Presents
The World Premiere of

Stand: A Symphony for Jazz Orchestra

featuring

The United States Marine Corps
Silent Drill Platoon

from Marine Barracks, Washington, DC

and

Marine Color Guard & Firing Detail

from The 6th Communications Battalion, Brooklyn, NY

September 10, 2011, 2:00pm

Memorial Park, Nyack, NY

The program began with Ms. Haley Swindal singing our National Anthem,The Star Spangled Banner in front of a Marine Color Guard from the 6th Communications Battalion.  This was followed by two other pieces of mine I thought appropriate for the occasion entitled Elegia and Remembrance.

Functioning also as Mistress of Ceremonies, Ms. Swindal began with some opening remarks, including introducing Ms. Harriet Cornell, the Chairperson of The Rockland County Legislature.  Ms. Cornell presented me with a legislative proclamation in honor of Stand.  Its text will be posted in due time.

Following this, I said a few words, introduced the members of the orchestra and read the official introduction of The Silent Drill Platoon.  Haley then read three excerpts rom Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, which I chose for their particularly accurate reflection of my sentiments before beginning the premiere performance of Stand.  The videos of the first segment of the concert will be uploaded following distribution of those included here for a number of business purposes.

Please download the concert program in the right margin and try to watch contiguously at least once so as to gather the full intent and effect of the work.    My thanks to all involved in this endeavor.   ~AB

Band Personnel, L to R (*section leader, +auxiliary player):
Reeds: Tim Armacost, Matt Hong, *Dave Pietro,  Ralph Lalama, Ed Xiques
Trumpets: +Tony Kadleck, Tatum Greenblatt,  *Jon Owens, Evan Barker, Jami Dauber
Trombones: Mike Christianson, *Mark Patterson,  Jason Miller, George Flynn
French horn: Theresa MacDonnell
Rhythm: Kenny Wessell, guitar; *Ray Marchica, drums; Jim Ridl, piano; +Lee Finkelstein, percussion
Vocalists: Holly Durniak Castle, Lee Finkelstein, *Nina Hennessey, Louise Rogers, Nicole Pasternak, Haley Swindal, GySgt James Wallace

Stand: Movement I. The Homeland

A blues, this cyclical, American form, treated in the definitively American swing tradition, allows some of our nation’s most accomplished jazz artists to speak freely through their unique voices. Pre-dating 9/11/01, we are reminded of the security we enjoyed as a nation on 9/10/01. The melody for this blues was derived from manipulation of the melody in Movement V.

Solos: Dave Pietro, alto sax; Ed Xiques, baritone sax; Kenny Wessell, guitar; Jim Ridl, piano; Mike Christianson, trombone;
Ralph Lalama, tenor sax; Tatum Greenblatt, trumpet

*  *  *  *

Stand: Movement II. Tuesday Morning

The World Premiere of Stand: A Symphony for Jazz Orchestra, 9/10/11.
As the human heart beats in groupings of three, so begins Tuesday Morning in ¾ time. A lilting melody first representing the heartbeat of the individual at first light on a beautiful, late summer morning, it grows into the heartbeat of the city. Following improvised solos the harmony begins to shift. Unsuspecting, we feel an undercurrent of threat evocative of airplane engines in the trombones. The two impacts upon The Twin Towers are depicted in the rhythm section. Chaos ensues. In the wake of this horror, a momentary, emotional paralysis followed by the solo soprano saxophone of Dave Pietro playing Amazing Grace over twenty-one occurrences of dark, biting harmonic underpinnings, tolling the magnitude of the day’s loss of life.

Solos: Matt Hong, alto sax; Tatum Greenblatt, trumpet;
Dave Pietro, soprano sax

*  *  *  *

Stand: Movement III. Benumbed

The World Premiere of Stand: A Symphony for Jazz Orchestra, 9/10/11.
Benumbed opens with improvisations painting an expression of pain. Taking liberties by elongating and breaking up its phrases, it sets the melody of a Victorian-Era hymn against a harmonic backdrop wavering between grief, confusion and glimmers of fond reflection, expressing a broad spectrum of human emotions we were forced to assimilate.
Familiar to many as the US Navy Hymn honoring the fallen, Eternal Father Strong To Save serves to depict a combination of honor and personal grief.

Solos: Jim Ridl, piano; Kenny Wessel, guitar; Mark Patterson, trombone; Theresa MacDonnell, French horn

*  *  *  *

Stand: Movement IV. Valor

The World Premiere of Stand: A Symphony for Jazz Orchestra, 9/10/11.
Valor begins with a firing detail of seven Marines firing three volleys (shots) followed by two versions of Taps flanking the performance of The Silent Drill Platoon. Taps is first performed as a stark trumpet solo by Tony Kadleck, as per traditional military funeral honors. An orchestration of the familiar bugle call follows The Silent Drill Platoon’s performance. In its reprise, lush harmonies transfigure grief to strength as it now functions as a lullaby sounding the end of a day’s work; putting our loved ones and our grief to rest, making it possible to forge ahead, smile again and to Stand strong.

This melody was composed during the remarkable window of time immediately following September 11, 2001, when New Yorkers and all Americans joined together as one people. My intention in composing this piece is to invite and inspire you, the audience, to reflect, heal and Standtogether, united as one; to view each others’ perspectives as valid and to honor the diversity that makes us who we are.

The United States Marine Corps
6th Communications Battalion
Firing Detail
SSgt William M. Redmon, Commander

Solo Trumpet: Tony Kadleck

The United States Marine Corps
Silent Drill Platoon
Cpl. Michael Hintz, Drill Master

*  *  *  *

Stand: Movement V. Stand

The World Premiere of Stand: A Symphony for Jazz Orchestra, 9/10/11.
Crafted in this segue to seemingly grow out of Taps, the melody for this finale is stated several times in the orchestration before inviting you, the audience, to sing in unison, six times with the vocalists. In unison there is strength; out of many, one; E Pluribus Unum. This melody, composed on September 17, 2001 was created without inner dialogue, complete with lyrics and title. The inspiration to incorporate The Silent Drill Platoon into the fabric of this work is a result of connections I sensed between the needs of this melody and the profound strength their performances offered me. Were it not for my discovering their videos online, this piece would not have taken on a structure akin to a symphony.

This melody was composed during the remarkable window of time immediately following September 11, 2001, when New Yorkers and all Americans joined together as one people. My intention in composing this piece is to invite and inspire you, the audience, to reflect, heal and Standtogether, united as one; to view each others’ perspectives as valid and to honor the diversity that makes us who we are.

Solos: Tim Armacost, tenor; Dave Pietro, alto
Vocalists: Holly Durniak, Lee Finkelstein, Nina Hennessey, Nicole Pasternak, Louise Rogers,
Haley Swindal, Marine Gunnery Sergeant James Wallace

 
Thanks to Betty Basnight Crowley for shooting this video on 10 SEP 2011.

A Marine recruit’s video from 10 SEP 2011, beginning in Mvmt. III through the exposition of Mvmt. V. Thanks Recruit Rick!!

The USMC Silent Drill Platoon, 2011 drill

Stand: The Concept of the Work

Stand: A Vocal Tutorial with Erik Lawrence and Anita Brown

Stand: Vocal segment with Nyack High School Band, SSgt Wallace, and Anita.

Introducing Stand to the band

 Promotional Video

This is a 30 second video, also available for radio stations in an mp3 file. If you would like a copy of this mp3 please sign the guestbook and leave your email address (not published) at http://www.standsymphony.com. [The piece in the background is Anita’s Award-Winning title, “The Lighthouse.”]

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The video above was made with permission during my research following inspiration for Stand, my Symphony for Jazz Orchestra, scheduled for completion in August 2011: Marine Barracks, Washington, DC, Silent Drill Platoon, Morning Drill Practice, August 13, 2010. The platoon executes its drill written by Corporal Robert Dominguez at 58 beats per minute on the metronome, without wavering. The voice is mine and I am holding a metronome in my left hand, camera in my right as I attempt to view with my own eyes over the camera.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I made this video as a result of a call on the “Marines” official page on Facebook for personal videos wishing The United States Marines Corps a Happy Birthday for its 235th Birthday, November 10, 2010.  The Marines page requested all videos be submitted by November 1, 2010.  Shortly thereafter I was contacted by The Marine Corps Association, who asked permission to post it on their website’s homepage, which I was honored to grant.  Happy Birthday Marine Corps!