Friday, February 14, 2020

Composer Terry White

Terry White
composer and guest conductor
Terry White has been a music educator, composer, arranger and band leader in the Portland, Maine area for over 34 years. Terry is a 1975 graduate of Berklee College of Music with a B.M. in Composition, a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a M.S. in Music Education and has studied composition with John Bavicchi, Hugo Norden and Herb Pomeroy. Terry is has written for many idioms including the Portland Symphony Orchestra, marching band, jazz ensemble and concert band.

As an educator, Terry has taught instrumental music in Maine for 34 years having taught at all levels from beginning band to college jazz ensembles. He presently is retired from teaching, concluding his career as the middle school band director at Cape Elizabeth Middle School in  Maine.

His professional performing career began while still in high school with the Don Doane Big Band, and continued as trumpet player and arranger/composer with the band until 1984. Terry continued with his own big band for many years, releasing a CD entitled This Note’s For You, and presently writes for the Portland Jazz Orchestra. He resides in Westbrook with his wife Mary Ellen and two sons Matthew and Thomas.

Friday, February 7, 2020

Join Us for Festival de Música Española

Winter 2020 Concert Poster
Join the Concord Band 8pm, Saturday, March 7th at 51 Walden St. to celebrate music with a Latin flare! The concert with the theme “Festival de Música Española” will be a fantastic musical voyage to Southern Spain and Andalusia—the mountains of Peru and folk music of the ancient Incas—the fiery dances of Brazil and Cuba—Mexico’s matador marches and wedding dances—and Argentinian street dance. And it will feature the world premiere of Fantasia Latina by Terry White, a new commission sponsored by Concord Band percussionist Neil Tischler.

La Mezquita de Córdoba by Julia Giroux awesomely depicts the mosque (La Mezquita) of the tenth century the city of Córdoba, which was recognized as the most sophisticated city in Europe, treating Christians and Jews with tolerance. Rulers also improved trade and agriculture, patronized the arts, and made valuable contributions to science. According to Giroux’s notes in the score, the grandeur of La Mezquita and its colorful political and religious history has earned it its place as a true wonder of the civilized world.

Carmen Suite is a setting of selected movements from Carmen Suites 1 and 2 transcribed for winds by Lewis J. Buckley. The four-act French opera stunned first-time audiences with its bold story and subject matter, and was highly controversial.

Volver a la Montaña (Return to the Mountain) is the second movement of the four-movement suite and is based on several folk tunes of the Quechua ("Inca") people. The movement opens with a stately processional, followed by a fast dance that uses the characteristic Latin American alternation or simultaneous appearance of two- and three-beat patterns.

Composer Terry White describes Fantasia Latina being based on four Latin dance styles: Tango, Danzon, Songo and Samba. The extended introduction is intended to introduce idiomatic rhythms and motives that are common to the various styles and evolves with unexpected rhythmic and harmonic twists intended to keep the performer and listener from settling into a "groove." Terry White will conduct the premiere.

Amparito Roca and El Relicario are two of the band world’s most popular paso dobles (two-step) marches fashioned around the Spanish bullfight and dramatic entry of the matador and participants. Its Latin flavor is full of colorful Spanish flourish.

A traditional huapango song, La Bamba De Vera Cruz (La Bamba for short) is often played during wed-dings in Veracruz, where the bride and groom perform the accompanying dance. The footwork, called zapateado, builds to a frenzy as the music tempo accelerates to a climactic conclusion.

Guest ensemble Area 9 Saxophone Quartet will make a special appearance performing the Fandango and Choro y Tango movements from Saxophone Quartet (1977) by Spanish composer Aldemaro Romero. The Concord Band's Secretary and alto sax player John Rabinowitz and our baritone saxophone player Kangyi Liu are quartet members.

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Festival de Música Española

Winter 2020 Concert Poster
Saturday March 7, 2020, 8:00 pm, at 51 Walden Performing Arts Center promises to be an exciting evening of Latin music. The concert will present the World Premiere of Fantasia Latina, commissioned by Concord Band percussionist Neil Tischler in celebration of his 48 years with the Band, with composer Terry White conducting the premiere.

The Area 9 Quartet will perform the Saxophone Quartet by Aldemaro Romeo. This exciting ensemble features Concord Band members John Rabinowitz (alto saxophone) and Kangyi Liu (baritone saxophone).

– Program –
Fantasia LatinaTerry White
World Premiere
El RelicarioJosé Padilla
La Mezquita de CórdobaJulie Giroux
· Intermission ·
La Bamba de Vera CruzTerig Tucci
Volver a la MontañaShelly Hanson
Carmen SuiteGeorges Bizet;
ed. Lewis Buckley
Amparito RocaJaime Texidor

This is a free concert. Donations at the door will be gratefully accepted.

Note: If this concert is snowed out, it will be rescheduled for 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon, March 8.