From the Midwest to Midtown: The Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Bands and the Edmond North High School Band in Review
Bob Rogers Travel presents The Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Bands (MI) and the Edmond North High School Band (OK)
David Leach, conductor; Brian Cook, conductor
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
April 28, 2016
We have often heard that the state of school music programs throughout the nation is in a sad state of affairs. Budget cuts, fewer students participating, and the shifting focus of schools on test scores are among the many reasons given. Evidently, the music programs in Ann Arbor Pioneer High School and Edmond North High School did not get the memo. These schools were on hand at Carnegie Hall on April 28, 2016 to showcase their talents, the Edmund North High School with their band led by Brian Cook, and the Ann Arbor Pioneer High School with three bands – the Wind Ensemble, the Concert Band, and the Symphony Band – all led by David A. Leach. Both schools sport impressive lists of awards and credentials. Mr. Leach and Mr. Cook are to be congratulated for their building of these school’s music programs into what they are today.
I have written often that I am a big fan of “band” music, and especially the younger players, so I was looking forward to this concert. Lest anyone think that this eternal band geek gives automatic raves, they should consider that I know all the tricks of the trade, that I cannot be fooled or dazzled by effects. Further, my expectations are higher for this very reason.
If I did not know any better, I would think that my earlier reviews of band concerts had been studied. Every one of my suggestions/gripes was accounted for:
- Balanced instrumentation- i.e. no instrument(s) over-represented in proportion to others – check
- Single stage seating set-up for all groups instead of shifting chairs after each group – check
- Seating plan that is correct for the hall acoustic – check
- Tuning including concert pitch B-flat for brass instruments – check
Of course, as much as I would like to take credit for all this, it is all in the playbook of the top-drawer directors that Mr. Leach and Mr. Cook are.
The members of the Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Wind Ensemble took to the stage to open the night. I watched the young players heading toward their seats, filing past a small metal trashcan festooned with stickers. I was wondering if there was some symbolic meaning to this, but that I figured would be cleared up at some point in the evening. They offered a single work, Paul Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, as transcribed by Hindemith’s Yale colleague, Keith Wilson. Arguably Hindemith’s most popular work, it is a challenge even for the most polished ensembles. The Wind Ensemble played with poise and confidence beyond their years. Other than a few issues, such as a tendency to push/pull in parts, and some very minor intonation problems in some of the more exposed sections, it was a fine start to the evening.
The Pioneer Concert Band was next, and they offered three works. John Mackey’s Xerxes was the first, a five-and-a-half minute march that paints a fine picture of the ruler’s less than stellar qualities. It is angry and nasty, as the program notes state, roaring throughout like a juggernaut – let one remember that Xerxes burnt Athens to the ground. It is an ingenious work (which one could say of almost everything that John Mackey writes) that was played to the hilt! Introduction and Fantasia, by Rex Mitchell followed, a chance for the players to show their skill in playing lush melodic material, with some spirited passagework interwoven throughout. It can be difficult to reign in the adrenaline, especially after the turbocharged testosterone of Xerxes, but it was accomplished with apparent ease. After this, it was time to fire up the engines again. The final work, Samuel R. Hazo’s Ride, is a musical “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride,” inspired by Mr. Hazo’s hair-raising attempt to follow his mentor and colleague, the legendary Jack Stamp, to Mr. Stamp’s home via some country roads. Mr. Stamp likes to drive fast! It was a thrilling ride for the listener and a fine end to the first half.
After intermission, the Edmond North High School Band took the stage. Their first work, Abram’s Pursuit, by David Holsinger, was led by associate conductor Mitch Hebert. Abram, is of course, Abraham, who the program notes state was “(the) father of the Jewish nation, and a very close friend of God.” With such a close friend, it was no wonder that Abram was able to arm 318 servants to go liberate his kidnapped son Lot, and go Old Testament on a group of baddies including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah (and that before his good friend took care of business once and for all). The work lived up to the story line, and the playing was equal to the task as well.
Brian Cook took the podium for October, an early work of Eric Whitacre. While known primarily for his vocal works, Whitacre has written a number of pieces for band. October is lush and romantic in the style of Vaughan Williams, but unmistakably Whitacre in the tonal language. The band played with good intonation, which is vital in Whitacre’s works, given the very close harmonies he is so well-known for employing. Just a little slip here or there can ruin the entire effect of the work. There were no such issues here. Another Samuel Hazo work, Arabesque, was the final selection. Filled with the mystical sounds of Middle Eastern music, it was given a sparkling performance. The audience, including members of the Pioneer Bands that had already performed, gave them a standing ovation, a nice gesture that made quite an impression on me.
The Pioneer Symphony Band took the stage to close the concert. Beginning with Paul Dukas’ fiendishly difficult Fanfare from La Peri for brass was crisp, well balanced, and precisely articulated. I’ve heard professional musicians make a mash of this on several occasions, so I was doubly impressed by the maturity of the playing. It was to be a recurring impression, from the charm of Percy Grainger’s Molly on the Shore, to the suave sophistication of Arturo Márquez’s Danzon No. 2 (made popular by Gustavo Dudamel), to the breathtaking beauty of Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium. Without taking anything away from the preceding ensembles, this was playing that truly was a cut above, and at a level I have rarely encountered. The showstopper Asphalt Cocktail, from John Mackey, was the final work. Quoting the composer, “it aims to capture the grit and aggression that I associate with the time I lived in New York.” The Symphony Band blew the roof off the building in a “no holds barred” performance. A member of the percussion section came to the front and picked up that metal trashcan that had been sitting on stage throughout. He held it up in the air for a moment, something I first thought was some sort of inside salute, but then proceeded to smash it down on a piece of wood on the stage over and over until it was dented. I laughed out loud – it was all part of the piece! When the frenzy all ended, the audience erupted into a standing ovation, one that these young players will remember for a lifetime.
One final thought – I have written on these pages on numerous occasions that I encourage the young ensembles to “go for it,” to set aside the “play it safe” mentality that is the product of playing for festival ratings. The quest for “superior” ratings has made many performances technically polished, but with a lack of personality, a homogeneity of sound that becomes stale upon repeated hearings. I am thrilled to report that these ensembles let loose with some of the most refreshingly brash and exciting playing I have heard at this level, or any level for that matter. There was nothing “safe” about it – I wanted to shout, “This is what I’m talking about!” This alone is what took what was an excellent concert into the truly memorable. Congratulations to all!
