 April 2006. The fourteen 

minute composition, which was written between 1997 

and 1999, is scored for solo violin, 8 flutes, 2 oboes, English 

horn, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, Eb clarinet, 8 Bb 

clarinets, alto clarinet, bass clarinet, 2 alto saxophones, 

tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, 6 trumpets, 4 

horns, 3 trombones, 3 euphoniums, 2 tubas, tympani, 

and 6 percussion. 

Concerning the composition, the composer writes: 

“…my primary concerns are the exploration of exotic 

sonorities and textures, the spatial placement of instrumental 

groups and the process of moving musicians 

throughout the hall to create interesting textural juxtapositions. 

…The title… refers to the bloody color of the 

earth after battle and the power and heroism people 

often associate with the color red.” 

This programmatic composition is inspired by Pieter 

Bruegel the Elder’s painting The Triumph of Death (ca. 

1562), concerning which the composer writes: “I think 

what originally inspired me the most about this particular 

work by Bruegel was how something so morbid and 

seemingly prophetic could have been painted hundreds of 

years ago, before some of the worst wars occurred in the 

history of the world. …I could not help but think to 

myself, what would a battle as horrifying as… Bruegel’s 

painting sound like? 

“The combination of winds, brass and percussion 

seemed to be the perfect vehicle to capture the horrific 

sounds and gut-turning feelings one might experience 

during a battle. The only other sounds I needed were 

instrumental voices meant to represent the sounds of both 

ignorance and innocence. The sound of a solo violin and 

a solo flute seemed most appropriate, and these instruments 

end up framing the entire work.” 



Obituary 

Warren Barker 

Warren Barker died on Thursday, 

3 August 2006 at the age of 83 in 

Greenville, South Carolina, where he 

lived the last years of his life. He was in 

an Alzheimer’s unit for several months 

before he passed away. 

Warren, who was born in Oakland, 

California on 16 April 1923, was the son 

of Clement Barker, a church organist and sacred music 

composer. Warren always claimed that his high school 

music teacher, from whom he learned the rudiments of 

orchestration, was one of the most influential figures in 

his musical career. He received his formal musical training 

at the University of California at Los Angeles, and later 

studied privately with Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco and 

Henri Pensis. 

During World War II, he served as first sergeant for a 

28-piece United States Army Air Corps Band, for which he 

composed and arranged a great deal of music. In 1946, he 

became an arranger for Carmen Dragon, and for the next 

twenty-five years worked as a Hollywood composer and 

arranger. He wrote the music for such popular radio 

shows as The Don Ameche Show, Old Gold, and the Railroad 

Hour. He later composed and conducted music for 

thirty different television series, including Bewitched, The 

Flying Nun, The Partridge Family, Batman, and The 

Andy Griffith Show. He also arranged music for many 

movies, including Hello Dolly, The Sand Pebbles, Some 

Like It Hot, and The Agony and the Ecstacy. In 1970, he 

was nominated for an Emmy for his original music for the 

series My World and Welcome To It. 

In 1971, he moved to Brend, California, where he 

became a cattle rancher. In 1975, he became a staff composer 

and arranger for Hal Leonard, writing and arranging 

numerous works for American school and college 

bands. He was also commissioned to write works for several 

leading bands, including the United States Air Force 

Band, the Royal Australian Navy Band, the Northshore 

Concert Band, and the Norwegian Army Staff Band. He 

composed over 75 works for band, include three works 

that were premiered at WASBE conferences: Jubilaeum, 

which was premiered at the 1 st WASBE Conference in 

Skien, Norway in 1983, A Tribute to Jerome Kern, which 

was premiered at the 2 nd WASBE Conference in Kortrijk, 

Belgium in 1985, and Capriccio for Saxophone Quartet 

and Band, which was premiered at the 3 rd WASBE Conference 

in Boston, USA in 1987. 

Warren was a member of Broadcast Music, Inc., the 

American Bandmasters Association, the American Association 

of Concert Bands, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia 

Fraternity. 

I first met Warren on the way to the Mid-West Clinic in 

Chicago one December some years ago; we both managed 

to take the same transfer from the airport to the Hilton 

Hotel. Warren was such a congenial person that within 

minutes one had the feeling of speaking with a long time 

friend. Our paths never crossed too often in later years, 

but it was always a most pleasant time when it did. This 

wonderful man will be missed by all who knew him. 

Leon J. Bly 

Premieres 


Leroy Osmon: Concerto No. 2 for Tuba, Winds 

and Percussion 

Leroy Osmon’s Concerto No. 2 for Tuba, Winds and Percussion 

was premiered by tubist David Kirk, who commissioned 

the concerto, and The Clear Brook Wind Symphony 

under the direction of Stan Mauldin on 21 May 2006. The 

three movement concerto is scored for piccolo, 2 flutes, 

oboe, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 4 

horns, 3 trombones, tuba, tympani, 5 percussion, and 

piano. It will be published by RBC Music this Fall. 

Kirk has referred to this concerto as the “Hebraic” 

because of its extensive use of Jewish harmonic and 

melodic material. The first movement, which is rhapsodic 

and strongly influenced by the music of Aaron Avshalomoff, 

explores the upper tessitura of the tuba. The second 

movement is reminiscent of Eastern European Ashkenazi 

Jewish melodies with long flowing melodic lines. After a 

dramatic beginning, the third movement moves to a playful, 

polyrhythmic middle section reminiscent of the music 

of Leonard Bernstein before returning to the dramatic for 

its conclusion. 

Membership has its 

privileges… 

Items for WASBE Members only 

at www.wasbe.org 

28 



News in Brief 

Lowell Liebermann’s Variations on a 

Theme of Schubert for Wind Band, 

Op. 92 received its premiere by the 

combined Williamsville North, South, 

and East High Schools Symphonic 

Winds under the direction of the 

composer at the Williamsville [NY] 

South High School Auditorium on 

29 March 2006. 

Oliver Waespi’s Temples for large 

wind ensemble received its premiere 

by the Symphonic Wind Orchestra of 

the Swiss Army under the direction 

of Philipp Wagner in the Kursaal in 

Interlaken, Switzerland, during the 

Jungfrau Music Festival on 14 July 

2006. This thirty minute composition 

was inspired by the architecture and 

history of four temples in Angkor, 

Cambodia – Phnom Bakheng, Bayon, 

Preah Khan, and Angkor Wat. 

Christopher Marshall is putting 

together a commissioning consortium 

of thirty bands for a concerto 

for piano and wind ensemble, which 

should be completed in early February 

2007. Participating bands contributing 

US$200 will receive a score 

and a set of parts and the rights to a 

first performance. Bands still interested 

joining the consortium should 

contact the composer at: 

vaiaata@ihug.co.nz. 

Larry Combs, principal clarinetist 

with the Chicago Symphony, and the 

United States Miliary Academy Band 

under the direction of Timothy 

Holtan gave the premiere of Liquid 

Ebony by Dana Wilson at Eisenhower 

Hall Theatre at West Point, New York 

on 18 March 2006. The three movement 

clarinet concerto is a transcription 

by the composer of his Liquid 

Gold for saxophone and wind band. 

The Cornwall Youth Wind Orchestra 

under the direction of Janet Easton 

premiered the wind orchestra version 

of Paul Patterson’s Westerly Winds 

at Princess Pavilions, Falmouth, 

England on 10 April 2006. 

Timothy Reynish and The Royal 

Northern College of Music Wind 

Orchestra premiered three compositions 

at Haden Freeman Concert Hall 

in Manchester, England on 27 June 

2006. All three compositions – David 

Horne’s fifteen minute Waves and 

Refrains, Lucy Pankhurst’s The Elder 

Furbark and Edwin Roxburgh’s oboe 

concerto, Elegy for Ur – are part of 

the series of commissions by Timothy 

and Hilary Reynish in memory of 

their son William. 

J. M. David’s Bright Windows was 

premiered by trombonist Joseph 

Alessi and the Columbus State University 

Wind Ensemble under the 

direction of Robert Rumbelow in 

Columbus, Georgia, USA on 7 February 

2006. The eight minute work, 

which was commissioned by the 

Columbus State University Wind 

Ensemble, has won an ASCAP 

Morton Gould Award, and a commercial 

recording from Summit Records 

will be available this Fall. 

Armando Saldarini from Como, Italy 

won the first prize of €3000 in the 

1 st International Competition for 

Wind Band Conductors “Windmaker” 

in Vienna, Austria in June 2006. The 

thirty year old Saldarini is the conductor 

of five wind bands in the 

Como area. Seventy-five conductors 

from seventeen countries applied to 

compete with twenty-one being 

selected for the first round. Saldarini 

won the final round conducting the 

Voralberg Symphonic Wind Band in 

Figures Sonores by Henk Badings. 

Jurors for the competition were Karl 

Trikolidis, Music Director of the State 

Orchestra in Thessaloniki, Greece, 

Andreas Spörri, Music Director of the 

Hermitage Symphony Orchestra 

Camerata in St. Petersburg, and Maurice 

Hamers, Professor for Band Conducting 

at the Ausburg-Nürnberg 

[Germany] Music Academy. 

Alfred Reed will be honored with a 

memorial concert at Gusman Concert 

Hall at the University of Miami Frost 

School of Music on 17 September 

2006 at 19:30 Hours. Reed was a 

member of the music faculty at the 

University from 1966 to 1993. For 

information and ticket reservations 

see: www.music.miami.edu 

György Ligeti died on 12 June 2006 

in Vienna at the age of 83. That he 

never wrote a work for wind orchestra 

makes his death a very great loss 

for our time. 

Music Industry News 


Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy, 

Mendelssohn’s Ouverture für Harmoniemusik, 

Op. 24, and Gulda’s 

Konzert für Violoncello und 

Blasorchester. 

De Haske recently released the CD 

Mont-Blanc, M-DISC 206-026-3 with 

the Concert Band of the German 

Armed Forces under the direction of 

Walter Ratzek. The recording contains 

Otto M. Schwarz’s Mont-Blanc, 

Franco Cesarini’s Bulgarian Dances, 

Bertrand Moren’s Intrada, and six 

works by Thomas Doss, including the 

Austrian Overture, Musica Eroica, 

and The Monk and the Mills. 

Brogla Music has recently released 

two new works for school bands by 

Ralph Hultgren: Deeds Not Words 

and Jessie’s Wall. 

Eulenburg is in the process of releasing 

a new fifty volume study score 

series with CD recordings of the masterworks 

of the Baroque, Classical 

and Romantic Periods. 


Reviews 

Wind Recordings 

Leon J. Bly 

Suíte Tropical (Banda Sinfônica do 

Estado de São Paulo, Daniel Havens and 

Érika Hindrikson, conductors) 

Fantasia Amazônica (Banda Sinfônica 

do Estado de São Paulo, Abel Rocha, 

conductor) 

These two recordings make an 

excellent introduction to the serious 

wind literature from Brazil. The 

playing on both recordings is first 

class and well reflects the lush 

sound of the large South American 

symphonic band with its large 

number of string basses. Suíte Tropical 

contains Ronaldo Mirando’s 

work by the same title, the Dramatic 

Overture by Alexandre Fracaianza 

Travassos, Harpia by Daniel Havens 

and the Rapsódia Latina by Cyro 

Pereira. Fantasia Amazônica 

includes the Fantasia in Three 

Movements in the Form of a Choros 

by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Canto de 

Taieira by Marcos Mesquita, 

Guararavacã by Paulo Von Zuben, 

Chacona Amazônica by Marlos 

Nobre, and As Quatro Estacões do 

Hermeto by Miguel Briamonte. 

Daniel Havens, Principal Conductor 

of the Sãn Paulo State Symphonic 

Band from 2000 to 2003, conducts 

the Suíte Tropical and his own 

Harpia. Written in 1990, the four 

movement Suíte Tropical was the 

first work commissioned by the Sãn 

Paulo State Symphonic Band and 

was performed by that band at the 

1997 WASBE Conference in Austria. 

The first movement, Aurora, is not a 

gentle sunrise, but rather a primitive 

celebration of the awakening of a 

new day. The second movement, 

Romaria, is a fascinating mixture of 

dance elements and transparent passages 

with solos for clarinet, bassoon 

and saxophone. The third movement, 

Crepúsculo, is rather brooding 

with just enough ostinati from piano 

and keyboard percussion to keep it 

alive. The final movement, Cantoria, 

provides a lively conclusion with 

spirited Latin American syncopation. 

Harpia was also commissioned by 

the Sãn Paulo State Symphonic 

Band, which also performed at the 

1997 WASBE Conference. It was written 

for the 1992 United Nations Conference 

on Environment and 

Development, which was held in Rio 

de Janeiro. The Harpia or Royal 

Hawk is the biggest and most powerful 

Brazilian bird, which due to tropical 

forest devastation is threatened 

with extinction. The work reflects 

both the excitement and wonder of 

this bird in flight and a concern for 

its possible loss. 

Érika Hindrikson conducts the 

Abertura Dramática (Dramatic 

Overture) by Fracaianza Travassos, 

which won the 2001 Sãn Paulo State 

Symphonic Band’s Composition Contest. 

It is an exciting work with 

strong influences from Jewish music 

and much drive, partly dramatic and 

partly lyrical. Unfortunately there is 

a little distortion in the recorded 

sound of this work. 

Rapsódia Latina by Cyro Pereira 

wonderfully uses popular elements 

in a symphonic setting. Everything is 

so natural without any clichés and 

everyday sounds. This composer can 

move dangerously close to sentimentality 

without ever crossing the line. 

The recording Fantasia Amazônica 

opens with Fantasia in Three 

Movements in the Form of a Choros 

by Heitor Villa-Lobos, one of the real 

gems of the Brazilian repertoire. The 

work, which was written for the 

American Wind Symphony Orchestra

and premiered by that ensemble in 

1958, presents a standard by which 

the other works on these two recordings 

may be judged. Abel Rocha and 

the Sãn Paulo State Symphonic Band 

give it a very spirited and fine 

performance. 

The second work, Canto de 

Taieira by Marcos Mesquita, is a fantasy 

on a folk theme from the city of 

Laranjeiras In Sergipe. The Taieira is 

a group of women that accompany a 

procession of Our Lady of Rosário 

on Epiphany. The composer uses this 

theme and three others of ethnic 

origin linked to religious celebrations 

to create an exciting work of 

joy and celebration. 

Guararavacã by Paulo Von Zuben 

is based on the novel Grande Serrão: 

Veredas by Guimarães Rosa. Various 

characters in the novel are represented 

by leitmotivs in the composition, 

where the leitmotivs are juxtaposed 

and superimposed to create tension 

and repose. This impressive work 

One of the privileges of being a 

WASBE member is the access one has 

to the membership around the 

world. For several years, WASBE printed 

biennially a WASBE Directory and 

distributed it to the membership. 

Now the WASBE Directory is updated 

regularly and published on the 

WASBE Web Site. Since, however, 

there are a few members who have 

asked to have a printed copy of the 

Directory, WASBE has made an agreement 

with Biblioservice Gelderland 

to print and distribute the WASBE 

Directory on demand. Every future 

printed copy of the WASBE Directory 

will be slightly different, since it will 

be the one currently on the WASBE 

Web Site on the day that it is printed. 

Any WASBE member wishing a printed 

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should send a copy of the form at 

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Each WASBE member may order only 

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provides a sound world dominated 

by keyboard and percussion instruments 

over which the wind instruments 

play out their roles. 

Chacona Amazônica by Marlos 

Nobre opens with the full wind 

orchestra presenting the chaconne 

theme. Each of the following variations 

adds new elements, progressively 

building to great complexity. 

Motives and musical elements foreign 

to the chaconne such as dance 

rhythms, folk tunes, and canons are 

added in each variation. This is an 

uneven work with some sections 

working very well, almost Ives-like 

in character, and others where the 

foreign elements never seem to get 

truly integrated into the texture of 

the work. 

This recording concludes with As 

Quatro Estacões do Hermeto by 

Miguel Briamonte, which is rather 

light music when compared with the 

other works on these two recordings. 

Between 1996 and 1997, the composer 

composed one musical work for 

each day of the year. This resulted in 

the book Sound Calendar. For As 

Quatro Estacões do Hermeto, the 

composer selected melodies from the 

“calendar” and grouped them together 

into a suite with one movement 

for each of the four seasons. The 

suite begins with autumn with a 

“maxixe,” a dance from Rio. Winter 

follows as a waltz, spring as a 

“baião” and summer as a “frevo,” a 

fast dance performed with an open 

umbrella to protect from the hot 

summer sun. The work contains 

much of the Brazilian dance rhythms 

and folk music style that one hears 

so often in Brazilian music. Although 

the third movement is quite pleasant, 

there is a little too much “night club” 

sound in the second movement. 

The recordings may be purchased 

directly from the Sãn Paulo State 

Symphonic Band at www.banda 

sinfonica.com.br, where excerpts from 

the recordings may also be heard. 

WASBE Membership Directory 

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The Netherlands ✧ Fax: +31 / 26 / 3820019 

Please send one printed copy of the WASBE Membership Directory to 

the address below. I understand that I can only make this request once 

every two years. 

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WASBE Newsletter, Vol. XXI, No. 3 - World Association for ...

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