This season's program

España Cañí

Pascual Marquina Narro (1873-1948)

España Cañí is a famous Spanish paso doble by Pascual Marquina Narro (1873-1948). The song, also known as the Spanish Gypsy Dance, was composed on a train ride to Madrid around 1921. Inspired by the rattle of the train, it originally bore name of The Cañí Patternmaker.

Tam O'Shanter

Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006)

Tam O'Shanter is the title hero of a 1790 poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796). Tam, a drunken farmer, is riding home late one stormy night, when he disturbs a witch's party in a haunted church. The witches pursue him to a bridge over the River Doon, but have to stop there as they cannot cross running water. One witch, however, plucks the tail from his mare, Maggie.

The Clapping Song

Randall Standridge (b. 1976)

What do you get when you mix symphonic motivic development, a touch of country hoedown, and a hint of jazz, all tied together with clapping from the ensemble? This unique offering is as much fun to play as it is hard to describe.

Come Drink, One More Cup

Chen Qian (b. 1962)

A remarkable selection by one of China's best-known wind ensemble composers, Come, Drink One More Cup is inspired by a classical poem about the pain of parting. Blending the traditional sounds of Chinese music — including a number of Chinese percussion instruments — with modern styles, the piece transports us to a different land.

People Who Live in Glass Houses

John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)

This suite, subtitled A Bacchanal Suite in Four Movements, was written in 1909, just before the Sousa Band's world tour. The suite consists of four movements:

• The Champagnes
• The Rhine Wines
• The Whiskies - Scotch, Irish, Bourbon, and Rye
• Convention of the Cordials

Each movement reflects the country or region from which the title drinks are derived. The suite was revised for orchestra in 1923 but was not published for band until 2004.

El Poncho Empapado

Kathleen Brotherton (b. 1978)

El Poncho Empapado, originally titled The Ballad of Soggy Poncho, is ACWE flautist Kat Brotherton's debut composition. Soggy Poncho commemorates a dangerous Texas thunderstorm that raged through a music festival campground, and celebrates those partygoers' victory over bad weather once the music — and the drinking and dancing — commenced. During the pandemic, its melody became an earworm demanding accompaniment by a trumpet. And then a tuba! And then Latin percussion! And then a wind ensemble!

Dedicated to the Terraperrin Band, and with special thanks to Michael Bell.

Berceuse and Finale from The Firebird

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

The ballet The Firebird helped cement Igor Stravinsky's career as one of the greatest contemporary composers. The ballet is based on a Russian folk tune. Ivan, a young prince, hunts for the Firebird, a beautiful ballerina with orange wings, and finally captures her. She gives him a golden feather as ransom and disappears. When the ogre Kastchei captures Ivan, he waves the golden feather, and the Firebird comes to his rescue. She performs a lullaby, the Berceuse, to put Kastchei to sleep. Ivan is taken to a metal box containing Kastchei’s soul, which he destroys. All of the ogre’s captives are forever freed, and they celebrate in the joyous Finale.