Concert Reports
On the night of October 14, 2007, I attended my first concert. It was held at 6 o’clock p.m. on the Bluff at Henry George Park in Fairhope, AL. The concert was sponsored by the City of Fairhope and the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation. The concert featured music from the late Classical Era, the Romantic Era and the 20th Century Era. The Pops Band performed under conductors Randy Davis and Dr. Roger Jones.
The first two selections, The Star Spangled Banner and Strike Up the Band were both played in quadruple meter. Randy Davis conducted both pieces. The Star Spangled Banner was a bold and energetic arrangement. There were very few changes in dynamics. In Strike Up the Band there was a lot of energy. The trumpets, piccolo and snare drums had solos. The tempo changed many times during the piece. It started fast and bold then it slowed slightly in the middle and the ending was the same as the beginning.
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine brought us Dr. Roger Jones as the conductor. This piece had a Turkish sound and was played in duple meter. There were piccolo and trumpet solos and an overall fast tempo.
The fourth arrangement played was, A tribute to Stephen Foster, that was played in quadruple meter. There was a trumpet, flute, horn, and drum quartette that introduced a quick tempo and a loud opening. In the middle the tempo slowed and there is a huge change in dynamics. Where the piece started loud and bold it became soft and light. This section had horn solos, flute solos, and oboe solos. A timpani roll increases the sound and leads to another oboe solo. The piece, which is a collection of many “folk songs” put together ended as it began loud and bold.
Next we heard Country Gardens which is an English Folk Song written by Percy Granger. Granger wrote the piece as a piano and oboe duet. John Philip Sousa heard it and arranged it into the military type version that was played. This was played in quadruple...
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