MUSICAL OUTPOURING

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

 

 

By Jaime Mirman

August 13, 2015 (Rancho San Diego)--The San Diego Concert Band and The Water Conservation Garden presented An Evening of Music in the Garden last July 26th. Coincidentally, the Band is celebrating its 26th season this year, and their program immersed the listeners into an exciting display of treasured songs, rousing marches and gripping contemporary pieces.

The annual event took place for the third year at the amphitheater in the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, which proved to be a visually and acoustically effective environment for the performance. As expected, San Diego Concert Band delivered its interpretations with gusto, thunder and finesse. Their care and dedication succeed as a most welcome musical contribution to our community.

Some of the highlights of the program included the theme march for The Bandwagon, a Japanese radio station two-hour band music program under Band director Yutaka Nishida, who commissioned Philip Sparke to write this piece. It opened presenting the melody with the euphoniums and French horns, and displaying a glittering instrumentation that engaged the various sections weaving melodies and counter-melodies plus an intriguing modulation towards the end of the piece.

The Purple Carnival March by Harry L. (Harold) Alford was performed by a low brass quartet of 2 euphoniums and 2 tubas, as arranged by Paul Hemond who plays euphonium in the Band. The quartet combination provided unexpected colorings and technical prowess from the musicians. (photo, right)

Foster on my Mind, a collection of songs of Stephen Foster superbly arranged by Takahashi Yoshide, enfolded the songs with a sparkling Hollywood movie style orchestration and chromatic harmony. The band sections were confronted in infectious counterpoints, and the first chairs presented us with engaging solos throughout the piece. (Photo, left)

Colonial Song, originally written for piano in 1911 by the Australian composer Percy Grainger, was in his own words "an attempt to write a melody as typical of the Australian countryside as Stephen Foster's exquisite songs are typical of rural America". Despite the fact that the melodies of Colonial Song are original and not folk song, they do convey a sentimental and evocative character.

Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller as arranged by Naohiro Iwai received a stylish and vital performance in which the Band director Mr. Roy Anthony briefly danced onstage, gallantly partnering with his wife Cathi in celebration of their anniversary. (Photo, right.)

Flight, composed by Claude T Smith was adopted as the official theme song by the Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC. This is a stirring and victorious march with an extended development, containing a slight reference to the Air Force Song along with the whole Pachelbel's Canon.

Mr. Roy Anthony excelled in leading the San Diego Concert Band with an unquestionable savoir faire and utmost commitment to the interpretation of each piece across the entire program.

(Photo, right: Roy Anthony with Water Conservation Garden Director John Bolton.  Guests also enjoyed strolling the grounds before the concert and at intermission, enjoying the beautiful grounds and learning more about water-wise landscaping; photo, left.)

For more information on the San Diego Concert Band, visit http://www.sandiegoconcertband.com.

To learn more about the Water Conservation Garden, visit www.TheGarden.org.

 

Jaime Mirman graduated as the first French Horn Master in Music  from the National University of  Mexico. He has played in Mexico at the National Symphony   Orchestra and the Symphonic Band of the Ministry of Public Education, as well as chamber music, teaching and arranging. 


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.