When Dr. William Wakefield walked onto the stage of his retirement concert as Director of Bands at the University of Oklahoma after 32 years of service, many of those who have had the honor of playing for him, studying with him, and collaborating with him were there to share in the magnificent moment. Wind & Rhythm had the privilege to capture his final triumphal concert so that wind band enthusiasts could enjoy his mastery for years to come.

We celebrate our Season 9 finale with Dr. Wakefield's concert finale, recorded here for your enjoyment.

University of Oklahoma Wind Symphony
Dr. William Wakefield, conductor

Lincolnshire Posy
  Percy Grainger
    I.   Lisbon
    II.  Horkstow Grange
    III. Rufford Park Poachers
    IV. The Brisk Young Sailor
    V.  Lord Melbourne
    VI. The Lost Lady Found
​
Symphony #4
  David Maslanka
​
Irish Tune from County Derry
  Percy Grainger

When storms reach their worst and those in peril are looking for rescue, the US Coast Guard will have already been deployed and be ready to assist. It’s their birthday, and the countless numbers of people who have been saved by the fearless Coast Guard are thankful that their motto, Semper Paratus, remains their mission.

American Journey
  John Williams
  US Coast Guard Band, Captain Kenneth Megan
United Artists
  Kenneth Fuchs
  US Coast Guard Band,
​  Lieutenant Commander Adan Williamson
Second Rhapsody for Piano and Wind Ensemble
  Gershwin, George
  US Coast Guard Band, Commander Kenneth Megan
Celebration Fanfare
  Kevin Walczyk
  US Coast Guard Band, Commander Kenneth Megan

Popular among the English nobility in the 16th and 17th century, a masque was a form of amateur dramatic entertainment performed by masked players. Composers too have taken to writing music for the masque and by extension, the masquerade. This week at the gathering place for people who love band music, we explore this masked music, incognito.

​Masquerade for Band, Op. 102
  Vincent Persichetti
  North Texas Wind Symphony,
  Eugene Migliaro Corporon
Twelfth Night (A Musical Masque after Shakespeare)
  Alfred Reed
  Senzoku Gakuen Symphonic Wind Orchestra,
​  Alfred Reed
Little Masquerade Suite
  Johan Halvorsen
  Keystone Wind Ensemble, John R. Bourgeois
Masquerade Suite
  Aram Ilyich Khachaturian
  UNLV Wind Orchestra, Thomas Leslie

Musical fantasies, unlike fugues or variations, are rooted in the art of improvisation, and thus seldom follow any strict musical form. Fantasies taken to the extreme become illusionary, like a shifting dream; i.e. the phantasmagorical.

This episode of Wind & Rhythm explores music that plays free and loose with imaginative invention; the Fantasy.

Fantasies for Anna Magdalena Bach
  Christopher Dedrick
  Canadian Brass*
Danzas Fantásticas
  Joaquin Turina, arr. Boyd
  Philharmonia à Vent, John Boyd
Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn
  Norman Dello Joio
  Keystone Wind Ensemble, Jack Stamp
Fantasy for Brass Band, Op. 114
  Malcolm Arnold
  Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Garry Cutt
Excerpts from A Disney Fantasy
  arr. Goff Richards
  Brass Band of Battle Creek

"Tune up your strings in harmony
Strike up your song of joy
And learn the music, let it sound
Stand up and sing your song"
- Song of Joy, by Göran Gustafsson

Radiant Joy
  Steven Bryant
  IUP Wind Ensemble, Jack Stamp
Marche Joyeuse
  Emmanuel Chabrier, arr. Gordon Langford
  Black Dyke Mills Band, John Foster
Noisy Wheels of Joy
  Eric Whitacre
  UNLV Wind Orchestra, Thomas Leslie

Bliss
  Michael Torke
  IUP Wind Ensemble, Jack Stamp
Joy
  Frank Ticheli
  University Of Texas at El Paso Wind Symphony,
  Ron Hufstader
Joy Revisited
  Frank Ticheli
  University of Texas at El Paso Wind Symphony,
​  Ron Hufstader
It is to me a right great joy
  Henry VIII
  Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Joy
  Empire Brass Quintet
A Joyful Fugue
  Virgil Thomson, arr. Charles Fussell
  Rutgers Wind Ensemble, William Berz
Joy Spring
  Clifford Brown, arr. Chrales Schiermeyer
  Brass Band of Battle Creek
Joyride
  Michael Markowski
  Brooklyn Wind Symphony, Jeff Ball

Music sparks the all of the senses. Hearing music and reading music are obvious. Feeling music, through powerful bass amps or through the warmth of a string orchestra also counts. It has been studied that music in restaurants can amplify certain tastes. And those afflicted with synesthesia have the ability to actually smell sounds, as music stimulates sensory and cognitive pathways.

​But for all of the "standard" senses, it is the more metaphysical ones that make music so magical; memory, imagination, and inspiration to name a few. This episode of Wind & Rhythm explores the many sensations of music. ​

Scenes from the Louvre
  Norman Dello Joio
  Texas A&M University Symphonic Band, Timothy B. Rhea
The Three Embraces
  Carter Pann
  North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporan
Surround Sound
  Soren Hyldgaard
  The Danish Concert Band, Jorgen Misser Jensen
Sounds, Sketches and Ideas
  Roger Cichy
  University of Texas at El Paso Wind Symphony,
​  Ron Hufstader
Feast Day in Seville
  Isaac Albéniz
  Dallas Wind Symphony, Frederick Fennell
Hoedown
  Aaron Copland
  Brass Band of Battle Creek, Constantine Kitsopoulos
Famishius Fantasticus
  Michael Markowski
  Brooklyn Wind Symphony, Jeff Ball

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -Preamble, United States Declaration of Independence

This inspirational passage, perhaps one of the best-known sentences in the English language, came to represent a moral standard to which the United States should strive.

​This episode of Wind & Rhythm celebrates its potency and ideals with music, equally as inspired.

​Fanfare for Freedom
  Morton Gould
  UNLV Wind Orchestra, Thomas Leslie
American Hymn
  William Schuman
  Keystone Wind Ensemble, Jack Stamp
Overture & March, "1776"
  Charles Ives
  US Marine Band, Colonel Timothy Foley
American Overture for Band
  Joseph Wilcox Jenkins
  US Army Field Band, Colonel Finley R. Hamilton
Celebration Overture
  Paul Creston
  US Air Force Band, Colonel Lowell Graham
American Faces
  David Holsinger
  US Navy Band, Commander Ralph Gambone
Variations on an American Cavalry Song
  Donald Grantham
  North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon

Opposing certainty may yield faith for some, but opposing faith tends to yield doubt and skepticism, not necessarily certainty. It's the quest for certainty itself that addresses the relationship between philosophies of spirituality and empirical understanding.

​Music allows one to contemplate this relationship through the experience of music itself, which adds its own perspective to the relationship, a rather ethereal one.

Morningstar
  David Maslanka
  Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble,
  Joseph Missal
Spirit of Endeavour
  Philip Sparke
  Concert Band of the German Armed Forces,
​  Christoph Scheibling
The Spirit of Buies Creek from “Tarheel Sketches”
  Jack Stamp
  Keystone Wind Ensemble, Jack Stamp
Spiritual Dance
  Hildegard von Bingen
  Empire Brass Quintet
Celestial Dancers for Wind Ensemble
  Eric Ewazen
  Philharmonia à Vent, John Boyd

This episode of Wind & Rhythm celebrates the birthday of the oldest of the United State's Armed Forces, the US Army, who trace their 1775 founding to the days of the Continental Army and General George Washington.

"First to fight for the right, And to build the Nation's might,
And the Army goes Rolling Along."
"Proud of all we have done, Fighting till the battle's won,
And the Army goes Rolling Along."

Hooah!

​West Point Symphony
  Morton Gould
  US Military Academy Band: West Point,
  LTC Timothy J. Holtan
Manhattan
  Philip Sparke
  US Military Academy Band: West Point,
  LTC Timothy J. Holtan
Farewell to Gray
  Donald Grantham
  North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon
4 Preludes
  Robert Russell Bennett
  US Army Field Band, Finley Hamilton
Tuscan Serenade
  Gabriel Fauré, arr. Percy Grainger
  US Military Academy Band: West Point,
  LTC Timothy J. Holtan

Whether it's with a father, a grandfather, or a father-figure, celebrating this Father's Day connects us the same way music connects the listener with deep emotional memories and structural features that help define our character and bring strength to our lives; much like a father.  This week on Wind & Rhythm we explore these connections, dedicating them to Father’s Day.

Theme and Variations from Symphony #2
  (for my father, Kerry Archer)
  Kimberly Archer
  Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
  Wind Symphony, John Raymond Bell
Rest
  Frank Ticheli
  Ohio State Wind Symphony, Russel C. Mikkelson
Pastime
  Jack Stamp
  North Texas Wind Symphony,
  Eugene Migliaro Corporon
Father and Son from Gallimaufry
  Guy Woolfenden
  University of Calgary Wind Ensemble, Glen D. Price
Hold this Boy and Listen
  Carter Pann
  North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon
Grandfather's Story from The Red Pony
  Aaron Copeland
  US Army Field Band, Colonel Finley R. Hamilton
Gandalf (The Wizard) from The Lord of the Rings
  Johan de Meij 
  Amsterdam Wind Orchestra, Arie Van Beek
Embers
  Michael Markowski
  University of Missouri Wind Ensemble, Brad Snow
March Intercollegiate
  Ives, Charles
  US Marine Band, Timothy Foley

…we love thy shadows,
When twilight silence falls,
Flushing deep and softly paling,
O’er ivy covered halls...

Shadows are a common theme amongst poets, authors, artists, and composers, and with its symbolism to the hidden, foreboding, and mystical, we can see why. 

When from these scenes we wander,
And twilight shadows fade,
Our mem'ry still will linger,
Where light and shadows played...

Shadow Rituals
  Michael Markowski
  Rutgers Wind Ensemble, William Berz
Shadow Dance
  David Dzubay
  North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon
Shadow Falls
  Julie Giroux
  Lockport Township High School Wind Symphony,
  Brian Covey
Shadowcatcher
  Eric Ewazen
  Western Michigan University Symphonic Band,
​  Robert Spradling

Many Americans celebrate their Memorial Day holiday by relaxing, spending time with family, catching up on projects, grilling out or going to the park. But some families, those with fallen military members, celebrate differently. They recognize the permanent loss of those who didn’t come home, of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, of those whom Memorial Day is designated to honor. The Heroes.

Salute to a Hero
  Philip Sparke
  Cory Band, Dr. Robert Childs
Heroic Saga
  Jager, Robert
  Hiroshima Wind Orchestra, Yoshiro Kimura
Walking with Heroes
  Paul Lovatt Cooper
  Fountain City Brass Band, Joseph Parisi
Saving Private Ryan - Hymn to the Fallen
  John T. Williams/Van DerWoude
  Black Dyke Band, Nicholas Childs
Everyday Hero
  Timothy Mahr
  St. Olaf Band, Timothy Mahr
Summon the Heroes
  John Williams
  US Army Band, Colonel L. Bryan Shelburne Jr.
Heroes, Lost & Fallen
  David Gillingham
  USAF Band of the Golden West,
​  Captain R. Michael Mench
Poème Héroïque, Op. 33
  Dupré, Marcel
  Michael Murray & Empire Brass
The Liberty Bell
  John Philip Sousa
  US Air Force Band, Alan Bonner

Romanticism was an artistic, literary, intellectual and musical movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century. The movement emphasized intense emotion as an authentic source of the aesthetic experience, especially that of the sublime beauty of nature. The resulting music of the era was an opposition to the structural constraints of the classical era, with emotion finding its way into musical expression for its own sake.

​Oberon
  Carl Maria Von Weber
  US Army Field Band, Colonel Jack H. Grogan
Kinderszenen for Brass Quintet
  Schumann/Brandon Ridenour
  Canadian Brass
Pavane
  Maurice Ravel, arr. Johan de Meij
  Philhamonic Winds Osakan and others, Johan de Meij
Paganini Variations for Brass Band and Organ
  Philip Wilby/Wilby, Philip
  Black Dyke Band, Nicholas Childs
Gymnopedie No.1
  Satie/Satie arr. Renton
  Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Frank Renton

A mother's influence over one's life can be amongst the strongest and most formative one receives. Wind & Rhythm host Doug Brown's mother, Fiona LaFern Brown, is no exception, and like her, every mother is remarkable, and every mother is worth celebrating. Let's then celebrate the maternal mystique all mothers and allow music to rekindle the memories of Mom.

Golden Light (A Celebration Piece)
  David Maslanka
  University of New Hampshire Wind Symphony,
  Andrew Boysen, Jr.
One Life Beautiful
  Julie Giroux
  North Texas Symphonic Band, Dennis Fisher
Postcard
  Frank Ticheli
  US Navy Band, LCDR John R. Pastin
Danish Folk-Music Suite: I. The Power of Love
  Percy Grainger, arr. Joseph Kreines
  US Marine Band, Colonel Michael J. Colburn
Clair de Lune from “Suite Bergamasque”
  Claude Debussy
  Avon High School Saxophone Ensemble, Karl Hartman
Colonial Song
  Percy Grainger
  Michigan State University Symphonic Band,
  Kenneth Bloomquist
No Shadow of Turning
  David Gillingham
  Ohio State University Wind Symphony,
  Russel C. Mikkelson
The Heart of the Morn, “Michigan Morn”
  H. Owen Reed
  Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
​  Wind Symphony, John Raymond Bell

While individuals can inspiring, and groups of two, three, or four can amaze, a team of five can astonish. Like a basketball squad, or the Spice Girls, a quintet playing together creates a magic that is quintessential (so to speak) in achieving the seemingly impossible.

This week on Wind & Rhythm, we explore Brass Quintets in all of their splendor.

​Sonata K. 11
  Domenico Scarlatti
  Millenium Brass
Overture from “The Marriage of Figaro”
  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  Millenium Brass 
La Reine D’Amour
  John Phillip Sousa
  Millenium Brass 

Fire Dance
  Anthony DiLorenzo
  Millenium Brass
Brazen Overture
  Libby Larsen 
  Monarch Brass 
Opposable Thumbs
  Carolyn Bremer
  Monarch Brass
Hedwig’s Theme
  John Williams
  Filmharmonic Brass
Anakin’s Theme
  John Williams
  Filmharmonic Brass
Princess Leia’s Theme
  John Williams
  Filmharmonic Brass
Cancel My Subscription
  Anna Ruggis
  Millenium Brass
Emily
  Johnny Mandel
  Millenium Brass
Can’t Help Falling In Love
  George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creator,
​  arr. Jeff Kressler
  Millenium Brass

While "Cinco de Mayo" officially honors the Mexican Army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, in American and elsewhere around the world the date has become associated with the celebration of Mexican culture, cuisine, and of course, music.  This week on Wind & Rhythm we highlight the rich rhythms, the Banda beats, and the Mariachi magic as we dance and dine with music from Mexico.

El Salón México
  Aaron Copland,
  Ohio State University Wind Symphony,
  Russell C. Mikkelson
Mexican Pictures
  Franco Cesarini
  Royal Military Band of the Netherlands,
  Pierre Kuipers
Mexican Hat Dance
  Jesús González Rubio 
  St. Louis Brass Quintet 
La Fiesta Mexicana
  H. Owen Reed*
  U.S. Marine Band,
​  Colonel Michael Colburn

Music, like April 22nd's Earth Day, transcends all national borders, spans all time zones, and brings together all of humanity in harmony for the preservation of our little "Blue Marble". And while universal consensus on the care and maintenance of our island home is the political struggle of our time, it is without doubt that since everyone is a passenger on Spaceship Earth, everyone is affected.

​Let's explore the musical beauty of our Pale Blue Dot.

Prelude on a Hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth”
  James Curnow
  Black Dyke Brass Band,
  James Curnow
The Earth from The Planets by Trouvére
  Jun Nagaro
  Showa Wind Symphony,
  Shintaro Fukumoto
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
  Peter Graham 
  Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band,
  Kazuhiko Komatsu 
Earth Dance from New World Dances
  Martin Ellerby
  North Texas Wind Symphony,
  Eugene Migliaro Corporon
Earthscape
  David Marlatt
  Chicago Gargoyle Brass and Organ Ensemble,
​  Rodney Holmes
Earthrise
  Nigel Clarke
  Middle Tennessee State Wind Ensemble,
​  Reed Thomas

Every note on the grand staff has a different pitch because it vibrates at a different frequency. This happens too with light across the visual spectrum, and we perceive this as different colors. Composers understand this and combine pitch with an instrument's timbre to create musical "color", and thus mood. In this week's episode we explore their creativity in the musical world of color.

A Color Symphony
  Philip Sparke
  Concert Band of the German Armed Forces,
  Christoph Scheibling
Les Couleurs Fauves (Vivid Colors)
  Karel Husa*
  North Texas Wind Symphony,
  Eugene Migliaro Corporon
The Descending Blue
  Daniel French
  Ohio University Wind Symphony,
​  Andrew Trachsel

Music truly is the soundtrack of our lives, and it would be tough to find too many music lovers who would disagree: Music has the uncanny ability to attach itself to experiences and places, both real and imagined. For musicians who "play their part" in the music-making process, memories of their fellow players, their conductors, the venues, the rehearsals and the concerts can become imprinted for life; lodged like a stake through the music. Can you recall the first time you played the following? ​

Fanfare and Allegro
  Clifton Williams
  US Air Force Band of Mid America, Colonel Daniel Price
An Original Suite
  Gordon Jacob
  North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon
American Overture for Band, Op. 13
  Joseph Wilcox Jenkins
  Brigham Young University Wind Symphony,
  Don Peterson
Variations on a Korean Folk Song
  John Barnes Chance
  Massachusetts Wind Orchestra, Malcolm W. Rowell, Jr.
Symphonic Songs for Band
  Robert Russell Bennett
  Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra,
​  Mark Heron
Cuban Overture
  George Gershwin
  Texas A&M University Wind Symphony, Timothy B. Rhea

There are folks who love taking road trips, and many of them love the planning process even more;  tinkering with all of the little stops, detours, and diversions that can transform a simple journey into an unforgettable experience. If you know of (or are) that type of creative trip planner, then this episode of Wind & Rhythm will help inspire your next excursion. Plan on! ​

1894: Cherry Street from "Autobiography for Band"
  Robert Russell Bennett
  Texas A&M University Wind Symphony, Timothy B. Rhea
Freedom Road
  James Curnow
  Washington Winds, James Curnow
Instinctive Travels
  Michael Markowski
  Ohio University Wind Symphony, Andrew Trachsel
Traveler
  David Maslanka
  Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble,
  Joseph Missal
Time Travels
  Robert Thurston
  U.S. Air Force Band, Colonel Larry Lang
The Time Traveller from
“In League with Extraordinary Gentlemen”
  Peter Graham
  Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band, Kazuhiko Komatsu
  Stephen Mead, Euphonium solo
Basin Street Blues
  Spencer Williams
  Black Dyke Mills Band, Nicholas Childs

Blustery, brisk, and breezy come to mind this time of year. And since "Wind" is part of our show's name, it's appropriate that we explore the imagination of composers who depict the wild and wonderful nature of wind, all the way to Bob Dylan’s epic work "Blowin’ in the Wind".

Windsicle
  Roger Cichy
  US Air Force Academy Band, Steven Grimo
The Wind in the Willows
  Johan de Meij
  Danish Concert Band, Jorgen Jensen
Whirlwind
  Steven Bryant
  Eastern Wind Symphony, Todd Nichols
Frolicking Winds
  H. Owen Reed, arr. Berz
  Rutgers Wind Ensemble, William Berz
Wind in the Reeds
  Gordon Jacob
  University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble, Mitchell Estrin
Blowin’ in the Wind, from “Mr. Tambourine Man”
  John Corigliano
  Michigan State Wind Symphony, Kevin Sedatole
  Soprano soloist, Lindsay Kesselman

The National Mall in Washington D.C. is America's home to its memorials, monuments, statues, museums, and gardens. It also serves as "center stage" for national events, such as presidential inaugurations, political and protest speeches, marches, rallies, concerts, celebrations, and even Papal visits. This episode of Wind & Rhythm honors the beauty and grandeur of America's "home field".

​Three Washington Statues
  Philip Sparke
  US Army Concert Band, Colonel Timothy Holtan
Gazebo Dances
  John Corigliano
  US Navy Band, Captain Kenneth Collins
Virginia Scenes
  James Kazik
  US Army Concert Band, Colonel Timothy Holtan
Finale from "Symphony No. 5”
  Dmitri Shostakovich
  US Navy Band, Captain Kenneth Collins
Ride
  Samuel Hazo
  IUP Wind Ensemble, Jack Stamp
In Heaven's Air
  Samuel Hazo
  IUP Wind Ensemble, Jack Stamp

The high-crowned, wide-brimmed, soft-felt hat that is intimately associated with the cowboy image is sometimes called a "Ten-gallon" hat. And while the Stetson Company confirms that their hats hold only about 3 quarts, the nickname, which may have come from a loose translation of the Spanish "tan galán" meaning "really handsome" or "so fine", definitely adds to that mystique.

The Twelve Gallon Hat
  Julie Giroux
  North Texas Symphonic Band, Paula Crider
Santa Fe Saga
  Morton Gould
  Dallas Wind Symphony, Howard Dunn
San Antonio Dances
  Frank Ticheli
  Dallas Wind Symphony, Jerry Junkin
Western One-Step from “Suite of Old American Dances”
  Robert Russell Bennett
  Lone Star Wind Orchestra, Eugene Migliaro Corporon
Little Buckaroo
  Anthony DiLorenzo
  Scott Hartman trombone soloist
  Metropolitan Wind Symphony, Lawrence Isaacson
The Cowboys
  John Williams
  Dallas Wind Symphony, Jerry Junkin

That sweet spring shower can become a howling storm with very little warning. It might be the soaking rain that replenishes the land or there may be floods and devastation. On this episode we'll hear what both extremes sound like when voiced by the expressive sound of wind bands.

Cloudburst
  Eric Whitacre
  UNLV Wind Orchestra, Thomas Leslie
As Torrents in Summer
  Sir Edward Elgar
  St. Olaf Band, Timothy Mahr
Riding the Storm from “Wind Sketches”
  Philip Sparke
  Royal Netherlands Army Band, Tijmen Botma
Suite from The Snowstorm (The Blizzard)
  Georgii Vasilyevich Sviridov
  US Air Force Band of the Rockies, Colonel H. Bruce Gilkes
As The Scent of Spring Rain
  Jonathan Neuman
  Michigan State Wind Symphony, Kevin Sedatole
Galactic Empires
  David Gillingham
  North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon
Storm from “Four Sea Interludes”
  Benjamin Britten

Since 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have been guiding the film industry and its annual Oscar awards celebration. Here on Wind & Rhythm we roll out the red carpet and celebrate the music that gives movies their soul. "The nominees are...."

The Right Stuff (End Credits)
  Bill Conti
  North Texas Symphonic Band, Bill Conti
Fellini (Omaggio a Federico Fellini)
  Johan De Meij
  Luxembourg Military Band, Johan De Meij
Overture from “Silverado"
  Bruce Broughton
  UNLV Wind Orchestra, Thomas Leslie
Theme from “Lawrence of Arabia”
  Maurice Jarre, arr. Alfred Reed
  US Air Force Band of Mid-America,
​  Captain Donald Schofield, Jr.
The Wind and the Lion
  Jerry Goldsmith
  UNLV Wind Orchestra, Thomas Leslie
The Imperial March from “The Star Wars Trilogy”
  John Williams
  US Coast Guard Band, Commander W. Kenneth Megan