Lohengrin tells the story of a legendary knight of the holy grail, and his love for the noblewoman Elsa, whom he saves from an unjust accusation of murder. Having defeated her accuser in combat, the mysterious knight asks for her hand in marriage. Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral represents the duchess travelling through the crowded courtyard toward the altar, filled with joy at her impending marriage to a heroic knight.

Wagner admonished performers of this excerpt to make the music flowing and beautiful, rather than a rigid martial tune:

“Elsa must—on the high ground before the palace—actually come to a stop. She is moved and affected, as if over­come by bliss. Only after 8 mea­sures does she once more pro­ceed very slowly toward the cathe­dral, some­times, paus­ing, cor­dially and naively acknowl­edg­ing greet­ings. Not only does it take shape this way, but it actu­ally becomes what I intended it to be; namely, no march-like pro­ces­sion, but the infi­nitely sig­nif­i­cant advance of Elsa to the altar.”

Perhaps the most famous tune from Lohengrin is actually played after Elsa’s marriage. Wagner composed a bridal chorus known universally (and incorrectly) today as “Here Comes the Bride”. Elsa’s Procession, however, has become a staple of concert band and brass band repertoire, and stands as a moving example of 19th century romanticism.

About the Author

Paul St.Amand plays flugelhorn with the Chester Brass Band, and is the website administrator for ChesterBrass.com.

The brass band arrangement by Ray Farr opens with a manic overture, hinting at the diverse melodies to come. Listeners are then swept into the first major set-piece of the film, a frantic chase through the streets of Shanghai. As Indy and his friends make their escape, the score relaxes into the first full statement of the famous theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

As the action moves to India, Williams introduces the major melodic theme of Temple of Doom, a grand march evoking a trek to faraway lands. The theme features prominently during Indy’s journey through the Himalayas. The lumbering bass line suggests the plodding of elephants, while the cornets soar overhead like the peaks of mountains.

The suite next features a sweeping love theme for Willie (Indy’s love interest). As the romantic tune resolves, the middle-register horns return to the famous Raiders March, which builds to a stirring reprise as the whole band takes up the theme.

A note about that famous Raiders melody: While working on Raiders of the Lost Ark, Williams presented Steven Spielberg with two possible heroic melodies for use as the Indy’s theme. He couldn’t decide between them, and asked the director to choose. Spielberg suggested using both, so one melody became the ‘bridge’ section. If you hum the complete theme to Raiders of the Lost Ark, you’ll actually move through both of the melodies Williams proposed.

About the Author

Paul St.Amand plays flugelhorn with the Chester Brass Band, and is the website administrator for ChesterBrass.com.

Written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince, Bugle Boy tells the story of a Chicago musician drafted into the U.S. Army. With nothing to play but standard military bugle calls, he grows depressed. Then his commanding officer finds more musicians and assembles a band. Finally the bugler can play with real gusto, infusing military marches with boogie-woogie rhythms that make the whole company (‘Company B’, incidentally) want to dance.

The arrangement of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy performed by Chester Brass certainly lives up to its name. The tubas lay down a swinging bass line, while the trombones and low horns punctuate the melody with syncopated shots. As you’d expect, the cornets feature prominently, but the famous melody is actually passed around between sections. The euphoniums, baritones, flugelhorn, and tenor horns all take a turn through the legendary tune.

In 2001, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy ranked 6th on a Recording Industry Association of America poll of “Songs of the Century”. In addition to the famous Andrews Sisters version, it has been covered by dozens of artists. The Chester Brass Band is proud to present this iconic tune during our summer concert series. Hear it live at our next concert.

About the Author

Paul St.Amand plays flugelhorn with the Chester Brass Band, and is the website administrator for ChesterBrass.com.

Many composers have adapted the chant for different musical ensembles. The American composer Morten Lauridsen, who was composer-in-residence for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, reimagined O Magnum Mysterium as an a capella motet in 1994. This work was later arranged for brass band by Phillip Littlemore.

The dominant voices in O Magnum Mysterium are the haunting middle-register instruments of the brass band. The euphoniums, baritones, E-flat horns, and flugelhorn exchange melodic and harmonic lines, creating lush and resonant chords. Though it contains no fast or technically demanding passages, the piece is nonetheless very challenging to perform; players must carefully control their volume and listen attentively to the band as a whole. Playing out of tune is not an option!

To hear the Chester Brass Band perform O Magnum Mysterium, attend our next concert!

About the Author

Paul St.Amand plays flugelhorn with the Chester Brass Band, and is the website administrator for ChesterBrass.com.

Photo courtesy of Kathy MacCulloch, Photographer.

Commander George Morrison was born in Toronto, Ontario, where he studied trumpet and piano before joining the Royal Canadian Navy as a Musician. In 1965 Commander Morrison attended the Royal Canadian Navy School of Music where he studied to become a director of Music. After his promotion to commissioned rank, he served as a training officer at the Canadian Forces  School of Music in Victoria, British    Columbia, as the Director of Music of the Stadacona Band of Maritime Command, as Assistant Supervisor of Music at National Defense Headquarters in Ottawa, and from 1984 until retirement in 1990, as Supervisor of Music for the Canadian Forces. He then served as the Atlantic Region Cadet Music Training Officer,   responsible for cadet music in the four Atlantic Provinces until August of 2001.

During his career, Commander Morrison performed with many bands and orchestras, such as the Bolshoi Ballet, when it appeared in Wolfville, and other notable artists, including Bobby Vinton and Ann Murray. He has conducted with the Nova Scotia Tattoo, the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble, the National Film Board of Canada, the Stadacona Band of Maritime Command and many other Wind ensembles in Canada and abroad.

Commander Morrison, a graduate of Dalhousie University, has adjudicated at a number of music festivals in Canada and has conducted band and brass clinics throughout Nova Scotia. He continues to conduct and play in orchestras and ensembles in support of community endeavors.

David Ter Telgte | Principal Cornet

Bio and photo coming soon.

Barry Banks | Solo Cornet

Barry is a resident of HRM who had his first music lesson on the cornet when he was 7 years old. Throughout the years he has continued to be a student of this instrument dedicated to excellence, learning and simply enjoying the joy of making music. He has played in a number of brass groups throughout the years and currently is a member of two: Brass Impact and since January 2011, Chester Brass.

Barry is Spiritual Care Clinician who works in Capital Health’s Mental Health Program, is an adjunct professor with the Atlantic School of Theology and has a private psychotherapy practice in HRM.