Gold Coast ensemble eclectic, patriotic
By Cary Ginell soundthink@aol.com

MIGHTY WIND- The Gold Coast Wind Ensemble performs a diverse program with an American theme in a recent concert at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Scherr Forum.

In a program that could have easily been presented on the Fourth of July, the Gold Coast Wind Ensemble performed an eclectic mix of works that was decidedly American in nature, even if some of the composers were not from this country.

Since Gold Coast's inception in 1991, ensemble director Clinton Dawley has strived to walk a fine line between playing up to his musicians' capabilities while programming entertaining, accessible material. He's very good at it, as last Sunday's concert at the Civic Arts Plaza's Scherr Forum Theatre proved.

The concert began with the "March and Procession of Bacchus" from the ballet "Sylvia" by French composer Leo Delibes. This is the final movement of the ballet, a rousing bacchanalian march featuring satyrs, flowerbearing maidens and half-drunken fauns.

Following this was an original work by Gold Coast's veteran principal trumpet, Theodore Richey. "Nat King Cole" is a musical homage to the late popular singer (19191965) featuring arrangements of his most familiar hits. Most tributes of this sort focus on songwriters or composers instead of performers, a testament to Cole, a remarkably singular vocal stylist. Cole's fame was such that it overwhelmed his prodigious talents as a jazz pianist.

Richey's elegant chart reflected a variety of moods. The ensemble turned into a big band for "Straighten Up & Fly Right" and "Route 66" while "Unforgettable" took on a decidedly Latin flavor. The enchanting "Nature Boy" showcased flutist Mary Predmore.

Associate conductor Michael Doty then led the group in the undeservedly obscure "Black Horse Troop March" by John Philip Sousa. Sousa's talents as a composer of marches have been unfairly obscured by the fame of a certain piece associated with the Fourth of July. "Black Horse Troop" (named in honor of a mounted National Guard unit) is one of Sousa's later works, premiered in Cleveland in 1925. In attendance that day was an 11year-old Frederick Fennell. Fennell, the longtime director of the Eastman Wind Ensemble, edited this marvelous version of the march.

The first half concluded with four English dances by Malcolm Arnold, each bringing to mind a different mood: the first, a lilting andantino; the second, effervescent and bubbly; the third, moody; and the finale, perky and quirky.

Other than Aaron Copland, no composer defines Americanism more than George Gershwin. Whereas Copland borrowed frequently from folk music sources, Gershwin plunged into jazz with both feet in the 1920s, scoring Broadway shows and infusing his classical works with jazz rhythms and sequences. "Strike Up the Band" was one of many songs that survived failed musicals and is today one of his most popular numbers. The ensemble performed a lively version arranged by Warren Barker.

Clinton Dawley described the next piece, an overture simply titled "Slava!" as "Bernstein does Vaudeville." The circuslike work was written by Leonard Bernstein at the behest of cellist Mstislav Rostropovich upon the latter's debut as director of the National Symphony Orchestra in 1977.

"Slava!" (Rostropovich's nickname) reflects the Russian cellist's pixiesh personality. To paint a portrait of the work in words, imagine the portly, formally dressed Rostropovich walking a tightrope while holding an umbrella, and you're almost there. It was as fun to listen to as I'm sure it was to play.

The finale was the threemovement "New England Triptych," adapted for concert band by American composer William Schuman and based on themes by William Billings, who lived during the American Revolution. Although each movement stands on its own, when played in succession, they reflect three stages of the Revolutionary War: the gathering storm, a lament for those killed in battle, and finally, triumph.

The melody of the final movement was "Chester," a hymn that was adopted by American troops as a marching song. "Chester" was an important piece in that it reflected what America was all about: pride without arrogance, and victory with humility. Schuman's arrangement led the song from its stately anthem-like melody into a frantic, syncopated conclusion, ending this extremely satisfying concert.