DONATIONS

---

North Georgia Winds Program Order: 

A Christmas Celebration by Alfred Reed

Repeat the Sounding Joy by Mary McDonald, orchestrated by Ed Hogan

"Hallelujah," from Suite from Messiah by Handel

Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella arr. Greg Danner

Carol of the Bells by Mykola Leontovych, arr. Thomas Graf

Yuletide Flourish by R. Alan Carter

Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson

__________________________________________________

On the Podium for The North Georgia Winds 

Matthew Fuller, Conductor of NGW

Dion Muldrow, Associate Conductor of NGW

__________________________________________________

Program Notes

A Christmas Celebration by Alfred Reed

This festive Christmas medley includes Good King Wenceslas; It Came upon the Midnight Clear; Joy to the World; Deck the Hall; Angels We Have Heard on High; The First Noel; Silent Night; Fanfare and Processional; and O Come, All Ye Faithful.

- Program note from publisher

Repeat the Sounding Joy by Mary McDonald, orchestrated by Ed Hogan

Every Christmas, we celebrate the birth of a Child. With this breathtaking work, legendary composer. Mary McDonald invites us to truly remember what is at the heart of Christmas: this Child, this King, this Savior who was sent to earth to redeem the world. THIS is Christmas. In this cantata, Mary tells the story of Christmas through familiar carols, inspired original melodies, and thoughtful narration. Enhanced with an optional orchestration by Ed Hogan, the work, available for SATB and SAB choirs, may also be accompanied by piano only. 

- Program note from publisher

"Hallelujah," from Suite from Messiah by Handel

Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

Handel's reputation in England, where he had lived since 1712, had been established through his compositions of Italian opera. He turned to English oratorio in the 1730s in response to changes in public taste; Messiah was his sixth work in this genre. Although its structure resembles that of opera, it is not in dramatic form; there are no impersonations of characters and no direct speech. Instead, Jennens's text is an extended reflection on Jesus Christ as Messiah. The text begins in Part I with prophecies by Isaiah and others, and moves to the annunciation to the shepherds, the only "scene" taken from the Gospels. In Part II, Handel concentrates on the Passion and ends with the "Hallelujah" chorus. In Part III he covers the resurrection of the dead and Christ's glorification in heaven.

Handel wrote Messiah for modest vocal and instrumental forces, with optional settings for many of the individual numbers. In the years after his death, the work was adapted for performance on a much larger scale, with giant orchestras and choirs. In other efforts to update it, its orchestration was revised and amplified by (among others) Mozart. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the trend has been towards reproducing a greater fidelity to Handel's original intentions, although "big Messiah" productions continue to be mounted.

-Program notes by publisher

Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella arr. Greg Danner

An expressive and lyrical setting of the traditional French carol, scored to explore various dierent tonal combinations but with an eye to playability. This is the perfect change-of-pace selection for a holiday concert.

Carol of the Bells by Mykola Leontovych, arr. Thomas Graf

Yuletide Flourish by R. Alan Carter

As the title suggests, Yuletide Flourish is a whirlwind of well-known carols. Fanfares and soaring melodies propel this work to its climactic rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Ode to Joy”.

- Program note from publisher

Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson

Sleigh Ride first popped into Anderson’s head during a heat wave while he was living in Woodbury, Connecticut in the summer of 1946. From the germ of an idea that began with the middle section, it became a fully-fledged orchestral piece, completed on February 10, 1948, by which time Anderson and his wife and daughter were living in Brooklyn. It was premiered by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops on May 4 of that year, and was published in both orchestral and wind band arrangements by year’s end. Lyrics were added by Mitchell Parish in 1950. Sleigh Ride has since become a ubiquitous holiday season classic, and it has been reinterpreted by artists from Johnny Mathis to Ella Fitzgerald to Gwen Stefani, not to mention every high school trumpeter who aspires to sound like a horse.

- Program notes by publisher