“Seventy minutes of wind-band music includes the album’s title piece, Wine Dark Sea by John Mackey…attractive, whimsical, soulful, filmic.… Dan Welcher’s Spumante…is an ebullient starter with enticing colours and a ready wit. J’ai été au bal finds Donald Grantham exploring Cajun music, the dance music delightfully lopsided and friendly, a tuba and a euphonium are given a jazzy workout before the brass contingent beefs things up and the music becomes fantastical. The Concerto for Clarinet…
Wine Dark Sea Jerry Junkin, conductor The University of Texas Wind Ensemble Nathan Williams The University of Texas Wind Ensemble has firmly established itself as one of America’s elite wind bands Active in the area of commissioning new music since 1988, the group has offered world premiere performances of works by many composers including John Corigliano, Michael Daugherty, Donald Grantham, David Maslanka, and Dan Welcher. One of the guiding principles of the ensemble is contact…
Composer Dan Welcher discusses the events that surrounded the writing of his work Spumante recorded by Jerry Junkin and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble’s upcoming release Wine Dark Sea: “Like the Italian sparkling wine for which it is named, Spumante is designed for a celebration. It celebrates the opening of the 1998 season of the Boston Pops, and it also celebrates my own fiftieth year of life with a nostalgic look backward at a…