Program for February 12, 2017 First Baptist Church
Videorecording of this concert
Barnum and Bailey's Favorite (1913)............................................................... Karl L. King (1891–1971)
In his early life, Karl King became a specialist in circus bands, having played euphonium in many of them (including Barnum and Bailey's) for more than a decade. Although he was a native Ohioan, he settled in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, where he conducted the Ft. Dodge Municipal Band for fifty-one years. Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite became his most famous march, and it has been called the “national anthem of the circus.”
The Circus Band (1922).................................................................................... Charles Ives (1874–1954)
From the pen of an American modernist, Circus Band was #56 of a set of 114 songs. The lyrics are as follows:
All summer long we boys dreamed ’bout big circus joys!
Down Main Street comes the band, Oh! Ain’t it a grand and a glorious noise!
Horses are prancing, knights advancing, helmets gleaming, pennants streaming
Cleopatra’s on her throne! That golden hair is all her own.
Where is the lady all in pink? Last year she winked at me, I think.
Can she have died? Can! That! Rot! She is passing but she sees me not.
Kentucky Sunrise (1919).................................................................................... Karl L. King (1891–1971)
The dedication on the score reads, “To my friend Rhoda Royal.” Royal was a circus professional of the day, and a horse trainer who at one time managed a horse also named Rhoda Royal. In fact, the official Karl King website indicates that Kentucky Sunrise was “Dedicated to Rhoda Royal, horse trainer (named for show horse in B&B Circus).” It is not clear from that whether the dedication is for the man or the horse! In any event, the selection is a ragtime march (a two-step) that was at first used by circus bands for equestrian acts and later was applied to the high wire act.
Send in the Clowns (1973)............................................................................... Stephen Sondheim (1930)
arr. Frank D. Cofield
This ballad from Act II of the musical A Little Night Music reflects on ironies and disappointments faced by the character Desirée. It refers to the jokesters who come onstage if a theatrical show isn’t going well.
Thunder and Blazes (1897)............................................................................... Julius Fučík (1872–1916)
Fučík was a Czech composer and bandmaster. His original title was "Grande Marche Chromatique," descriptive of the use of chromatic scales throughout the piece, but he changed it to “Entrance of the Gladiators” due his interest in the Roman Empire. In 1910 Canadian composer Louis-Philippe Laurendeau arranged the work for a small band under the title "Thunder and Blazes," and sold this version throughout North America. The song gained popularity to introduce the clown act.
Baby Elephant Walk (1961).......................................................................... Henry Mancini (1924–1994)
arr. Johnnie Vinson
From the movie “Hatari,” this catchy composition with its goofy tune earned a Grammy for “Best Instrumental Arrangement.”
Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves) (ca. 1888)............................................. Juventino Rosas (1868–1894)
arr. L. P. Laurendeau
Juventino Rosas was a Mexican violinist, and a list of his compositions includes dances in various styles. His Sobra las Olas evokes the waltzes of Johann Strauss, Jr., and it was played by circus bands during the trapeze act.
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)............................................................... Victor Young (1900–1956)
arr. Paul Yoder
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille; starring Charlton Heston, Dorothy Lamour, Jimmy Stewart, and the famous clown Emmett Kelly; the Paramount production The Greatest Show on Earth was a pseudo-documentary of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. The story depicted incidents in the lives of several crewmembers and performers. Paul Yoder's arrangement of the main title from the soundtrack is cheery and engaging.
Clownette (1926)............................................................................................ Harry L. Alford (1875–1939)
As a youth and young adult, Michigan native Harry LaForrest Alford performed as a trombonist and church organist before settling in Chicago to head a studio that crafted custom music arrangements, an unheard-of career in that day. He counted among his friends John Philip Sousa and Barnum and Bailey bandmaster Merle Evans. His novelty, Clownette, was written for Evans, and it was used in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus during the clown car act.
Bombasto (1895).............................................................................................. O. R. Farrar (1866–1929?)
Born in Indianapolis and raised in Ohio, Orion R. Farrar was a cornet player and bandleader in Indiana and northern Ohio. He dedicated Bombasto to the 7th Ward Military Band, Omaha, Nebraska.
Sabre Dance (1942).................................................................................. Aram Katchaturian (1903–1978)
From the final act of the ballet Gayanne, this dance has been called a signature piece of the twentieth century. It has been used extensively by figure skaters, has been covered by numerous artists, and can be heard in films, TV shows, commercials, and video games. The lyric middle section is based on an Armenian folk song.
In his early life, Karl King became a specialist in circus bands, having played euphonium in many of them (including Barnum and Bailey's) for more than a decade. Although he was a native Ohioan, he settled in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, where he conducted the Ft. Dodge Municipal Band for fifty-one years. Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite became his most famous march, and it has been called the “national anthem of the circus.”
The Circus Band (1922).................................................................................... Charles Ives (1874–1954)
From the pen of an American modernist, Circus Band was #56 of a set of 114 songs. The lyrics are as follows:
All summer long we boys dreamed ’bout big circus joys!
Down Main Street comes the band, Oh! Ain’t it a grand and a glorious noise!
Horses are prancing, knights advancing, helmets gleaming, pennants streaming
Cleopatra’s on her throne! That golden hair is all her own.
Where is the lady all in pink? Last year she winked at me, I think.
Can she have died? Can! That! Rot! She is passing but she sees me not.
Kentucky Sunrise (1919).................................................................................... Karl L. King (1891–1971)
The dedication on the score reads, “To my friend Rhoda Royal.” Royal was a circus professional of the day, and a horse trainer who at one time managed a horse also named Rhoda Royal. In fact, the official Karl King website indicates that Kentucky Sunrise was “Dedicated to Rhoda Royal, horse trainer (named for show horse in B&B Circus).” It is not clear from that whether the dedication is for the man or the horse! In any event, the selection is a ragtime march (a two-step) that was at first used by circus bands for equestrian acts and later was applied to the high wire act.
Send in the Clowns (1973)............................................................................... Stephen Sondheim (1930)
arr. Frank D. Cofield
This ballad from Act II of the musical A Little Night Music reflects on ironies and disappointments faced by the character Desirée. It refers to the jokesters who come onstage if a theatrical show isn’t going well.
Thunder and Blazes (1897)............................................................................... Julius Fučík (1872–1916)
Fučík was a Czech composer and bandmaster. His original title was "Grande Marche Chromatique," descriptive of the use of chromatic scales throughout the piece, but he changed it to “Entrance of the Gladiators” due his interest in the Roman Empire. In 1910 Canadian composer Louis-Philippe Laurendeau arranged the work for a small band under the title "Thunder and Blazes," and sold this version throughout North America. The song gained popularity to introduce the clown act.
Baby Elephant Walk (1961).......................................................................... Henry Mancini (1924–1994)
arr. Johnnie Vinson
From the movie “Hatari,” this catchy composition with its goofy tune earned a Grammy for “Best Instrumental Arrangement.”
Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves) (ca. 1888)............................................. Juventino Rosas (1868–1894)
arr. L. P. Laurendeau
Juventino Rosas was a Mexican violinist, and a list of his compositions includes dances in various styles. His Sobra las Olas evokes the waltzes of Johann Strauss, Jr., and it was played by circus bands during the trapeze act.
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)............................................................... Victor Young (1900–1956)
arr. Paul Yoder
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille; starring Charlton Heston, Dorothy Lamour, Jimmy Stewart, and the famous clown Emmett Kelly; the Paramount production The Greatest Show on Earth was a pseudo-documentary of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. The story depicted incidents in the lives of several crewmembers and performers. Paul Yoder's arrangement of the main title from the soundtrack is cheery and engaging.
Clownette (1926)............................................................................................ Harry L. Alford (1875–1939)
As a youth and young adult, Michigan native Harry LaForrest Alford performed as a trombonist and church organist before settling in Chicago to head a studio that crafted custom music arrangements, an unheard-of career in that day. He counted among his friends John Philip Sousa and Barnum and Bailey bandmaster Merle Evans. His novelty, Clownette, was written for Evans, and it was used in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus during the clown car act.
Bombasto (1895).............................................................................................. O. R. Farrar (1866–1929?)
Born in Indianapolis and raised in Ohio, Orion R. Farrar was a cornet player and bandleader in Indiana and northern Ohio. He dedicated Bombasto to the 7th Ward Military Band, Omaha, Nebraska.
Sabre Dance (1942).................................................................................. Aram Katchaturian (1903–1978)
From the final act of the ballet Gayanne, this dance has been called a signature piece of the twentieth century. It has been used extensively by figure skaters, has been covered by numerous artists, and can be heard in films, TV shows, commercials, and video games. The lyric middle section is based on an Armenian folk song.
