Sojourns

Track Listings

1. Young: Tempered Steel (1997)

2. -5. Grantham: Southern Harmony (1998)

3. Gillingham: Concertino for Four Percussion (1997)

4. Sousa: Easter Monday on the White House Lawn (1928)

5. -9. Welcher: Symphony No. 3 'Shaker Life' (1997)

6. Hagen/Spede: Wedding Dances from "Bandanna" (1998)

7. Daugherty: Niagara Falls (1997)

Tracks:

Young: Tempered Steel (1997)
-5. Grantham: Southern Harmony (1998)
Gillingham: Concertino for Four Percussion (1997)
Sousa: Easter Monday on the White House Lawn (1928)
-9. Welcher: Symphony No. 3 'Shaker Life' (1997)
Hagen/Spede: Wedding Dances from "Bandanna" (1998)
Daugherty: Niagara Falls (1997)

Customer Reviews:

Standout!.......2003-04-19

Wow! I listened to this CD today and thought that the "Wedding Dances from Bandanna" were just amazing! The piece was being played by a band, but it seemed to me that the composer was treating the band as though it were an orchestra -- so many wonderful colors, so many avoided cliches! It made me want to hear the full opera, which, like "The Good Soldier Schweik," utilizes only winds in the pit. I hear that Arabesque may be releasing it next year under Hagen's baton and I'll be looking out for it.

Klavier release sports generally "good" band music.......2000-05-23

One of the aims of the Klavier Wind Recording Project is the promotion of new music for wind ensemble. The North Texas Wind Symphony scores big with this release (save for the Sousa march, which seems oddly out of place), featuring substantial works by several "returning" Klavier composers.

Sojourns opens with a rousing performance of young composer and saxophonist Charles Young's "Tempered Steel," a 1997 Big 12 Band Director's commission that explores some of the more metallic band sonorities. Granted, this percussion-heavy work is not mind-blowingly cerebral but it does feature some memorable melodies and interesting interplay between various solo instruments. University of Texas professor Donald Grantham's "Southern Harmony," based on tunes from an 1835 American song collection of the same name features some inventive wind writing within its multi-movement, flavorful band settings. Grantham has found great favor with audiences everywhere and his other works for wind ensemble are also highly recommended. The jazz-tinged "Bum's Rush" and his brilliant "Fantasy Variations" are available on the Klavier discs Tributes (KCD 11070) and Soundings (KCD 11098), respectively. This autumn, his "J'eu ete au bal" will be released on an upcoming Klavier disc. David Gillingham's 1997 "Concertino for Four Percussion and Wind Ensemble," commissioned by Oklahoma State University, begins with a dark and brooding introduction, gradually revealing its thematic material only to ebb away to prepare for the colorful and furious allegro. North Texas turns in an excellent performance here, but the recording of the premiere by the Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble at the 8th annual WASBE Conference will likely remain the one by which all others are judged.

At this point, the listener will encounter the first of two oddities on the disc. While marches are a necessary and valuable part of any band's repetoire, the choice of march king and Marine bandsman John Philip Sousa's rarely-heard "Easter Monday on the White House Lawn" is a bit strange. Intended to replace a coronation march within a suite that had been rejected by King George V (if I understand the liner notes correctly), and rehashed for an annual egg-rolling White House festivity, "Easter Monday" sounds more like a light two-step than a typical Sousa march. If a march had to be included here, I would have personally prefered, say, his much more rousing "Pathfinder of Panama" or another lesser-known march to be sandwiched between the Gillingham and Welcher works.

Dan Welcher, another UT-Austin faculty member, has established himself with many works for varied ensembles, including his wind band works such as "Yellowstone Fires," "Zion," and the one presented here, "Symphony No. 3 'Shaker Life.'" Having expressed an interest in religious practices outside the American mainstream, Welcher quotes several Shaker tunes in his two-movement work. Richly-scored, deep, moving, and very satisfying, this is one of this album's center-pieces. Daron Hagen's "Wedding Dances" from his opera "Bandanna" (which is the first opera to utilize full wind ensemble rather than orchestra) follows. This is the other oddity on this disc after Sousa. While the music is interesting, beginning with an effervescent sound and progressively becoming more agitated, its place on this particular program just doesn't quite jive with this listener. The opera itself from which the "Dances" are derived take place in a 1968 Texas border town, and this particular section in the second act captures the jealousy one man harbors against his wife and her innocent dancing at an "all-but-happy" wedding reception. Fans of Michael Daugherty's music will enjoy seeing his 1997 "Niagara Falls" on this Klavier disc. While not completely idiomatic of the wind band idiom, this work is definitely a tour de force for it. An impression of the composer's many trips to Niagara Falls, the entire work is built on two motives (one derived from the mere four syllables of the words "Niagara Falls"), and the other a bluesy riff. Those listeners familiar with Daugherty's "Metropolis Symphony" can look forward to the band transcription of the fifth movement, the "Red Cape Tango," on an upcoming Klavier disc this autumn.

All-around, this is an enjoyable compact disc furnishing works that would otherwise wait sometime to be recorded. North Texas turns in superlative performances here. While the merit of the actual sonics in these Klavier recordings have been debated before, for those interested, there exists a live recording of Daugherty's "Niagara Falls" and the world premiere of Donald Grantham's "Fantasy Variations." It is on the Mark Custom label with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble under Jerry Junkin at Carnegie Hall. I highly recommend this one, for all the nuances of Daugherty's work, sometimes not at all apparent in the North Texas disc, are fully realized in this brilliant performance and the recording of the Grantham premiere is, in my opinion, the definitive one. Do look for Sojuourns if you're interested in quality music for wind band or simply wish to add to your Klavier collection. And no, I'm not a UT student.

Sojourns in Solitude
Average customer rating:

Not the Greg Brown of Iowa Walz, but pretty good.

Sojourns in Solitude
Greg Brown
Manufacturer: Notegun Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music
General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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The Evening Call

ASIN: B000FG6C4M
Release Date: 2006-01-04

Tracks:

Chou-Chou
Horizons
Contrast
Cotsa de la Luz
La Alhambra
Encantado
Pinos Genil
Prelude
Minuet
Moonlight
Dawn
Eclipse
Birnam Wood
Sonatina
Nassau
With You
Dedication
Nocturne
Transylvania

Product Description

Inspiration: Chou-chou is Japanese for butterfly. It is my nickname for my wife, to whom this piece is dedicated. The piece is in the key of E, which is my wifeÂ’s middle initial then the melody moves to B which is now the initial off her last name. There are also parts in 5/4, which is her height. I tried to capture her image in the music. Horizons is a piece dedicated to my children, Emily and Austin. It is a light, melodic piece evoking the possibilities of youth. Contrast is a tone poem that tells a story of a country storm. This piece means a lot to me since it helped me through writerÂ’s block. In the studio I was able to use my classic and steel string guitars to help accentuate the mood. Andalucia- My visit to Spain a few years ago was a life-altering event. This entire suite is based on that visit. Costa de la Luz (the Coast of Light) tells of a day at the beach. The Alhambra, the old Moorish castle, is a true place of wonder and majesty. This castle continues to inspire music and poems over the centuries. Encantado (Enchanted) is a tune inspired by folk songs of Spain. The melody moves with guitar accompaniment, to the imitation of a solo singer and cello, and then returns with accompaniment. Pinos Genil (Gentle Pines) is the name of the town outside of Granada where I stayed. The people were wonderful and will be in my heart forever. Daydreams (Suite for Solo Guitar) is a collection of short works. The entire suite was recorded on my steel string guitar. Prelude is a short piece used as an introduction and sets up the moods to come. Minuet is a dance-like work that has a quality of old dance although it is not in a triple meter. Moonlight was written thinking of the Beethoven piece. Although rhythmically different, I was going for the same mood. Dawn is a short work written on my electric guitar with chorus. For this recording, I used my steel string and chorus effect. This piece has always reminded me of the start of the day. Eclipse is a work that builds and builds like watching this amazing natural event. Suite for Apollo: Birnam Wood is a piece that is reminiscent of the witchÂ’s prophecy in ShakespeareÂ’s Macbeth. Sonatina was recorded on a steel string with a touch of flanger here and there. Nassau is a piece that came from my visits to the Bahamas in the 80Â’s. I used matchsticks on a few strings to create that percussive steel drum sound. With You is a piece that is also written for my wife. This piece was played as she walked down the aisle during our wedding. Dedication is dedicated to two people who have affected my playing and work: Eddie Van Halen, whose approach and style IÂ’ve always enjoyed and Benjamin Verdery, guitar instructor at Yale. He has such a wonderful outlook on life and his teaching and playing is truly inspiring. The prelude Nocturne is a theme with an improvisation section. The rainstorm background really helps set the mood. This is more of an Edgar Allan Poe nocturne than a Chopin. Nocturne is a prelude to a piece I was commissioned to write for guitar and orchestra called Transylvania. IÂ’ve included the premiere recording of the orchestral performance so the two can be enjoyed together as intended. Transylvania is a tone poem about a walk through the woods. It is a dark piece all in minor keys. You can hear church bells in the distance as well as a constant feeling of foreboding. Thank you very much for your support! GB

Customer Reviews:

Not the Greg Brown of Iowa Walz, but pretty good........2007-01-27

I don't know who this Greg Brown is. I bought this because I thought it was the latest from the Greg Brown who married Iris Dement, recorded Bathtub Blues, Iowa Walz, and lots of other stuff. It's some other guy.

This Greg Brown record is mostly laid-back guitar that pleasantly blends Spanish Classical and jazz and new wave. the electric tricks nicely harmonize with the acoustic sounds, rather than overwhelm.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Music
I've really tried, but I can't get into this one...

Sojourns
Libana
Manufacturer: Shanachie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000008U7M
Release Date: 1992-10-09

Tracks:

Ad Cet Hent T Ulas
Sovev Gal Gal Reh Aim
Medley Of Transylvanian Dance Music
Planino Pirin, Planino Dzhanum
Bre Petrounko
O! Que Mueve Mezes
Debka Benot-Hakfar
Tri Bilbila
Prefr'kna Pticka
Patinada
Simira Gamos
El Ginat Egoz
Meldley Of Quechua Songs: Wataj Quillasnin/Way'ko Wayko'sta

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Music.......2005-06-10

I first heard this album my freshman year of college in 1996. I borrowed my professor's tape and never returned it. I believe that this album jump-started an on-going desire to hear music by women from all over the world. Some of the songs are so cheerful. I loved listening to that tape over and over again. I never knew what happened to it and I am delighted to have found the album again. I don't understand any of the words but it makes me happy. It makes me feel connected to people around the world.

I've really tried, but I can't get into this one..........2002-07-09

I absolutely love "Fire Within" and "A Circle is Cast," but this seems to be a radical departure. I've had this CD for years and have tried every so often to listen, thinking maybe I would appreciate it with time, but I cannot. It is a harsher sound, interesting, but not something I find easy to meditate or relax to. It has a totally different feel from Libana's other CDs, more Eastern European/Middle Eastern. Some may find this more energizing/danceable than their other works, but it was not what I was looking for.

Average customer rating:

Sojourns
the sabella consort
Manufacturer: longbridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000OB3VAG

Average customer rating:

Sojourns
the sabella consort
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000OB3UMA

Music Review:

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Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9; Vienna Carnaval, Op. 26; Phantasiestücke, Op.111

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Orchestral Works 1

Got Groove

1. Young: Tempered Steel (1997)
2. -5. Grantham: Southern Harmony (1998)
3. Gillingham: Concertino for Four Percussion (1997)
4. Sousa: Easter Monday on the White House Lawn (1928)
5. -9. Welcher: Symphony No. 3 'Shaker Life' (1997)
6. Hagen/Spede: Wedding Dances from "Bandanna" (1998)
7. Daugherty: Niagara Falls (1997)