Percussion Ensemble Ralph Sorrentino, director An Evening of Percussion Concerti Ralph Sorrentino, Chris Hanning, and David Nelson; guest soloists
Tuesday, December 4, 2018 Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center 8:15 PM
PROGRAM Trio in a Rudimental Style ....................................................................................................... Joseph Tompkins Nate Gittelman, Sean McWilliams, and Luke Thurston; multi-percussion
Angels of the Apocalypse .......................................................................................................... David Gillingham (b. 1947)
Summons ................................................................................................................................. Nicholas Papador (b. 1972) David Nelson, timpani Intermission Timelines ........................................................................................................................................ Michael Udow (b. 1949) Ralph Sorrentino, multi-percussion Chris Hanning, guest conductor
Marimba Heritage................................................................................................................................. Mark Ford (b. 1958)
Echo Funk ..................................................................................................................................Jonathan Ovalle (b. 1976) Chris Hanning, drum set
West Chester University Percussion Ensemble Richard Barron Kendrick Bowman Josh Burpo Chris Carlson Ruth Clark Haley Cowan
Cameron Davis Alex DiFabio Casey Dziuba Dan Farnum-Huelster Brett Gillott Nate Gittelman
Please Turn Off All Electronic Devices
Sean McWilliams Sean Slattery Brad Stark Luke Thurston Sydney Warner Devin Williams
Program Notes Trio in a Rudimental Style is written for three snare drums and three bass drums. It was premiered by the New York Philharmonic percussion section on April 3, 2002. It is heavily influenced by funk drum set styles (Steve Gadd in particular) and should be played as such. - Joseph Tompkins
Angels of the Apocalypse is a programmatic work which was inspired by the biblical Book of Revelation.
The piece is scored for a full complement of keyboard percussion instruments as well as a variety of nonpitched percussion instruments, including tom toms, brake drums, and tam tam. David Gillingham is a Professor of Music at Central Michigan University, and he has written a number of works that have become standards in the wind band and percussion ensemble repertoire.
Summons was premiered by the University of Oregon Percussion Ensemble (with the composer as soloist)
on March 16, 2003. The composer states “Summons emerges from my interest in utilizing the percussion ensemble in a gestural and theatrical manner that also retains a sense of melodic and rhythmic drive as incorporated in the music of my favorite orchestral composers of the late twentieth century. Moreover, I aim to explore an “anti-concerto” concept, where the soloist and ensemble have an adversarial relationship or where the soloist’s gestures signal ensemble activity rather than having the ensemble function as a mere accompanist. While the piece has no explicit programmatic narrative, the piece possesses an overall theatrical sense of affect and gesture.”
Timelines was commissioned for Alan Abel, one of my dearest mentors, and the Florida Percussion Summit
at the request of John Evans. With due respect and homage to the great masters of the art of composition, melodic motives go intentionally awry with hints of Beethoven’s Fifth and Ninth Symphonies, Ravel’s Bolero, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Leoncavallo’s Il Pagliachi, Stravinsky’s Petrushka, etc. Juxtaposing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony with a type of “cubist” angular warping of the rhythmic snare drum motive from Ravel’s Bolero is but the tip of the iceberg. The snare drummer’s art is further articulated in the style from American Revolutionary War drumming in a work entitled The 3 Camps, but again the motive is distorted and juxtaposed with faint and not-so-faint polyrhythms from West African and Afro-Cuban cultures. I am particularly fond of reworking a wonderful 16th-century Swedish melody, Gaudete, gaudete!!! Christus ist na!!! The compound, dual meter section that ends the work is, in a loose sense, my impression of one of the many styles of Japanese taiko drumming melded with my impressions of Irish folk rhythms. - Michael Udow
Marimba Heritage is an original composition that honors the history of solo marimba literature. Motives
from many well-known marimba solos are woven into this new composition. [The pieces that inspired this music] were pivotal in guiding the pedagogical/artistic path of solo marimba literature. Marimba Heritage was commissioned by Dr. Brett Dietz and the Louisiana State University Percussion Ensemble and premiered at LSU on March 29, 2009. The work features the power and energy of marimba music that has inspired thousands of percussionists for more than 60 years. - Mark Ford With Echo Funk, I wanted to feature the hard-hitting and groove-laden elements of drumset performance in a more “industrial” sonic environment. Combining inspiration from seminal works such as Cage’s First Construction and Rouse’s Bonham, the overall sound palate combines a large selection of mostly drums and metal instruments (often found objects) working to create a raucous conversation between the drumset soloist and the eight percussionists. The “echo” motif presented at the beginning of the work weaves its way through the piece as a defining element, often creating the illusion of faster and slower tempi through patterns which sometimes overlap and cycle over the bar line. Subsequent variations of this motivic element are superimposed against various drumset pockets (also moving in and out of different time feels) which create varying degrees of rhythmic tension between the soloist and ensemble. - Jonathan Ovalle
UPCOMING WELLS SCHOOL OF MUSIC EVENTS For full event details visit www.wcupa.edu/music or call (610) 436-2739 Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 8:15 PM Chamber Orchestra & Chamber Winds Joseph Caminiti & Andrew Yozviak, directors Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center Thursday, December 6, 2018, 12:00 PM Madeleine Wing Adler Concert Series Marc Jacoby, director Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Grand Foyer Performing Arts Center Thursday, December 6, 2018, 5:30 PM Recital Choir David P. DeVenney, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building Thursday, December 6, 2018, 8:15 PM Latin Jazz & Jazz Combos Marc Jacoby, director Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center Friday, December 7, 2018, 8:15 PM Concert Band Adam Gumble, director Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center *Tickets required for this event.
Steinway & Sons Piano Technical, Tuning and Concert Preparations by Gerald P. Cousins, RPT A majority of performances are available to watch via live stream at Facebook.com/ArtsAtWCUPA and LiveStream.com/wcupa. Mr. Robert Rust, Audio & Visual Technician Events at the Wells School of Music are often supported by individual sponsors and organizations. Contributions to the Wells School of Music may be made out to: West Chester University Foundation 202 Carter Drive, West Chester, PA 19382
For further information, please call (610) 436-2868 or contact Dr. Christopher Hanning, Dean. If you do not intend to save your program, please recycle it in the baskets at the exit doors. The Wells School of Music | West Chester University of Pennsylvania Dr. Christopher Hanning, Dean