Saturday, October 27, 2012

Pennyghael: Reflections of Scotland

Bill Toland wrote Pennyghael: Reflections of Scotland after a trip to Scotland, which was the Concord Band’s 25th anniversary gift to him. Featuring a medley of Scottish tunes, the work begins with a sustained drone and introduces a fragment of the second theme. The first tune in march style is boldly introduced by a blaze of percussion, and quickly passes throughout each section of the band. The lyrical second tune is announced by the oboe and quickly joined by the third tune, this time introduced by the alto saxophone. After several orchestrations and modulations, the jaunty final tune whirls its way through several variations, slowly winding down back to the opening drone and a final restatement combining two of the main melodic themes. (JRO)