Brass, Reeds, and Percussion

Today’s edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion features a number of transcriptions. Transcriptions are arrangements of orchestral compositions for wind band. In essence, the violins, violas, cellos, and string basses are removed. Their parts are played by the woodwinds and brass instruments. The percussion parts seldom change.

Women classical compers are rare, of course. Today’s edition features one from the Romantic era named Louise Ferranc. She lived from 1804 to 1875 and studied under Ignaz Moscheles, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and Anton Reicha at the Paris Conservatory. Of the three, Reicha is one of the most influential proponents of woodwinds being included in the orchestra. Among Ferranc’s compositions are three symphonies, choral works, numerous chamber pieces, and a wide variety of piano music.

The Belgian composer Bert Appermont has made quite a name for himself in the world of wind-band music. In 1998, he completed his musical studies at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven. He then completed a masters degree in music design for film & television at the Bournemouth Media School in England. He has composed two musicals, two orchestral symphonies, an opera, an oratorio, and more than 100 other pieces for wind orchestra, choir and symphony orchestra.

The Austrian composer Otto Schwarz comes to the world of wind-band music from popular music. He is one of the youngest students to ever enroll in the Vienna Music Academy, where he studied trumpet. His first musical successes came from pop hits on Austrian radio. But in 1989, the Austrian Composers’ Association awarded him the prize for the best composition in the preliminary round of the European Song Contest. In addition to writing much music for wind band, he has composed for symphony orchestra and for advertisements, television, and movies.

Dr. Johnnie Vinson, director emeritus of Auburn University bands, was born in Andalusia, Alabama, in 1944. (Andulsia is located in Covington County on the border with Florida.) Dr. Vinson started playing drums in ninth grade. During his senior year in high school, his high school band director gave the band members the director’s own compositions to play. This experience inspired Vinson to become a composer. He now has more than 500 compositions to his credit.

The Touro Infirmary in New Orleans was founded in 1852 and is one of the oldest continually operating hospitals in the United States. Muggsy Spanier, the Chicago trumpet player, was a patient at the Touro in 1938 because of his “drinking problems.” While there, he suffered from a perforated ulcer and underwent a life-saving operation by Dr. Alton Oschner. At the time, the Touro was famous as a rehabilitation facility and was actually one of the first hospitals in the United States to provide that type of medical service.

Today's edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion features the wind-band equivalent to "Peter and the Wolf." In short, we're going to hear music with narration. The composition tells the story of the feuding families in Band Land, but ends on a happy note when they are all united to make music. Dr. Derek Bourgeois composed the piece in 2006. He also conducts the performance heared on this edition. Bourgeois is a British composer who lived from 1941 to 2017.

Popular music is often wind-band music. This edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion demonstrates that fact with the show opening with the original 1954 recording of "Bandstand Boggie," also known as the American Bandstand theme. The composition was performed by Les and Larry Elgart and their band, but it was written by Charles Albertine, who began playing the oboe in the pit band for Radio City Music Hall right after his graduation from high school in 1947.

Somber and contemplative is music heard on this edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion in recognition of Memorial Day. Memorial Day was started as Decoration Day—with flags and flowers being put at the graves of deceased military personnel who had died in the Civil War. This practice began as early as 1861.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, wind bands held a position somewhat similar to late 20th century rock and roll bands. They conveyed popular music to the population at large, and they went on tours. They were competitive and even charged high prices for concert tickets. No doubt, John Philip Sousa's band was probably the most famous and most popular, but an Italian named Guiseppe Creatore lead a competitive band. Born in Naples, Italy, in 1871, Creatore was a trombonist and a very colorful conductor.