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Welcome to the Richland County High School 2021 Winter Concert featuring the Honors Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Tri-M Chamber Ensemble, & the Marching Tigers' drumline.

At this time, we ask that you place your phone on silent mode to prevent any distractions during tonight's performance.

In an effort to "go green", allow for more content, and to cut back on the cost for Richland County High School to print programs the RCHS Bands concert program is going digital. However, we know that many families would still prefer a paper copy of the program as a memento. If you would like a paper copy of tonight's concert program please fill out the form found within the link below. A paper copy will be mailed to your house within a week. https://forms.gle/JT1y2pyLR1JwuCaa9

PROGRAM NOTES - CAROL OF THE BELLS, ARRANGED BY SEAN O'LOUGHLIN

"Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, with music by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914 and lyrics by Peter J. Wilhousky. The song is based on the Ukrainian folk chant "Shchedryk". Wilhousky's lyrics are under copyright protection (owned by Carl Fischer Music); the music is in the public domain.

The music is based on a four-note ostinato and is in 3/4 time signature. The ringer of the B-flat bell, though, feels it in 6/8 time. The carol is metrically bistable, and a listener can focus on either meter or switch between them. It has been performed in many genres: classical, metal, jazz, country music, rock, trap, and pop. The piece has also been featured in films, television shows, and parodies.

PROGRAM NOTES - A WINTER'S CAROL ARRANGED BY MARK WILLIAMS

This unique treatment of the Latin carol "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" uses the rich colors of the concert band to create an exquisite miniature tone poem. After a first atmospheric, then brooding introduction, the theme is introduced by the trombones. A very legato tonguing style is reminiscent of Gregorian Chant.

Mark Williams (1955, Chicago, Ill. - 3 January 2008, Spokane, Wash.) was an American composer and band director. Mr. Williams held the Bachelor of Arts in education and Master of Education degrees from Eastern Washington University, and served as woodwind performer and arranger for the 560th Air Force Band. He taught music in the state of Washington for many years, specializing in elementary band. One of the premier composers for school bands and orchestras, Mr. Williams was co-author of the Accent on Achievement Band Method. Mr. Williams had over 200 published works to his credit. As clinician and guest conductor, he traveled to 34 states, five Canadian provinces, and Australia. Renowned for his compositions for band, orchestra, and choir, Mr. Williams earned numerous awards including the Western International Band Clinic's Gralia Competition and several ASCAP Special Awards. In addition to his writing and travel schedule, Mark performed regularly on bassoon and served as conductor and artistic director for the Spokane British Brass Band.

PROGRAM NOTES - COURTLY AIRS AND DANCES BY RON NESLON

Courtly Airs and Dances is a suite of Renaissance dances which were characteristic to five European countries during the 1500s. Three of the dances (Basse Dance, Pavane, and Allemande) are meant to emulate the music of Claude Gervaise by drawing on the style of his music as well as the characteristics of other compositions from that period. The festival opens with a fanfare-like Intrada followed by the Basse Danse (France), Pavane (England), Saltarello (Italy), Sarabande (Spain), and Allemande (Germany).

Ron Nelson was born December 14, 1929, in Joliet, Illinois. He studied composition at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, earning a bachelor's degree in 1952, a master's degree in 1953, and a doctorate in composition in 1957. His teachers at Eastman included Louis Mennini, Bernard Rogers and Howard Hanson. In 1954–1955 he studied with Tony Aubin in France at the Ecole Normale de Musique and at the Paris Conservatory under a Fulbright Grant. In 1956, Dr. Nelson joined the faculty of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he served as chairman of the music department from 1963 to 1973, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1993.

In 1991, Dr. Nelson was awarded the Acuff Chair of Excellence in the Creative Arts, the first musician to hold the chair. His Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H) was the first piece to win all three major wind band composition prizes during one period — the National Band Association Prize, the American Bandmasters Association Ostwald Award, and the Sudler International Prize. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 1994. In 2006, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Oklahoma City University.

Nelson has received numerous commissions, including those from the National Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the USAF Band and Chorus, Musashino Wind Ensemble, Aspen Music Festival and numerous colleges and universities. He has also received grants and awards from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Howard Foundation, ASCAP, and several from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Conductor Leonard Slatkin may have described Ron Nelson best: "Nelson is the quintessential American composer. He has the ability to move between conservative and newer styles with ease. The fact that he's a little hard to categorize is what makes him interesting." (Los Angeles Daily News, February 19, 1996)

Ron Nelson resides with his wife, Michele, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

IT IS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHERE STUDENTS REGISTER FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR. IN AN EFFORT TO HELP STUDENTS NAVIGATE REGISTRATION, TRI-M HONOR MUSIC SOCIETY CREATED A 4-YEAR GUIDING DOCUMENT. WE HOPE IT MAKES YOUR LIFE EASIER!

Congratulations to those that were inducted into the Richland County High School Tri-M Honor Music Society, Chapter 8170

The members of the 2021-2022 Tri-M Honor Music Society include the following (from left to right): Mr. Weitkamp, Austin Vaughn, Evan Irvin, Rylan Criag, Emma Wells, Kyle Rennier, Kali Hinterscher, & Mr. Jones. (In the front, from left to right): Victoria Zwilling & Jozalyn Houser.

Tri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is a high school and middle school music honor society and is a program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). It is designed to recognize students for their academic and musical achievements and to provide leadership and service opportunities to young musicians. Each school has its own chapter, which is run by the student but supervised by an advisor or sponsor, usually a school teacher. There are approximately 6,200 participating chapters in several countries.

For more information pertaining to Tri-M Music Honor Society, visit https://www.rchsbands.net/tri-m-chapter-8170.html.