Richmond Community Orchestra - Indiana

Join RCO for our summer outdoor concert at Glen Miller Park’s Roosevelt Hill Bandshell
Bring your own lawn chair.
Free Admission.

Program

Malaga – Spanish March  Josef Rixner 1902-1973

Rixner was a German composer who wrote light music in the 1930s and early 1940s in Berlin. He also wrote a good bit of brass band music. This ‘Spanish’ march was written in 1938.

Frenesi  Alberto Dominguez Borras  1906-1975

Frenesi (translates to Frenzy) was originally written as a marimba solo. It was ‘covered’ by many musicians and bands over the years. Artie Shaw wanted to add strings to his band arrangements so he had William Grant Still arrange the piece for his big band. Shaw’s recording was released in December of 1940 and remained #1 on the charts for 13 weeks.

Light Cavalry Overture – Franz von Suppe 1819-1895

As is typical of von Suppe, the overture to this operetta has outlived the original stage work it was written for. First performed in 1866 this piece is probably more recognizable as music for cartoons. In fact, Walt Disney used this music in a Mickey Mouse feature “Symphony Hour.” Carl Stalling, who later worked at Warner Brothers, worked with Disney in the early years and developed a tick track system whereas the music for an animated feature is recorded first and then the animators match their drawings to the music.

1487th-The Iron Camels   Jay Conard  1958-

The 1487^th Transportation Company of the Ohio National Guard (now located in Piqua, Ohio) was formerly located in Eaton, Ohio. They are nicknamed “The Iron Camels” because in recent deployments they have transported water. In 2004-2005 the unit was deployed to Iraq as part of the continuing conflict in the region. This march was written to honor members of the unit who served. The march was first performed on May 7^th, 2006 with the Eaton Area Community Band under the direction of Gene Chatfield with several members of the unit present.

Broadway Tonight  arr. by Bruce Chase

This medley of show tunes includes:

• Everything’s Coming Up Roses from Gypsy
• Soon It’s Gonna Rain from the Fantasticks
• My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music
• Try To Remember from the Fantasticks
• People from Funny Girl
• That’s Entertainment

All but the last tune first appeared in stage musicals. Although That’s Entertainment was never in a Broadway musical, it still symbolizes the theatre and has been performed in many live shows.

Laura  David Raskin 1912-2004  arranged by Joe Lipman

This music, composed by David Raksin for the 1944 movie Laura, starred Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews. This theme is heard almost continuously throughout the picture. We are playing a version based on the 1950 version by Joe Lipman for a recording session with Charlie Parker.

The Depot Jay Conard  1958-

This is a musical tour of the Richmond Depot around 1919. After the sunrise, we hear a family “Heading for the Depot” (perhaps in their new automobile) to see their brother off on the morning train. Once “Inside the Depot” we dodge baggage carts and passengers coming and going until we see an incoming train approach the platform. There we spot the outgoing engine as “The Train Starts.” We hear the pinging of its metal skin as the steam-heat inside expands the metal. We hear some machinery screech and the steam whistle toot (flutes) as pressure builds for the “Train Heading Out.” The wheels turn faster and faster as the train leaves the station and as it moves farther away we hear the steady clacking on the tracks until it disappears. As we look around we notice a soldier saying “Farewell” to his sweetheart as they plan for the future when he returns. Our attention shifts to the sound of the “Arrival” of another train, this one carrying father after a week-long trip. When the train stops with a giant hiss of escaping steam, we see people step off the train as we “Welcome Home” father. All that’s left now is for our “Heading Home.”

Teddy Bear’s Picnic  John W. Bratton  arr. by Tad Stewart

In 1902 the craze for Teddy Bears started when President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a captive bear on a hunting trip in Mississippi. Bratton wrote this ‘two-step’ dance number in 1907. In 1932 songwriter Jimmy Kennedy wrote the lyrics that we know today. This arrangement was done by Tad Stewart of Eaton, Ohio who directs the Eaton Area Community Band.

Leroy Anderson Favorites Leroy Anderson 1908-1975  arranged by Calvin Custer

Anderson is most famous for the light classical pieces he wrote for the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler. He studied Scandinavian languages at Harvard and worked as a linguist during WWII. His first ‘hit’, The Syncopated Clock, was written while assigned to the Pentagon after the war. This medley contains: Blue Tango, Belle of the Ball, The Syncopated Clock, and Serenata.

Pennywhistle Jig  Henry Mancini  1924-1994

Mancini wrote this piece for the 1970 movie The Molly McGuires. This great Irish tune is played today by Sandi Cox on the piccolo.

American Frontier by Calvin Custer

This medley of American tunes includes: The Girl I Left Behind, an old Irish tune used by the British and U.S. military. It is still played at West Point during final formations at graduation; Chester, a New England hymn-tune by William Billings written around the time of the Revolutionary War;  Oh Susanna by Stephen Foster;   Shenandoah, a tune used on sailing ships and ends with a stirring version of America, the Beautiful.

RCO Musicians