Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • WINTER 2017 • PAN PIPES 25 THOMAS COATES: THE FATHER OF BAND MUSIC IN AMERICA Newberry's Victorian Cornet Band Douglas Hedwig, conductor T he music on this disc represents an exploration of early American band music composed in the years between the end of the Civil War to just prior to the new popularity of the Sousa Band in 1892. This literature represents an important historical body of music that would have been available to most Americans during that time Thomas Coates (1803-1895) was born in Pennsylvania and was an important composer of early band music in America. Today he is nearly forgotten due to the popularity of John Phillip Sousa who arrived on the scene shortly after Coates' death. Coates likely began his career working for circus bands, and his compositions were popular in his life time. In addition to his surviving band music, other compositions include music for piano, wind band, and orchestra. His funeral dirges were thought to be particularly significant at the time, and one was even said to have been performed for President Grant's funeral In addition to several compositions by Coates, the disc also contains works by two other composers of this era; Frederick J. Keller (1837-1882) and Franz von Suppé (1819-1805). The Keller work, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, is a fine example of solo cornet writing of the period. My Native Land by von Suppé is a beautiful lyrical solo for baritone. The recording begins with two works by Coates: Wilking Quickstep and Plantation Echos. The quickstep genre continued to be popular after the Civil War but gave way eventually to the march in Sousa's time. Plantation Echos is a collage of familiar tunes including quotes from Dixie and Stephen Foster's Old Folks at Home. Other examples include the Columbian National Potpourri in which Coates also quotes Civil War era tunes. A Salute to Erin is a medley of popular Irish tunes of the day and includes The Last Rose of Summer and Come Back to Erin Also included on the disc is the Tycoon March, a concert march which is an example of some of his most creative writing. It contains sections with polyrhythms and also a variety of interesting orchestrations. From his funeral marches, the Funeral March, Op.19 is selected for inclusion here. It displays his skill in writing for this form through his use of interesting melodies combined with counterpoint All pieces on the recording are expertly performed by the virtuoso musicians of Newberry's Victorian Cornet Band under the direction of Douglas Hedwig. The instruments used were from the 19 th century or are replicas of instruments from that time. The recording captures a fascinating look at America's musical past. Liner notes are detailed and contribute greatly to the overall enjoyment of the performances. Beta Alpha initiate Kim McCormick is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of South Florida and faculty advisor for Delta Chi Chapter. She holds a DMA from the University of North Texas and is a Yamaha Artist. REVIEWS BELIEVE YOUR EARS: LIFE OF A LYRIC COMPOSER. Kirke Mechem. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. 199 pp. I n Believe Your Ears: Life of a Lyric Composer, American choral and opera composer and Sigma Alpha Iota National Arts Associate Kirke Mechem discusses the state of classical music from World War II through the present day. Primarily, he addresses the conflict between tonality (his preferred method for composition) and the atonal/dissonant music developed by Schoenberg and popular in academic circles. e topic is presented through the lens of Mechem's background as a composer. It takes the reader through his unorthodox path to becoming a musician, his early experiences with teaching and composition, and his success and frustrations as a composer and producer of opera. e book also contains appendices that include previous writings (the role of text and music in a vocal work; creating a libretto from historical/biographical information) to elaborate on topics raised in the rest of the book. For those unfamiliar with Mechem, Believe Your Ears is a superb introduction to the composer and his work. e author has an engaging "voice" and is honest in both his successes and his missteps while negotiating the world of classical music. e narrative draws the reader in and makes a compelling argument in favor of the relevance of traditional tonality. However, the strength of this autobiography is not its ability to convince opponents to change their opinions; passionate advocates of 12-tone music/atonality will probably not be swayed. Its value lies in its ability to stimulate honest discussion about the state of classical composition and its direction moving forward. Robert Bruns is a Bandmaster in the United States Army and an SAI Friend of the Arts. He received his Bachelor and Master in Music Education degrees at Ithaca College.

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