One Fair Summer Eve for Concert Band – David Evan Thomas

Commissioned by The Minnesota State Band
Premiere—November 4, 2018 by The Minnesota State Band, Keith Liuzzi, Director

Instrumentation

Piccolo,
 Flutes 1 and 2,
 Oboe, 
English horn, Clarinets 1, 2, 3 in B-flat, Bass clarinet, Alto saxophone, Tenor saxophone, Baritone saxophone, Bassoon
Trumpets 1, 2, 3 in B-flat, Horns 1 and 2, Trombones 1 and 2, Bass trombone, Tuba
Timpani: 32″ 29″ 26″ 23″ Percussion (4 players) Tam-tam (opt.) Anvil, Suspended cymbal, Crash cymbal, Triangle, Vibra Slap, Bass drum, Low Tom-tom, Snare drum, Tambourine, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Chimes

Program note

Pronto!
Carousel
Princess Kay of the Milky Way
On Machinery Hill

To celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Minnesota State Band, what could be more appropriate than a visit to the Minnesota State Fair, “The Great Minnesota Get-Together”? Each movement of One Fair Summer Eve explores a different aspect of the Fair: its cuisine, its amusements, its ideals, even the real estate itself.

“Pronto!” needs no explanation, just a ready appetite. “Carousel” goes nowhere in particular in the most pleasant fashion, beginning with bobbing horses and adding riders as it waltzes around. Imagine the oboe plucking the brass ring. “Princess Kay of the Milky Way” is sculpted in buttery legato, yielding a three-dimensional vision of substance and beauty. “On Machinery Hill” presents an array of imaginary machines: The Perforator; The Flex-o-lator; The Twitterer; The Shadowcaster; The Sheen. The mindless contraptions come to life and threaten to take over the Fair, but The Calliope—a truly musical machine—comes to the rescue, inspiring a familiar anthem (“Hail, Minnesota!”) in the Voice of the People. Democracy is preserved.

The work was commissioned by the Minnesota State Band, and was performed throughout the state of Minnesota during 2019.