Lawrence E. Anderson

Celebrate Our Nation with Music

July 4, 2015 by Lawrence E. Anderson 1 Comment

Every July 4th our great nation celebrates the founding of our country. These celebrations would not be complete without playing and singing patriotic songs. The month of July, 239 years ago, was a landmark time in our nation’s history. Our founding fathers had the foresight to establish the colonies into a central republic called the United States of America. Music played an important part in the beginning of this great nation.

History
Many patriotic songs owe their existence to national or international conflicts. If one examines the words of these songs they illustrate, in music and words, a history of the Republic. Patriotic music first appeared during the Revolutionary War. Then the War of 1812, American Civil War, Spanish American War and the two World Wars. All of these wars contributed to a musical history of the American Republic. Some patriotic music was semi-religious in character due to the Puritan ethic of the early settlers. This form of music flourished in the 19th Century during and after the Civil War. After this war, music focused on rebuilding America to produce a unified front.

The Music
The Star Spangled Banner, our National Anthem, is the most famous patriotic song in America. Most people think of Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) as the writer of the anthem. Key only wrote the poem – not the music. The tune was an old English song written by John Stafford Smith (1750-1836) an English organist and composer. It was officially adopted as our National Anthem in 1931.

Stars and Stripes Forever, America’s National March, is also one of the most famous patriotic pieces ever written. The revered American composer – the incomparable John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), known as the “March King,” composed Stars and Stripes Forever in 1896. The melody came to him on a sea voyage returning from Europe. “When we reached the shore, I set down the measures that my ‘brain-band’ had been playing for me, and not a note of it has ever changed,” Sousa wrote.

“Even more nationalistic are the marches of Sousa known the world over; nothing better characterizes the youthful spirit, optimism and patriotic fervor of the United States of the day,” wrote McKinney and Anderson in their book Discovering Music.

Sousa also composed: Washington Post, El Captain, Semper Fidelis, The Thunderer, Hands Across the Sea and The Liberty Bell, among many other great songs and marches.

America the Beautiful, with music by Samuel Augustus Ward (1848-1903) and the poem by Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) is one of our country’s favorite songs. The words for America or My Country Tis of Thee were written by Samuel F. Smith and added to an old German tune. This music was adopted by the English for their anthem God Save the Queen.

The great song, God Bless America, America’s unofficial national anthem, was written by Irving Berlin (1888-1989) and popularized by songstress, Kate Smith in the late 1930s. This song has become a traditional favorite played and sung at the seventh-inning-stretch in major league baseball games throughout America.

George M. Cohan (1878-1942) popularized patriotic songs with You’re a Grand Old Flag, Yankee Doddle Dandy and the famous World War I song, Over There.

Other memorable patriotic songs include: When Johnny Comes Marching Home, This is My Country and God Bless the USA.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic was the rallying anthem of Union soldiers. The source of the title, for John Steinbeck’s book, Grapes of Wrath was found in the first verse of the poem Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe in 1862.

Throughout our country’s existence change has been a hallmark of our culture but the sentiments, pride and hope found in this genre of music remain a steady constant through the ages.

The power of this great music in our country’s heritage is alive and well and will live forever in the hearts and minds of America’s citizens past, present and future. What better way to celebrate our nation’s birth than to sing and play our great national songs.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net
Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

Jazz: An American Art Form

June 3, 2015 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

Jazz means many things to different people depending on who is talking or writing about this popular form of music. There is no one definition of the word jazz that is universally accepted.

The word jazz first appeared in print in 1917. The origin of the word is obscure at best, however Webster defines jazz as: American music characterized by improvisation, syncopated rhythms and contrapuntal ensemble playing.

The United States Congress passed a bill in 1987 stating: “Jazz is hereby designated as a rare and valuable National American Treasure to which we should devote our attention, support and resources to make certain it is preserved, understood and promulgated.” This is a powerful statement coming from a government body about an art form. It speaks volumes to the importance of jazz in American culture.

Origins

Jazz morphed out of early American music from minstrel shows. The early brass bands were made up of fiddle, guitar, banjo or mandolin and string bass.

Ragtime
Ragtime was notated (written down). Early jazz was rarely written. Instrumental parts were composed spontaneously by the performer who, more often than not, could not read music.

Scott Joplin, (1868-1917) pianist and composer from Sedalia, Missouri, was one of the leading composers of ragtime music. One of his most famous pieces is The Maple Leaf Rag, composed in 1899.
Ragtime is characterized by persistent syncopation compared to the incidental syncopation found in classical music. For over two decades ragtime was the main music of Broadway musicals and Vaudeville.

Blues
In the early 20th Century a precursor and rich element in jazz was the unwritten folk blues. The first published blues music were written by Jelly Roll Morton, Jelly Roll Blues in 1905 and then, W.C. Handy’s, Memphis Blues in 1912 and the famous St. Louis Blues in 1919.

The blues was characterized by the lowering or flatting the third and the seventh degree of the major scale. The pentatonic or five tone scale contributed to the development of the blue notes. When the ragtime bands began to use this style they learned from playing blues, jazz was born.

Jazz is generally identified as having been born around 1900, some say it originated in New Orleans. However, many music historians and musicologists say it happened simultaneously in Kanas City, Chicago, Memphis and New York.

Early jazz was highly improvisational and it depended on the skill, intuition and experience of the performer rather than the written notes. After World War I the development of radio, recorded music and the popularity of dancing ushered in the “Jazz Age” of the 1920s. Trained conservatory musicians who were already equipped with instrumental techniques eagerly joined the jazz movement.

In 1918 Joe “King” Oliver, started his famous Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. The band consisted of a cornet, trombone, clarinet, drums, bass and piano. Eventually this morphed into a big jazz band with other instruments. Around 1930 additional instruments including, another cornet or trumpet, a trombone and saxophones were added. These instruments gave the big band its traditional sound.

In the early forms of jazz the whole band played a refrain based on the melody. In turn each soloists played a refrain. In the concluding “out chorus” the whole band played on the harmonic framework of the composition. By contrast, the big dance band presented the more ridged composition. Many times solo passages were written out and were always played the same way. This was the era when the important position of the band arranger came into being.

The traditional jazz band gave way to the big band era. During this transitional time some of the greatest jazz musicians emerged, among them was Paul Whiteman (1890-1967). Known as the “King of Jazz” he had a large orchestra with expert musicians and great arrangements of jazz music. Whiteman called his music symphonic jazz. He taught his audience to listen rather than dance to the music.

In 1924 Whiteman introduced Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. This was a monumental concert! It put symphonic jazz on the musical map.

Styles of Jazz
New Orleans jazz, often referred to as Traditional or Dixieland Jazz, had some of its roots in African-American communities, where a mixture of both European and Afro chants and songs were mixed with slave or work songs.

The precursor of later styles of jazz dates back to the late 19th and early 20th Century. It was characterized by improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and swing notes.

Chicago style jazz utilized a small group of four to seven musicians. Louis Armstrong (1900-1971), a trumpet player and scat singer, was one of the leaders of this style of jazz. Armstrong was from New Orleans and moved to Chicago in 1922.

In the late 20’s and early 30’s Duke Ellington (1899-1974), created a new style of jazz music. Ellington had a unique ability to blend instruments into a beautiful sound. He was a great stylist and his music was very danceable unlike some bands that came later. A new dance music “swing” had made its appearance.

Some of the great names of swing are: Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and Harry James, among others. Swing dance music was broadcast live, nightly, across America from Chicago, by Earl Hines and his orchestra.

By this time ‘Crooners’ began their careers singing with jazz bands. Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Rudy Vallee were some well-known singers that got their start with jazz bands.

Kansas City Jazz was known for hard swinging, bluesy and improvisational style. One of its biggest exponents was Count Basie (1904-1984). This also saw a transition from big bands to the bee-bop influence of the 1940’s.

In 1938 there was a revival of New Orleans style jazz. This was eclipsed by another revolution in the 1940s with Charlie “Bird” Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Art Tatum as leading proponents. Small groups began to replace big bands. Melodies became more complex with strong dissonant harmonies. The tempos were very fast. This was the era of Bop.

Bop eventually developed into progressive jazz. The musical and expressive elements of this form are quite demanding of the players and have made membership in this “club” very exclusive. Some of the principals in this group are: Thelonious Monk, Stan Kenton, Dave Brubeck, Jerry Mulligan, John Lewis and Gil Evans. Progressive jazz turned completely away from dancing and developed its own character.

The ongoing revolution of jazz saw some additional permutations in contemporary styles of jazz. Among the most notable was cool jazz in the late 1940s. This style was a calmer, smoother sound with long linear melodic lines.

The 1950s saw the advent of free jazz that sometimes used different scales for the basis of its structure and improvisation. This movement saw the addition of new instruments to the percussion battery. These included gongs, bells, rattles and instruments from African origins.

Fusion, a product of the late 60s, used electronic keyboards and the electric bass. Elements from jazz and rock were used as the basis of fusion music. The jazz oriented rock groups in the 1970s were exemplified by the groups, Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears.

Jazz, through the decades, has had an ever-changing and developing style and form. It is continuing today and probably will continue as long as there are inventive musicians to champion their cause,

Don’t miss the Danville Community Band’s Annual Spring Concert, Sunday, June 14, 2015, 3 p.m. at Community Presbyterian Church, 222 West El Pintado Rd, Danville. Free concert and parking

The Music of Spring

May 6, 2015 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

Composers though out the ages have written about the changing seasons but spring has especially inspired many to write beautiful music. Spring, a season of renewal, rebirth and regeneration inspires feelings of romance, hope and love and expressed through music, these emotions come to life.

Spring is Here, from the musical I Married an Angel by Rodgers and Hart, 1938, It Might as Well be Spring, from State Fair by Rodgers and Hammerstein,1945, and Younger Than Springtime, from South Pacific also by Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1949, are just a few examples of memorable spring songs of the modern era.

Two very famous pieces of classical music exemplify the music of spring. The first one, The Four Seasons, is a piece written during the late Baroque period, from 1600-1750. “The use of the term, Baroque, stems not from music but from architecture. The root of the word means abnormal and grotesque. Now, in present-day usage, it means finely structured,” wrote Ethan Mordden in his book, A Guide to Orchestral Music.

The Four Seasons (Le Quattro Stagioni), considered a musical masterpiece, was composed by Antonio Vivaldi. A prolific composer, he became renowned for his concerti in the Baroque style. He completed the work circa 1725. It is written for solo violin, string orchestra and harpsichord.

Written in four sections: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter; each section is a separate concerto in the form of the Italian concerto. The sections within each concerto are fast-slow-fast. In the first movement or section, the music mimics natural sounds of birdsong and weather effects. The soloists imitate the bird’s chirrups, trickling streams, passing storms and a repeat of the birdsong. The second movement is suggestive of the slumber of a goat herder and his faithful dog. The final movement is a dance of nymphs and shepherds. This concerto is an early example of program music where the music depicts a scene and tells a story.

Composer, Antonio Vivaldi, (1678-1741) one of the most renowned figures in European classical music, was born in Venice, Italy. His Father, Giovanni Vivaldi, was a barber who became a professional musician and was employed as a violinist at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. It was from his father that young Antonio received his early training on violin. Vivaldi was ordained a Catholic priest (he was known as the “Red Priest” because of his flaming red hair) but instead he chose to follow his passion for music. Vivaldi was known as a virtuoso violinist who wrote over 500 concerti, over 40 operas and 90 sonatas, among others. He wrote many concerti during his 36 years in charge of the music at the Ospedale della Pieta orphanage for girls.

The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printem) by Igor Stravinsky, (1882-1971), was a monumental break though for 20th Century composers the world over. Stravinsky subtitled it, Pictures of Pagan Russia.
The Rite of Spring is a barbaric spectacle portraying fertility rites in pre-historic Russia. The music is characterized by continual changes of rhythm with accents on traditionally un-accented beats, very harsh dissonances and brusque orchestration. The piece was premiered in Paris in 1913. On opening night the audience was appalled by the music and a riot ensued; the audience became rude and hostel. Today, this music is not only accepted but admired and often used as a model by contemporary composers.

Stravinsky was born in Russia and in his early career was known as a romantic Russian nationalist. He studied for one year with the famous Rimsky-Korsakov. Stravinsky eventually settled in Paris and absorbed much of the Parisian lifestyle. He was invited by Serge Diaghileff, impresario of the Ballet Russe, to compose music for his ballet company. Later, in 1939, he moved to America where he spent the rest of his life.

Stravinsky’s different periods of composition, representing various styles of music, dominated his composing career. Perhaps no other composer reached so far for new horizons. “Never a copycat—he never sounded like anyone else…where extravagant individualism is a minimum requirement, Stravinsky stands out,” wrote Mordden.

Mark your calendar for the Danville Community Band’s Annual Free Spring Concert, Sunday, June 14, 2015 at 3 p.m., Community Presbyterian Church in Danville. For information call 925-372-8420. Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

Folk Music: The People’s Music

April 9, 2015 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

Folk music is one of the most traditional and popular forms of music in the world today. It is enjoyed by millions of people in almost all countries, especially in western civilization. It is said that it has planted itself in the ‘hearts of man’ because it comes from the heart of man.

Much of folk music in the early days or feudal times, came from people who labored in the fields, forests and villages. These were not easy times, so the villagers, by singing and dancing, found a way to make their tasks lighter.

Songs for every kind of activity, mood and thought were sung from morning to night. These songs dealt with aspects of daily life including: work songs; love songs; cradle songs; drinking songs; patriotic songs; dancing songs; mourning songs; narrative and epic songs. All of this music—that came from the hearts of people—was called folk music.

Music is reflective of the people who make it. If people are sad and burdened, then the songs are usually sad. “Whether people are bold and dashing; sad and oppressed; tender and loving; or dreaming and romantic; the same spirit is in their music,” wrote Thomasine McGeehee and Alice Nelson in their book, People and Music. Folk music gives us a true reflection of who people are and what they are about.

Folk songs of different nations have certain characteristic features. Although difficult to describe accurately, folk songs represent the national traits and the character of the people from whom they originated. Interestingly, most folk music of Western nations is of relatively recent origin.

Russian Folk Music
“The spirit of Russian folk music dominated the evolution of both vocal and instrumental art music,” according to the Harvard Dictionary of Music. “Prior to circa 1700, musical activity in Russia was, aside from folk music, restricted mainly to the church.”

Russian folk music began as vocal music. Instrumental music was banned for a period of time in Russia by Tsar Alexis I, due to the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. They said musical instruments were from the devil.

Another possible reason they banned instrumental music was because they were singing disrespectful songs about the Tsar to instrumental accompaniment. This was most likely the real or main reason.
The songs the people sang were an every-day event in the lives of the villagers. These songs were indicative of the four seasons and important events in their lives.

From an article in Making Music, Russian immigrant, Sergei Teleshev, said, “Russian Folk music has rich melodies and harmonies.” Teleshev leads a Russian folk trio in America. “We usually talk about our instruments because they are unique here in the United States,” Teleshev said.

Russian Instruments
Instruments in Russia were again used in the 19th Century when they lifted the ban. The early folk instruments were simple in design and construction. They were: Gudok, a three-string pear-shaped fiddle and a Gusli, an autoharp like wing-shaped instrument; Doudka, a simple wind instrument and Rozhok, a flute made of one or two wooden pipes.

As folk music developed more sophisticated instruments were used. The instruments played today in Russia include the Domra, a Russian long-neck lute of the 16th and 17th Centuries. It has a round body with three strings, is plucked and sounds like a mandolin. It is the forerunner of the Balalaika.

The Balalaika is an instrument of the guitar family. It has a triangular body, a long fretted neck and three gut strings. It is played with a pick and comes in seven different sizes.

The Russian accordion, or Bayan, is a chromatic ‘button’ accordion. It is unlike modern accordions that have a piano style keyboard.

“Folk music in America means just what it means in Europe and elsewhere: music of indeterminate antiquity, unknown origins and it is traditionally handed down from one generation to another,” wrote Howard McKinney and W. R. Anderson in Discovering Music. Each country also creates or chooses a national instrument that best appeals to its national character.

In America, folk music had a resurgence in the 1960’s and 70’s and is still a very popular form of music. It is, and will always be, the music of the people; expressing their experiences, traditions and stories of their lives.

The Danville Community Band presents it’s Annual Blackhawk Museum Concert “In My Merry Oldsmobile” Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Blackhawk Automotive Museum, 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle. Free concert with admission to the Museum. Free parking. Please submit questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net. Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

Chamber Music and the String Quartet

March 10, 2015 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

To know chamber music is to revere it. To hear chamber music is to enjoy it.
– Homer Ulrich

Chamber music, the so called “music of friends,” is a satisfying and pleasurable form of music, not well known today in comparison to larger symphonic works played by symphony orchestras. It is music of a more intimate nature played by a small ensemble of performers playing only one on a part.

Sharon Calonico, violinist with the Golden Gate String Quartet said, “It is a thrill to play in a large orchestra and help bring the conductor’s interpretation of a piece to life, but I play chamber music for my soul. In a string quartet, we work together in rehearsals to create a shared vision and interpretation of how a piece should be performed,” she explained. “I have the freedom to be expressive in a completely different way than when I play in an orchestra.”

The performance setting for a String Quartet is not large concert halls but smaller venues, like a small room or chamber. In the 18th century for example, the venue might be a room in a palace or a room in the court of a prince. One of the distinguishing characteristics of chamber music is it is played without the services of a conductor.

Although elements of chamber music existed long before the 18th century, it is a misguided effort to try to directly relate it to the modern string quartet from 1750 to the present. The earlier examples differ greatly in terms of form and style. Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) is known as the father of the string quartet.

The String Quartet
This became a favorite medium of chamber musicians as we know it today. After many changes of instrumentation it came into being circa 1745. The classic string quartet is made up of two violins – first and second, one viola and one cello. It has remained so to this day.

Quartets of the mature Haydn were written in four movements:

I. Slow introduction then fast,
II. Slow,
III. Minuet,
IV. Fast

His quartets are very similar to his symphonies. The viola and cello take on a new importance in terms of melodic possibilities, rather than just accompanying and providing harmonic support of the melody. Haydn believed each instrument should have equal musical interest. One part should not dominate the other parts.

In chamber music, the emphasis lies on the ensemble, not on the individual player. “There is nothing like the camaraderie and bonding that develops between the members of a chamber group,” Calonico said. Goethe described the string quartet as, “the serious conversation of four friends.” “No other music is at once so rich and yet as delicate as (Haydn’s) chamber music,” writes Thomasine McGehee in her book, People and Music. The string quartet gave Haydn the opportunity to express his true personal emotions.

The Instruments
The violin is the treble or soprano member of the string family. The first attempt at making a “new generation” of violins was credited to Casper Tieffenbrucker in the year 1500.

Significantly improved instruments were developed by famous Italian craftsmen, Andrea Amati in the mid 1500’s, Nicola Amati (1596-1684), Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) and Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744). The instruments made by these masters are priceless today. The four strings of the violin are G, D, A, E.

The viola is the alto member of the family. It is larger than the violin thereby producing lower tones. To the untrained eye the violin and viola are similar in design. The viola is mainly used as an ensemble instrument rather than a solo instrument. The viola part is written in the alto clef. The strings of the viola are a 5th lower than the violin. C, G, D, A.

The violoncello or cello is the tenor/bass member of the string family. It is tuned one octave below the viola, C, G, D, A. The cello came into existence with the violin and viola. Some of the earliest examples were produced by Andréa Amanti in the middle 16th century. Its early appearance in orchestral scores were as an accompaniment, rather than as a solo instrument.

Homer Ulrich in his book, Chamber Music, wrote, “The string quartet is without a doubt, one of the greatest musical achievements of Western Civilization.”

Franz Joseph Haydn
He was a great innovator and experimenter who expanded and perfected the form and style of both the symphony and the string quartet. His compositions include over 100 symphonies, 83 string quartets and many operas, masses and oratorios. His phenomenal output of music was done mostly in the employ of the aristocratic Esterhazy family. It was here that Haydn gained his notoriety as the founder of the classical string quartet.

Quartets existed before Haydn but “He established the form and the high artistic level to which it has since adhered,” said Martin Bernstein in An Introduction to Music. Haydn brought the same excellence to the string quartet as he did his symphonies. His genius made him outstanding and set a high standard for others to follow.

The Danville Community Band presents its annual museum concert at the Blackhawk Automotive Museum, March, 29 at 2:00 p.m. Concert FREE with Museum entrance fee. Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

The Saxophone

February 7, 2015 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

The unique and melodious sounds of the saxophone are recognized by almost everyone. If you love the music of the “Big Band” era of the 1930s and 1940s, as exemplified by the sweet sounds of Glenn Miller and other big bands, you’ve heard the unmistakable sounds of the saxophone.

The saxophone is an instrument capable of depicting many moods—like the mournful saxophone solo in Revel’s Bolero and other classical pieces. No instrument comes close to the cool sounds of hot jazz and the precise sounds of a military band—the saxophone is an important and indispensable member of these ensembles and more.

In the 20th Century, the saxophone became a vital part of jazz music. They first appeared in dance bands and were important in the meteoric rise of the big band “Swing Era.” The emergence of the sax as a principal jazz instrument was firmly established by tenor saxophonist, Coleman Hawkins in Fletcher Henderson’s band in 1923.

In the late 1920s, the Duke Ellington orchestra featured an ensemble of saxophones with sax solos. The 1930s saw arrangements of saxophones and brass (trumpets and trombones) playing off each other in call-response patterns. One of the greatest influences for jazz musicians was Charlie Parker, who became an icon of the “Bebop” revolution in the 1940s.

In the 1950s and beyond the saxophone was further popularized by some great jazz musicians: Cannon Ball Adderley; Paul Desmond; Lester Young; Jimmy Dorsey; John Coltrane; Sonny Rollins; Stan Getz; Gerry Mulligan and Kenny G, among others.

Inventor
Antoine-Joseph”Adolphe” Sax, (1814-1894) a Belgian born instrument maker, developed the saxophone, circa 1840. He followed in his father’s footsteps—also an instrument maker of some note. Sax studied the flute and clarinet at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He left the conservatory to pursue other interests and to experiment with new instrument designs.

Prior to his work on the saxophone he drew from the knowledge he gained while working on improvements on the bass clarinet and a large conical brass instrument called the ophicleide.

One of the purposes of inventing the saxophone was to make an instrument to bridge the middle ground between the woodwinds and brass. Sax anticipated that these new instruments would be the most powerful of the woodwind family and blend well with both woodwinds and brass.

In 1841, after Sax invented the saxophone, he moved to Paris where he lived and worked for the remainder of his life. He obtained a patent for his instrument designs in 1846. In 1857 Sax was appointed instructor of saxophone at The Paris Conservatory.

His initial idea was that the saxophone would be used in both orchestra and military bands. But saxophones in the orchestra saw little exposure, except for a few compositions by primarily French composers. Hector Berlioz and German composer, Richard Strauss, among others, included saxophone parts in some of their works. However, the use of saxophones in both military and concert bands is another story.

The Saxophone
The Harvard Dictionary of Music defines the saxophone as a family of hybrid instruments, played with a single beating or vibrating reed, like the clarinets, but they are conical in bore, like the oboes. Their key arrangement or fingering, also resembles the oboes but their mouthpiece is like the clarinets.

The body of the instrument is metal, like the brass instruments. The range of the instrument is two and a half octaves. The sound and tonal properties of the saxophone is quite flexible and variable. Its timbre is intermediate, between woodwind and brass. The dynamic range or volume, is also quite wide, and can play like the softness of a flute to the strength and power of a cornet or trumpet.

Sax designed the instrument in seven different sizes. The complete family consists of the Sopranino in Eb; Soprano in Bb; Alto in Eb; Tenor in Bb; Baritone in Eb; Bass in Bb and Contra Bass in Eb. They are all transposing instruments and written in the treble clef.

Usage and Function
The first popular usage of the saxophone was in military bands. The sax was especially prominent in France and Belgian bands. It was not used by the German bands in the beginning but later adopted by them. The British and American bands use them and today are virtually in all military bands.
Concert bands quickly brought them into their instrumentation and today the alto, tenor and baritone sax are in almost all bands. The Bb soprano is occasionally written in some concert band pieces.

It is customary for many saxophonists to also double on clarinet. Many of the “Big Band” era arrangements called for clarinet in the musical scores. In musicals it is a common practice to have saxophone and clarinet parts in the same book.

The saxophone has a long and storied history providing a variety of entertaining music for many musicians and their listeners.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net
Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

The Voice: The First Instrument

January 9, 2015 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

From the grunts and groans of ancient man, to the highly trained and remarkable vocalizations of modern day opera singers, we can trace the development of vocal music through the ages.
The human voice sets us aside from all other creatures on earth. It is certainly one of the defining aspects of being human. The voice’s ability to change pitch or sing, is the first, oldest and most highly developed and sophisticated of all musical instruments.

People in the oldest civilized cultures of Greek and Roman societies sang in religious settings and theatrical events. The ancient Jewish tradition of chanting phased into the beginning of Christianity. The chanting evolved into vocal music during the early development of Christianity.

European Background
The Medieval or Middle Ages (500-1450) was known as the “Golden Age of Melody” or Monophony: meaning one voice, or one part. This was the music designated as Plain Song, Plain Chant or Gregorian Chant. This music was not written until the monks of the Middle Ages wrote music down in an early form of notation. This music was sacred and liturgical in nature. Secular music was sung by Troubadours and Trouveres in France and Minnesingers and Meistersingers in Germany. They were itinerant musicians that went from town to town performing for, hopefully, money.

The Rennaissance (1450-1600) was the “Golden Age of Polyphony.” Meaning “more than one voice or part,” this is music written for two, three, four or more parts. This was a huge step up from Monophony. Before the Rennaissance, vocal music was by far the predominating form of music. Instrumental music became more important and prominent during this period of music history. During the Baroque period (1600-1750) vocal and instrumental music shared prominence. In the classic period (1750-1827) instrumental music was the leading force in musical composition and has remained so to the present day. Vocal music lost its leading role in the musical world to a plethora of instrumental musical forms and styles.

Voice Classifications
Human vocal ranges are usually divided into six ranges: Three female voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto and three male voices: tenor, baritone and bass. If the singer is an opera singer, a further classification is used: dramatic, lyric and coloratura soprano and dramatic contralto. Male opera singers include: robust, lyric and heroic tenors and basso profondo, basso buffo and agile bass.

High vocal parts presented a problem for the Roman Catholic Church. Females were not permitted to sing in acts of worship, so they used pre-pubescent boys to sing the high parts. Another solution, although controversial, was the castrato, a young male singer castrated before puberty to preserve his high voice. This option became an important aspect of Catholic choirs all over Europe for the next two centuries. In 1599 a castrato was on the payroll of the Sistine Choir in Rome.

In John Stanley’s book, Classical Music, he writes, “Castrati were also used extensively in opera, primarily singing women’s roles. The castrati provided a new and more powerful voice to sing the high parts with support, volume, intensity and control.” Stanley writes, “Music of the Roman Catholic Church, with a few notable exceptions, is a mere shadow of its former glory, while the Anglican choral tradition (a choir of men and boys) continues to flourish.”

Vocal Music in the United States
The early colonist brought with them the musical training they learned in Europe. Many came to our shores for religious freedom and quickly set up church services. Hymn singing was an integral part of their services. The first book printed in British North America was The Bay Psalm Book (The Bay Song Book) in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

As singing took on greater importance, especially in churches, the Reverend John Tufts of Newbury, Massachusetts published the first practical book in singing in 1712. The better singers in church services tended to sit together and gradually became choir groups. The so-called “singing schools” were formed to improve and develop the church choirs. They first appeared in the colonies in 1720 and they quickly spread throughout New England. The directors of these singing schools were concerned with the ability to read music and interpret a variety of choral works. The rudiments of music and sight singing were paramount in the instruction.

It wasn’t long before music was introduced into the classroom of public schools. The first formal inclusion of music in schools occurred in Boston in 1838. The aim was to have a citizenry exposed to music as part of the common cultural heritage. Some schools followed the pestalozzian principles of music instruction, namely to teach sounds before signs and make children sing before they learn the written notes. Principles and theory came after the practice and not before.

As a result of these early practices, music instruction today is present in virtually all public school systems. In some school districts it is considered an indispensable and essential part of a student’s education. Let’s hope music education will continue in our schools for many years into the future, preserving this precious cultural heritage for generations to come.

Don’t miss the Danville Community Band’s annual concert at the Blackhawk Automotive Museum, 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, Sunday, March 29, 2015, 2:00 p.m.

The Danville Community Band was founded by Dr. Lawrence Anderson and his wife, Jan in 2001 and quickly became the largest community band in the Bay Area. The band is currently directed by Professor, Robert Calonico, director of bands, at the University of California, Berkeley. The band currently has openings for percussion players. Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

Handel’s Messiah: A Tradition of Christmas Music

December 8, 2014 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

The Christmas season is a time of great joy, goodwill toward men, gift giving, and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is also the season of joyous Christmas carols and many worldwide performances of George Frideric Handel’s famous oratorio, Messiah.
Most people are familiar with this great work, but many do not know that in 1741 Handel, unbelievably, composed Messiah in just 24 days! The very famous Hallelujah Chorus so moved England’s King George II that he rose from his seat, thereby establishing a custom that has become universal whenever it is sung. “The raising of the chorus to the role of principal dramatic protagonist constitutes Handel’s most significant contribution to the oratorio,” wrote Martin Bernstein in his book, An Introduction to Music.

The Oratorio
An oratorio is a composition for solo voices, chorus, and orchestral accompaniment with a scared text. It is usually performed without scenery, action, or costumes. Handel’s oratorio, unlike Bach’s, were written for an audience, not specifically for a congregation. The text, or libretto, is in English, not Latin, and is based on selections from the scriptures.

Handel, when performing Messiah, used a small chorus of men and boys, and women appeared as soloists—unlike today’s presentations that often use very large choruses and orchestras. “Messiah remains Handel’s best loved work,” wrote McKinney and Anderson in Discovering Music. “In its massive choruses, beautiful solos and fine orchestral background, it embraces an affectionate and intimate portrayal of the Christ story through its three phases – birth, death and resurrection.”

Handel composed Messiah in London where he was already an experienced and successful composer of Italian operas. He turned mainly to oratorio writing after becoming dissatisfied with opera. He used it to express his own dynamic personality, incorporating the elements of his dramatic opera style. After Handel mastered the form of the Oratorio he became the undisputed master of English music.

Handel
Born in Halle, Germany in 1685, Handel was an extrovert who did not come from a musical family at all. His father, a barber/surgeon, did not want young George to be a professional musician, but wanted him to be a lawyer instead. Handel relished travel and spent much time traveling and living in other countries – always assimilating the musical styles of the countries he visited. He was able to study music composition and learned the violin, oboe, clavier, harpsichord, and organ, of which he was a master.

In 1703 Handel’s lust for travel took him to Hamburg, where his music was first heard by a large and appreciative audience. Next, he ventured to Italy in 1706 where his interest in Italian opera peaked. His three-year stay in Italy was met with great success. Handel then assumed the post of Kapellmeister at the Court of the Elector, George of Hanover – who later became King George I of England.

Handel received an invitation to visit London that proved to be a pivotal turning point in his life and career. He composed Italian opera for an English audience that was hungry for good opera. Here he was met with tremendous success and adulation. From 1712 until his death, England became his home. As opera was waning in London, a new form of music was to become his greatest triumph – the oratorio.

Handel, unfortunately, became totally blind in 1753, but this did not stop his work as a composer or performer. His secretary wrote down his last works as he dictated them. Handel composed 46 operas, 32 oratorios, chamber music, keyboard songs, and many instrumental works, including Water Music and The Royal Fireworks, both still popular and performed today. He died in 1759.

Handel’s final resting place in Westminster Abbey, attests to the fame and esteem the British public held for the German composer who became English.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net
Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.
Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Oratorio, Messiah

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world is become
The Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ,
And of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever
And He shall reign for ever
And He shall reign for ever
And He shall reign for ever
King of Kings,
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And Lord of Lords,
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
King of Kings,
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And Lord of Lords,
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
King of Kings,
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And Lord of Lords,
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
King of Kings,
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And Lord of Lords,
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Kings of Kings
For ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever,
King of Kings,
And Lord of Lords,
King of Kings,
And Lord of Lords,
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
King of Kings,
And Lord of Lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Vaudeville – Entertainment of Yesteryear

November 6, 2014 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

“Everything I know I learned in Vaudeville…”

The house lights dim, the music begins and the curtain goes up as the anticipation of what’s to come is electric in the air – the show begins. It’s Vaudeville!

Vaudeville was an enormously popular form of entertainment in the United States from approximately 1880’s well into the 20th Century. It consisted of a number of many acts of varying genres. Some of the acts were of a musical nature but many were not. The acts consisted of singers; instrumentalists; dancers; acrobats; athletes; minstrels; jugglers; animal acts; magicians; slap-stick comedians and burlesque performers.

A staple of the Vaudeville show was a collection of theatrical sketches from various cultural traditions including English Music Hall, Minstrel Shows and Yiddish Theater. This form of live entertainment was so popular that large theaters were packed – often with standing room only. Each performance usually had a dozen or more acts.

In the late 1800’s the rural face of America was changing with the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. People that were farming, planting and reaping crops were leaving the farm obtaining jobs in factories and other businesses. Having a “regular” job meant a weekly or monthly paycheck and some leisure time, that was rare back on the farm. These folks were looking for entertainment that they could afford.

Promoters and producers took advantage of this newly expanded potential audience and went to work providing affordable entertainment in the form of Vaudeville.

It didn’t take long for this form of show business to become the most popular type of entertainment in America. It was affordable for the average working man with a very modest amount of disposable income to spend on entertainment.
Vaudeville promoters provided entertainment for a multiple economic strata of social classes. The venues were classified as “Small Time” “Medium Time” and “Big Time.” The auditorium size and quality of the house was commensurate with the small town stage, compared to New York’s Palace Theater, the queen of Vaudeville houses.

Music
Music was a very important element of Vaudeville. Vaudeville venues had instrumental ensembles that ranged from trios or quartets of various instruments, all the way up to full orchestras. These ensembles played for both the musical and singing acts, but also provided background for the non-musical acts. Many performers had their own musical scores and provided the sheet music for local musicians hired by each theater.

Music ranged from classic opera to ragtime, blues and jazz. Samples of Vaudeville music are: Alexander’s Ragtime Band; The Band Played On; Down by The Old Mill Stream; I Love You Truly; A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody; Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet; Silver Threads Among The Gold and Ta-ra-ra-Boom-de-ay. These are just some of the popular songs of the era – many other styles and forms of music were also part of Vaudeville music. Ragtime music was very much a part of the revue type show.

Performers
The typical, contemporary American, probably has no idea of how many big-time stars of stage, screen, radio and television, got their start in Vaudeville. Some of the acts were itinerant in nature, moving from town to town, living in hotels for a week or so, then moving on to the next town. It was definitely not a glamorous life or an easy way to make a living. Married performers with children were in the minority. However, some of them traveled with their parents and grew up in show business. Immersed in what their parents did for a living, they naturally evolved into show business. Many of these children made the “Big Time” years later.

Some of the many famous men and women who got their start in Vaudeville are: Will Rogers, Harry Houdini, Al Jolson, The Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, Jimmy Durante, Abbott and Costello, Judy Garland, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Cary Grant, Eddie Cantor, Fred Allen, Fanny Brice, Burns and Allen, Mae West, Gypsy Rose Lee, Edgar Bergen, Buster Keaton, Kate Smith, Sammy Davis, Jr. and James Cagney, who once said, ”Everything I know I learned in Vaudeville.”

Decline
Unfortunately, the decline of Vaudeville was inevitable after the first decades of the 20th Century. The advent of low-priced cinema contributed greatly to the demise of Vaudeville. The public could see a film for a nickel rather than spend a dollar or two on live entertainment. Vaudeville virtually disappeared in a few short years after flourishing for over 50 years. Many performers were suddenly out of work. Fortunately for some, they found new jobs in the film industry and early radio.

Modern post Vaudeville entertainment was similar in some respects to the Vaudeville of yesteryear. It was revived in the television shows of the 1950’s and early 1960’s on Your Show of Shows, with Sid Caesar and the very popular, Ed Sullivan Show.

What a shame that contemporary audiences cannot enjoy Vaudeville type entertainment the way it used to be. A great part of American theatrical history and entertainment is lost forever.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net
Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

Music of the West and Famous Singing Cowboys

October 9, 2014 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

To most people Western music conjures up thoughts of cowboys, Indians, the Wild West, wagon trains, pioneers, settlers, westward expansion, exploration, and the Continental Railroad. Musicologists consider Western music as a form of music indigenous to the United States. However, there is a caveat; much of Western music has origins influenced by the folk music of the British Isles, including England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Along with Western music, Appalachian music, often called hillbilly music, has similar origins in folk music. Much of both Western and Appalachian music was composed by people living and working in these regions of the country. Although the vast majority of Western music was composed by Westerners, serious internationally known composers also penned Western music. Aaron Copland (1900-1990), without a doubt, is the most well-known. He wrote Billy the Kid in 1938, Rodeo in 1942 and Appalachian Spring in 1944. These very famous and often played pieces are still popular today.

The Grand Canyon Suite, by Ferde Grofe (1892-1972), depicting the great geological formation in Arizona, is also a very well-known piece of Western music.

Cowboys and Indians, lawmen and outlaws, the forty-niners, and the grandeur of the West itself have all inspired the writing of Western music. Of course there are many other aspects of the West that are set to music, but these are paramount.

Listening to Western music was, of course, limited to live performances of instrumentalists and singers in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. When the phonograph and radio came into being a whole new world of listening to this genre of music became a reality. New audiences were immediately drawn to the music of the West as it became the recipient of a new popularity.

With the advent of sound in films on the silver screen, the era of the singing cowboy came upon the American scene. They remained an important part of Western films, especially during its “hey-day” in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Singing cowboys portrayed in these films became authentic American heroes to the movie going public. These Western heroes were presented as being squeaky clean; good; fair-minded; never cussed; never hit a man when he was down; clean-shaven; didn’t drink or smoke; wore clean clothes and a white hat and didn’t kiss the girls. Interesting contrast to today’s movie portrayals!

Two giants of the singing cowboy genre in this era were Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Autry was born in Tioga, Texas in 1907. Autry was known as the “Singing Cowboy.” He wrote and recorded many western songs. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother who taught him hymns and folk songs. One of his early jobs was working for the railroad for $35 a month. Later Autry became a telegraph operator and it was here that he was discovered. He worked at night and when he was not busy he played the guitar and sang. He was heard by a customer and was told that he would probably have a future in radio. That customer was humorist and actor, Will Rogers. Autry’s film, radio, and television career followed. He was an enormous success and a great influence, writing, singing and playing Western music. Autry died in 1998 when he was 91.

Roy Rogers, known as “The King of the Cowboys,” was born in 1911. His early music career started with an appearance on a radio show singing, playing guitar and yodeling. In 1931, when he was 20 years old, he joined “The Rocky Mountaineers”, a local country group.

In 1932 Rogers and two others left the Mountaineers and formed a trio. A year later, in 1933, they put a new group together, named the “Pioneer Trio.” Later, they formed “The Sons of the Pioneers” who became famous on radio and through recordings. Tumbling Tumbleweeds and Cool Water, early songs they recorded, were smash hits. Rogers’ film career began in 1935. He appeared in over 100 films and numerous radio and television episodes of “The Roy Rogers Show.” His famous horse, Trigger, billed “The Smartest Horse in the Movies” and German Sheppard dog, Bullet, were mainstays in his shows. Rogers’ television shows and Western musical films were popular with the young and old alike. Happy Trails, written by his wife, Dale Evans, became the theme song for his show. He enjoyed a long, very successful career and marriage. He died in 1998, he was 86 years old.

Espousing patriotism, heroism, and clean moral living, Rogers gained an enormous following of young fans. With his endorsement of a multitude of products—from children’s toys to cereal brands—Rogers, with Evans and Trigger, evolved into pop cultural icons. Receiving many awards during his career, Rogers was twice elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame; first as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers in 1980, and again as a soloist in 1988. To this day, he remains the only person elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame twice.

Country music today is one of the most popular forms of music in America. It takes its roots from southeastern American folk music, Western music, and the Blues. It encompasses Western music, which evolved parallel to hillbilly music from similar roots in the mid-20th century. The term “country music” is used to describe many styles and sub genres.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net. Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.