Boston Conservatory Brass Ensemble

EMMA LOU DIEMER: Declamation (1967)

ORLANDO DE LASSUS (arr. Robert King): Providebam Dominum (1560)

PAUL HINDEMITH: Apparebit repentina dies (1947)
I. Allegro
II. Mäßig Schnell
III. Schnell
IV. Langsam

The New World Chorale
Holly Krafka, music director

KEVIN KASKA: Hymn of Praise (2001)

MARCEL DUPRE (ed. H. W. Grey): Poem Heroique (1937)

OTTORINO RESPIGHI (arr. John Eric Noran): The Pines of the Appian Way (1924)

Mitchell Crawford, organ

It is not every year that the Boston Conservatory Brass Ensemble gets to pull out all the stops (pun intended) for our concert. This time, we are not only in an amazing venue (Old South Church), but we are collaborating with the wonderful New World Chorale (Holly Krafka, director) and my favorite organist, Mitchell Crawford. The works we are presenting are rarely heard in this setting, and we are so pleased that you have joined us to hear them, either live or live-streamed.  Thank you for spending this evening with us.

EMMA LOU DIEMER: Declamation (1967)
Emma Lou Diemer was born in Kansas City, Missouri on November 24, 1927. She started playing the piano and composing at a young age. Diemer wrote her first piano work at age 7, and she became the organist at her church by age 13. Diemer went on to major in composition at the Yale School of Music and the Eastman School of Music. She has written many works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, keyboard, and voice. Diemer is currently an active keyboardist and educator.

ORLANDO DE LASSUS (arr. Robert King): Providebam Dominum (1560)

Orlando De Lassus was one of the most influential musicians of the late 16th century. De Lassus wrote over 2,000 works, including Italian madrigals, German lieder, French chansons, and Latin motets. Providebam Dominum (I Look Forward to the Lord) is a sacred motet for seven voices in two choirs. In this edition by Robert King, three trumpets play the soprano parts of the first choir, and a small brass choir plays the parts of the second choir.

PAUL HINDEMITH: Apparebit repentina dies (1947)
Hindemith was born on November 16, 1895 in Hanau, Germany. He is respected as one of the most distinguished viola players of his time. Hindemith devoted the earlier part of his career to performance. He was also prolific in composition and wrote music in a variety of forms. Apparebit repentina dies is set in four movements. The first warns of the consequences of the day of judgment. The second frames a dialogue in which Christ separates the righteous from the unrighteous. The beginning of the third movement tells of the unjust being swept back into hellfire and the baying of Cerberus at hell's gates, depicted by the four French horns. At the end of this movement, Hindemith employs one of his most memorable melodies, which radiates from the brass through the chorus, leading ultimately to a jubilant conclusion. The brief fourth movement owes its form to the chorale so favored by J.S. Bach. With this ingenious harmonized finale, Hindemith pays homage to his past.

KEVIN KASKA: Hymn of Praise (1999)
Hymn of Praise was written for organist Gregory Peterson, who was organist and director of music at Old South Church from 1997-2005. It was first performed on a CD project, Heroic Sounds, which was a collaboration between Gregory Peterson and the Old South Brass, with Lawrence Isaacson conducting. Peterson said of this piece, “Kevin Kaska provides beautiful lyric writing for brass with organ counterpoint in the form of a ritornello. I am very pleased with the piece.”

MARCEL DUPRE (ed. H. W. Grey): Poem Heroique (1937)
Marcel Dupré was the organist of Notre Dame from 1916 to 1922 and went on to become the organ professor at the Paris Conservatory in 1926. Poeme Heroique opens with trumpet calls and a dotted marching rhythm, depicting the procession of soldiers to the front lines. This portrait of war is interrupted by a reverent central section, which may represent prayers for the fallen soldiers or prayers from the soldiers themselves. The march returns and then leads into a conclusion depicting the conflict. The prayerful theme returns again, now turned into a hymn of triumph and thanks.

OTTORINO RESPIGHI (arr. John Eric Noran): The Pines of the Appian Way (1924)
Ottorino Resphigi was born in Bologna, Italy in 1879. In 1913, he settled down in Rome and was appointed professor at the Conservatory of St. Cecelia. Respighi was considered a great observer, and this can be seen in the sensory nature of his most successful works. The Pines of Rome is a symphonic poem depicting four forested landscapes near Rome. In the fourth movement, he paints a picture of Roman legions heading back from battle along the Appian Way.
                                                                 

—Maya Schiek, M.M. '24

Larry Isaacson, conductor, joined the Conservatory in 1985. In addition to conducting several ensembles, he teaches in the Brass and Conducting Departments, as well as private trombone lessons. He currently performs as a guest conductor at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, and was a founder and music director of Symphony Nova from 2008 to 2018. Learn more about Isaacson.

The New World Chorale (NWC) was founded in 1999 by Holly MacEwen Krafka and John Zielinski, with the mission of performing the best choral music with many of the finest ensembles in New England. NWC’s membership comprises some of the Boston area’s most experienced choral singers and soloists, who have performed both locally and internationally with the world’s major orchestras.

Mitchell Crawford, organ, is minister of music at Old South Church. He studied at the Juilliard School and Florida State University. Before coming to Boston, he was the organist at both City Church and Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. As a recitalist, Mitchell has presented concerts at Harvard and Princeton Universities, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and numerous churches.

TRUMPET
Robert Adams, M.M. '22*
Charlotte Berube-Gray, B.M. '26
Max Ignas^
Elizabeth Jewell^
Elliot Wlasiuk, B.M '26

FRENCH HORN
Amber Dai, M.M. '24
Holly Fullerton, B.M. '26
Cameron McCarty, B.M. '25
Justin Park, B.M. '26
Maya Schiek, M.M. '23
Connor Strauss, B.M. '25

TROMBONE
Jack Armstrong, M.M. '24
Aidan Davidson, B.M. '24
Lauren Galarraga, B.M. '24
Zhenzhen Qian, M.M. '23
Brooke Thomson, B.M. '26
Yixin Zhang, B.M. '25

BASS TROMBONE
Ben Pilon, B.M. '24

EUPHONIUM
Aidan Davidson, B.M. '24

TUBA
Sam Boswell^

PERCUSSION
Jialu Du, B.M. '26
Harold Rivas, B.M. '24
Mingrui Wang, B.M. '26

ORGAN
Mitchell Crawford^

* Boston Conservatory alum
^ Guest artist

Senior Manager of Concert Services – Luis Herrera 
Concert Production Coordinator – Matthew Carey
Concert Production Manager – Kendall Floyd
Manager of Performance Technology – Wes Fowler
Performance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov