New OMEA Required CB Preview #2 - High School Class A Tuesday, November 29, 2011
This second preview of the new required pieces on the OMEA concert band lists features selections new to the High School Class A list. In the coming weeks we will preview the new required titles for High School Classes B and C. The new required pieces for junior high/middle school and Stanton's recommendations for the best new marches will follow after the holidays. You can view and listen to the complete OMEA required concert band lists by clicking on the OMEA Required Music Lists option on our concert band webpage, and selecting the list you wish to view. We hope you find this preview to be useful, and look forward to helping you plan a successful contest program.
New OMEA Class A Required Selections
Fast Falls the Eventide – Jeremy S. Martin
Somber and elegiac, this is music of the highest caliber. Â Jeremy Martin’s intimate knowledge of the band’s sonority shines forth in this beautiful work. Sensitivity and reverence ensure that this work deserves a prominent place on your next concert and within the concert band repertoire.
Invocation and Psalm – Vince Gassi
Triumphant brass and percussion herald the arrival of this spirited composition, before quickly ebbing into a quiet, meditative chorale of organ-like chord progressions and ethereal melodies. Â Extraordinary use of tone colors and expressive phrasing abound, and the exuberant finale will lift spirits high and leave audiences cheering.
Mekong – Robert W. Smith
Mekong is a river that flows through the heart of Vietnam. Robert W. Smith has created this composition for band based on the Mekong River delta's historic significance during the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 1970s. Â Beautiful, haunting melodies; lush, dissonant harmonies; and acoustically created sound effects combine to provide a concert performance experience that will not be forgotten by performer or audience.
O Waly, Waly – Jay Bocook
Long enduring as one of the most timeless of British folk songs, the sweet melancholy of The Water is Wide is the heart of this magnificent rhapsody. Opening with delicate droplets of the melody, gentle & simple, it soon plunges into a rushing wave of Celtic-flavored adventure, sprinkled with scampering woodwinds & splashes of brass, and builds to a monumental maestoso finale of overflowing splendour.
Rhapsodic Celebration – Robert Sheldon
Robert Sheldon’s gift for beautifully composed melodies and emotional chord progressions is magnificently exemplified in this splendid through-composed work of three delightfully varied sections. Â Sparkling & effervescent, Intrada sets the stage for the sweetly plaintive strains of Serenade, which leads to the swirling flourishes & rhythmically driving Galop to the finish. An inspiring composition that is truly a joy at every turn.
Xerxes – John Mackey
Xerxes is a concert march commissioned by the Midlothian (TX) High School Band, Larry Doran, director.
All of these titles can be ordered via Stantons.com, or by phone (1-800-426-8742). Don't forget to order your judges' scores - ordering now can save you stress come contest time (avoid them being out-of-stock, or worse, temporarily out-of-print). Keep following the Stanton's blog, for the upcoming high school class B and C concert band previews.