Christmas Brass 2023 Program Notes
Dr. Kenneth Singleton was Director of Bands and Chairman of the Wind Conducting Program at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, from June 1985 through May 2019. Previously he was Director of Concert Bands at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. He also taught at the Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford), Albertus Magnus College and Yale University, both in New Haven, Connecticut. Singleton holds degrees from the University of South Florida (Bachelor of Arts) and the Yale University School of Music (Master of Music, Master of Musical Arts, and Doctorate of Musical Arts). His doctorate in tuba performance was the first awarded by Yale in that area. Under Singleton's leadership the UNC band program, consisting of four concert and athletic ensembles, earned well deserved praise throughout the country and abroad. In December, 2011 the Wind Ensemble visited China, performing in the Beijing Concert Hall and the Sheraton Lions Lake Resort in Qingyuan. For over 30 years the Wind Ensemble performed and/or presented annually at the Colorado Music Educators Association annual convention.
In 1998 Singleton was elected to the Colorado Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame, and in January 2014, he was selected as a member of the Colorado Music Educators Association Hall of Fame. The University of Northern Colorado hosts the Colorado All-State Bands Festival each year, and under the leadership of Singleton and Associate Director of Bands Richard Mayne, the All-State Band weekend became widely recognized as one of the finest in the country.
As a transcriber of wind and brass music, and music editor for the Charles Ives Society, Singleton has more than 100 publications to his credit. His edition of Charles Ives' Third Symphony has been recorded by Michael Tilson Thomas with the Concertgebouw Orchestra (Sony), Leonard Slatkin with the St. Louis Symphony (BMG), and numerous other conductors and orchestras. His brass transcriptions are in the recorded repertoires of the Denver Brass, Summit Brass, St. Louis Brass Quintet, the Dallas Brass, and numerous other professional ensembles.
Singleton was principal conductor of the Denver Brass for 24 years and appeared with them this past May for a pair of Memorial Day concerts. He is presently Conductor of the Boulder Concert Band, a premier adult ensemble with a long history of excellence. Over the years he has guest conducted numerous ensembles, ranging from the Colorado Springs All-City Band and the El Paso All-Region Symphonic
Band, to Orchestra New England and the U.S. Air Force Band. He has conducted All-State Bands in New York, New Mexico, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Colorado.
In 2000, Singleton was elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association, and in April 2002 he was awarded the Distinguished Service to Music Award by Kappa Kappa Psi, the national college band honorary fraternity.
In 2009 he created an imaginative Christmas Brass Concert for the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra.
REPERTOIRE
ANDERSON A Christmas Festival
In the 1940’s and 1950’s, Anderson was perhaps the most popular American composer of “light classical” music, mainly for full orchestra – often with non-traditional collaborators and titles, including “The Syncopated Clock,” “The Typewriter,” “Bugler’s Holiday,” and “Sleighride.” There are eight tunes in Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival.”
Joy to the World
Deck the Halls
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Good King Wenceslas
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Silent Night
Jingle Bells
O Come, All Ye Faithful
HAYDN Achieved is the Glorious Work from The Creation
Franz Joseph Haydn’s “The Creation” is a very popular “large scale” work for solo voices, chorus and orchestra. This 18th century masterpiece concludes with the inspiring chorus, titled “ Achieved is the Glorious Work.”
HELMORE ARR. NESTICO
What Child is This
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Sammy Nestico was probably best known as a jazz composer for younger musicians. His music is well written and quite sophisticated. This seemingly gentle setting builds to a powerful ending.
PRAETORIUS Psalm XIX
Michael Schultz, the youngest son of a Lutheran pastor, was born in what is now Thuringia, Germany. In the late 1500’s, the family name Schultz meant “village judge or magistrate.” Praetorius was the Latinized form of the family name, meaning “magistrate-related.” Michael Praetorius studied divinity, philosophy and music, and was the most prolific German composer of his time.
His Psalm Nineteen: “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God” is an exuberant work which does not sound particularly sacred, largely because of its ‘march-like’ rhythms.
LEONTOVYCH ARR. ALLEN Carol of the Bells
You may find it difficult to believe that Mykhalo Leontovich’s “Carol of the Bells” could – or should – be played by brass instruments, but we think Michael Allen’s arrangement works great for the brass. And don’t forget, every one of our brass instruments has its own bell.
BARTOK Romanian Christmas Carols, Book I
Bela Bartok was undoubtedly the most famous 20th century Hungarian composer. He was one of the first to draw upon his country’s rich folk music traditions. He was also one of the century’s finest pianists. Even though the mechanics of the piano are totally different from those of brass instruments, many of Bartok’s piano pieces convert nicely to brasses. His exciting set of ten Romanian Christmas Carols is a good example. Composed in 1950 for piano, they have also been adapted for saxophones and other instruments.
BEETHOVEN ARR. WILLIAMS Songs of Joy
Arranger Justin Williams has combined portions of Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” with portions of the finale from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. The result is a sonic spectacular that must to be heard to be believed.
INTERMISSION
G.F. HANDEL Joy to the World
This arrangement of the classic carol takes advantage of the volume and brilliance of the full brass ensemble.
MOZART Ave Verum Corpus
One of the most sublime of Mozart’s choral works, “Ave Verum Corpus” was written during the master’s final year [1791], for Anton Stoll, Choirmaster at the local church in Baden-Baden, where Mozart’s wife was “taking the cure” at a local spa. Written for chorus and strings and only forty-six bars long, the perfection of the music exemplifies the similarities between chorus, brass, and strings.
TCHAIKOVSKY Selections from The Nutcracker
I March
II Trepak
Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular ballet The Nutcracker is considered a Christmas season classic. Michael Allen has rescored portions of the ballet music for virtuosic brass ensemble.
PRAETORIUS Jubilate Domino
Besides being one of the most versatile musicians of his era, Praetorius was a composer, organist, and writer on music. Praetorius wrote a lot of music, traveled a great deal, and died a wealthy man. His Musae Sioniae [Mu-see Zi-on-ee] was a significant collection of over 1,200 settings of Lutheran chorales. He also wrote an important book on musical instruments of the period. And “Terpsichore,” a compendium of more than 300 instrumental dances, is his most widely known and recorded work today.
WELSH AIR Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly
One of Dr. Ken Singleton’s favorite musical forms is the fugue, in which one instrument – or a group of instruments –plays a tune or theme. Then another group – or instrument – enters playing the same or similar melody, essentially imitating the original tune. It gets much more complicated as things go along. But listening to a fugue doesn’t have to be a dry, academic exercise. This and the next piece use a fugue style.
KAY A Merrie Fugue
G.F. HANDEL Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah*
WADE, ARR. RUTTER O Come, All Ye Faithful*
*Denotes audience sing-along.
Hallelujah Chorus
Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world is become
the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ,
and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
and He shall reign for ever and ever,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign for ever and ever, for ever and ever.
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah!
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him, born the King of angels!
Refrain:
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!
God of God, Light of Light,
lo, He abhors not the virgin's womb;
very God, begotten not created; [Refrain]
Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;
sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest![Refrain]
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv'n!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! [Refrain]