NYSB EASTER FESTIVAL 2021
By Marcus Venables
APRIL 4 , 2021 – As Easter approached this year , the reality set in that normal worship gatherings and celebrations would once again be limited to restriction and precaution . Over the last few months , the New York Staff Band have been able to produce pre-recorded concerts that have been a wonderful ministry and have provided a time of praise .
The concert began with See , What a Morning by Dorothy Gates , a Celtic-style selection using the song by Stuart Townend of the same name . This was followed by Easter Festival Prelude by Kenneth Downie and Courageous by Kevin Norbury . These pieces are all published in the American Band Journal . Even though they are scored for a smaller ensemble , these performances prove how valuable the ABJ publication is to the brass band world .
The concert included two soloists that are younger members of the band . Anthony Barrington , who graduates from the worldfamous Juilliard this year , played the cornet solo Before the Cross by Edward Gregson . Originally a songster selection published in the Musical Salvationist in 1965 , Gregson ’ s reworked cornet solo has become one of the most beautiful additions to the solo repertoire in recent years . Anthony did a magnificent job . Mackenzie Dalrymple performed Nothing But Thy Blood , arranged for horn solo by Harold Burgmayer . This sensitive treatment was a welcome addition to the contrasting program and Mackenzie displayed expert phrasing to complement the well-known lyrics from Richard Slater and Donna Peterson .
The oldest and most famous work on the program was the Easter classic from Dean Goffin , The Road to Emmaus . From the opening motif to the final notes , this selection depicts the disciples ’ reactions to the heart-stirring events of those days that followed the Resurrection .
The concert also featured three world premieres . Under Bandmaster Derek Lance ’ s leadership , the band has held three composer competitions and continues to commission and program new music from writers around the world . I was thrilled when my new work , The Conqueror , was the winner of the 2020 composer contest . The piece is built on the hymn Thine is the Glory using the familiar tune Maccabeus . While the piece never presents the tune in its full form , all the musical motifs and over-arching story of the music is derived from the tune and lyrics . In short , the message conveyed throughout the piece is that in God ’ s plan , the death of Jesus on the cross provides salvation to all who believe . He was indeed the conqueror . He was and is the conqueror of sin . Special thanks to the NYSB for the thrilling performance of my piece and for the way they continue to support composers . The second world premiere in the program came from composing veteran , Kevin Norbury . Brass band audiences will be very familiar with some of his earlier works . Fantasia on an Old Dutch Hymn Tune is his latest composition that draws similarities to some of his other works but also showcases new composing techniques and harmonies . In the finale section , Norbury ’ s fragmentation of the tune ( Dutch Carol
THE SALVATION ARMY USA EAST SUMMER 2021 NYSB BULLETIN ‡ 5