ello, Altissimo Fans! First off I want to thank everyone for voting on this week’s release of ‘Carry On’! We had a great voter turnout, so be sure to check out ‘Carry On’ below!

We also have some exciting news about March’s New Music Tuesdays scheduled releases! We are celebrating the founding of the United States Coast Guard Band, United States Navy Band, and the United States Army Field Band! So each week we will be releasing an album from each band respectively! Stay tuned for news on the upcoming releases!

Have a Wonderful Tuesday,

Eric Scism

eric@militarymusic.com

On to the New Music!

Carry On was picked by the Altissimo Community as this week’s Disc on Demand release. We have been playing this album all week at the Altissimo Command Post, and I must say we love this CD. With 20 great tracks to choose from, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but the office favorites are ‘America,’ ‘Long Train Runnin’,’ ‘Carry On Wayward Son,’ ‘Barracuda,’ and ‘Good Love.’ This album has so many classics that you can sing along to and just have a good time with good music!

And in case you missed it, last week’s winner In Concert by the United States Continental Army Band is also available, both here and at iTunes!

Hi, everyone!

So we decided to start a Community Band Spotlight in our newsletter and here on the blog so we could tell you about some bands and orchestras across the country that we think are pretty special. For our first Spotlight, we chose the Alton Symphony Orchestra from Alton, Illinois.

Near the border separating Illinois from Missouri is the city of Alton, Illinois, home to the Alton Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1945, the orchestra is powered by the talented community it is a part of as well as from the surrounding communities both in Illinois and St. Louis, MO, with seventy members ranging in age from early teens to late eighties who are high school, home school, and college students, band and orchestra directors and teachers, public school teachers and college professors, engineers, health care workers, business persons and craftsmen, all coming together thanks to a love of music!

The ASO is composed of all orchestral instruments, including strings, and they perform from September to June, taking the summer months off. It is led by an advisory Board of Directors filled by community members and orchestra musicians. The current conductor, Edward Dolbashian, is also the Director of Conducting Studies at the University of Missouri in addition to his conducting duties for the Alton Symphony Orchestra. Dolbashian is a highly trained musician, beginning in high school and going extensively through the years, and his solo instrument is the oboe, but his passion is orchestral conducting. A second conductor, Shane Williams, directs the Pops concert ever year, which is the orchestra’s biggest fundraiser.

Something we thought was really cool about the Alton Symphony Orchestra is how important the promotion of music and music education for school children is to them. Some of the members of the orchestra are students from the local community college in Godfrey (where the ASO holds their concerts) who are performing with the orchestra as a way to receive school credit because the college does not have an orchestra, and the ASO takes great pride in these young musicians. The orchestra also performs concerts for the community school children every year. Every area school is invited to bring students, and the ASO plays for close to 2000 of them over the course of two concerts. In fact, the importance of providing young generations with the experience of music is in the orchestra’s mission statement, which says they wish to “enhance the appreciation of fine music in a more diverse audience, develop the appreciation of orchestral music in children over a wider area, and augment the number of young musicians in the orchestra” (see Mission, http://www.altonsymphony.org/index.html).

Since Altissimo! is a company specializing in military music, it’d be silly for us not to mention that the ASO has all kinds of veterans who play with them! Practically every branch of the military is accounted for in the orchestra. While none are known to have played in the military ensembles, it’s awesome that they’re sharing their talent and love of music with the country they served and protected during their years in the military.

The music the ASO performs is selected based on conductor and member input, through a program selection committee, and also around any upcoming events. For the month of February, the ASO has been preparing for a celebration concert for the 200th Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln, aptly titled “A Lincoln Tribute,” on February 21. Also, for the Halloween program this past fall, the ASO took requests from the audience and ended up playing pieces from Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jurassic Park among others. While traditional music is part of the repertoire, the Alton Symphony Orchestra doesn’t mind stepping outside the music box to have a little extra fun!

The Alton Symphony Orchestra works hard and plays hard to be a viable part of the Alton community, and we are proud to present them as our Spotlight Band of the Month!

For more information on the Alton Symphony Orchestra, click here to visit their website!

*Special thanks to the Alton Symphony Orchestra for their interest in the Spotlight!

**Extra special thanks to ASO member Karon Ismari for being a great liaison and for her fabulous answers to our questions!! We appreciate your hard work!

***If you have a suggestion for a future Community Band Spotlight, please send your suggestions to info@militarymusic.com with the subject line reading “Spotlight Suggestion**

STRIKE UP THE BAND

BAND TALK

An Interview with a Retired Military band Director of Music

By Jack Kopstein

This interview is the first in a series of interviews with Directors and band Commanders, Pipe Majors of military bands across a wide spectrum of both Domestic and International bands.

It is a distinct pleasure to present in this interview Major retired Leonard Camplin. He is a graduate of the world-renowned Royal Military School of Music (RMSM) Kneller Hall, in Twickenham England, a Fellow of London’s Trinity College of Music and Conductor Laureate of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra.

He began his musical career as a choirboy at St. Marks Church, London, and studied violin at the Guildhall School of Music. At age 17, he joined the British Army and was posted as an oboe pupil to the RMSM, Kneller Hall, and on completion of his studies was posted to the Royal Fusiliers Band in Germany. While there he continued his studies under Herbert Schmidt, oboist of the Berlin State Opera.

Four years later, in 1952, Camplin was selected as a candidate for the bandmaster’s course at the RMSM, Kneller Hall, where he completed the three-year course in 1955 and appointed bandmaster of the North Staffordshire Regiment stationed in Hong Kong. The appointment made him the youngest bandmaster in the British Army.

While in Hong Kong, bandmaster Camplin combined his army duties with performing principal oboe with the Sino-British Orchestra and the Hong Kong Concert Orchestra as well as performing solo recitals and broadcasts.

In 1957, the North Staffordshire Band returned home to England where the band was housed in the Tower of London from where it found itself busy playing at various functions: leading London’s annual Lord Mayor’s Show Parade, BBC live broadcasts and performing for Princess Margaret and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The year 1959 brought about the amalgamation of British regiments and their bands, and it was at this time that bandmaster Camplin decided to immigrate and accept a position of music supervisor in the province of Saskatchewan.

In 1961, he joined the Canadian Army as Director of Music and Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Engineers Band in Chilliwack, British Columbia. He subsequently became the Director of Music to the Naden Band in Victoria BC and later the Director of Music of the Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry Band in Calgary before retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1978.

During the 1960’s and 70’s Captain Camplin was in demand in the civilian music field both as an adjudicator and conductor. He has been guest conductor to the Kitchener-Waterloo, Saskatoon, Century Calgary and Vancouver CBC Symphony Orchestras and accompanied a great many of Canada’s leading solo artists.

He was music director of the Vancouver Metropolitan and Okanagan Symphony Orchestras and foundered the Kelowna Mozart Festival, the Kelowna Canada Day Concerts Society, and the Burnaby Symphony. At the age of eighty he continues to lead a fairly busy conducting life including yearly appearances in Australia.

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SUPTB: What was your daily routine as a Director of music and Commanding Officer?

Leonard Camplin: I usually arrived at the band facility at 0800 and undertook the administrative tasks with my staff before beginning rehearsal at 0900. Rehearsals went to noon, and afternoons were spent studying scores and conducting interviews or participating in sports events. I had passion for making music with the musicians and continue that same enthusiasm to this day.

SUPTB: Did you select the music played on concerts and ceremonial events or was it done by committee.

LC: It is assumed that as the Director of Music that I always made the music selections based on the music which would be both popular and had intrinsic value. There was, however, opportunities for musicians to make suggestions or I made choices in collaboration with the assistant director of the band…

SUTB: Did you have to spend a lot of time making arrangements for Ceremonial performances?

LC: Ceremonial events usually spelled out within their parameters the type of music required such as regimental marches, inspections music and so forth. Music for these occasions was almost always done in consultation. There was a protocol within ceremonial requests. There was some obvious music however that we played for special arrivals such as for President Lyndon Johnson when he arrived at the Vancouver Airport as we played “The Yellow Rose of Texas.”

SUPTB: Were auditions for new band members done in collaboration with section leaders.

LC: It was part of my responsibility to audition musicians for my own band and also other bands of the Canadian Forces, but section leaders were never called upon to provide input. I must say, however, that in hindsight that in today’s world I would have opened up auditions so that the principal players would be invited. I did call on my assistant to be present on several occasions.

SUTB: How important were recordings to you and the band.

LC: By nature recordings lack the spontaneity of live performances but properly engineered can leave a long lasting footprint of your work. We always had Canadian Broadcasting System technicians for our recordings and they are excellent lasting mementos of the military band performances. The recording is an idea of how the bands play.

SUTB: How important to you were the small ensembles which are often employed by military bands?

LC: They were very important because they would take responsibility for their own performance. There were always requests for the services of small dance bands, and I often was tasked to provide groups for various functions. In Britain, we would often have bands play for royalty.

SUTB: What is your view of the future of military band in Canada and in Britain?

LC: Bands do have tenure, but both in Canada and Britain bands are fewer and smaller and don’t have the resources to play music that could be played in the 60′s, 70′s, and 80′s. Today, they do not have a second oboe or second bassoon and the much larger scores call for these instruments particularly the wonderful American compositions for band. The future is very hard to predict.

SUTB: What type of music do you feel most comfortable with-classical, jazz, popular Broadway?

LC I certainly do like the music of Broadway but I am devoted to symphonies and concertos. My love of classical music began when I was a student on violin and I had the opportunity to attend concerts at Albert Hall and heard the London Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic and the London Symphony on many occasions. When I joined the Canadian Army from 1961-78 I was moonlighting with a few orchestras and when I retired in 1978 I was appointed resident conductor of the Okanogan symphony where I retired in 1996. Since then I have had the opportunity to conduct and work with several orchestras including the Chilliwack Symphony, the Burnaby Symphony and to make gust conducting appearances in Australia.

SUTB: Briefly what is your opinion of the world of music today?

LC: Symphonic and band music continue to thrive in Europe today and remains consistent, places like Vienna, London. Paris still has large audiences attending concerts, but in North America there have been serious problems in attendance mainly because of pop music. It is sad to say that pop artist who very often lack training make huge salaries and orchestral musicians and operatic singers who have dedicated their lives to music are having difficulty eking out a living.

SUTB: On behalf of ALTISSIMO RECORDINGS AND DISTRIBUTION our sincere thanks for this wonderful opportunity to speak to you, and we wish you continued success.

PATRICK SARSFIELD GILMORE

The Father of the American Band

By Jack Kopstein

Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore was one of the most famous bandleaders and musical impresarios in American history and touched the lives of music lovers all over America. He was often referred to as the “father of the American Band.” He was born in County Galway, Ireland, on Christmas day in 1829. . Most sources place Gilmore’s birth in the town of Ballygar, but recent research by Frank Cipolla has suggested Mullingar as a more likely birthplace. The young Gilmore learned to play the cornet under a retired British bandmaster named Patrick Keating and was soon playing in the city of Athlone’s Amateur Youth Band and singing in St. Peter’s Catholic Church Choir.

At the age of 18, he joined a military band (possibly the 88th regiment Royal Connaught Regiment band 1841-1851 ) which was stationed in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada.

After a year in the service, he quit the military and moved to Boston where he quickly established a reputation as a gifted cornetist. At age 22, Gilmore was appointed leader of the Boston Brass Band, one of the best musical organizations in New England. (From the date of its formation in 1835, the Boston Brass Band had only been led by virtuoso keyed buglers: Edward (Ned) Kendall, Joseph Green, and Eben Flagg.) After three successful years with the Aston Brass Band, Gilmore moved to Salem where he was director of the Salem Brass Band, a position he held for five years. In 1859 Gilmore was invited back to Boston to direct the Boston Brigade Band, which was experiencing difficulties. With his usual energy and enthusiasm, Gilmore revitalized the organization and changed its name to his own. Gilmore’s Band was similar to the Dodworth organization in that it was a large, flexible ensemble capable of providing music for almost any occasion. The band featured two woodwinds to each brass instrument, the same which is used in modern concert bands.

In 1855, he played the first promenade concert in America which became the forerunner of today’s Boston Pops.

Gilmore wrote several songs, the most well known being When Johnny Comes Marching Home. He also composed the famous 22^nd Regiment March (get it by the United States Marine Band - SOUND OFF - Altissimo! Disc on Demand)

From 1859 to 1863, Gilmore was co-owner of a Boston music store, Gilmore & Russell that sold band instruments. Later he was part owner in two instrument manufacturing firms: Gilmore, Graves & Co. (1864-1866) and Wright, Gilmore & Co. (1867-68).

In October of 1861, Gilmore and his band enlisted with the 24th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The bandsmen served with General Burnside in North Carolina until their discharge in August of 1862. Upon returning home, Gilmore gave concerts with his band and devoted much time to reorganizing militia and army bands.

Following the war, Gilmore organized two mammoth musical extravaganzas in Boston (1869 and 1872) that received national and international attention. He produced the World’s Peace Jamboree (1872) which had a 2,000 piece orchestra and 20,000 voice chorus. Johann Strauss Jr. was paid 100,000 to appear at these concerts which was the only time he appeared in America.

Gilmore was the music director for several momentous occasions including the July 4^th Centennial in Philadelphia(1876), the Dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor 1886, and he was featured at the St Louis Exposition in 1878 as well as touring Europe the same year. From 1873 until the time of his death in 1892, Gilmore directed the superb 22nd Regiment Band of New York (also known as Gilmore’s Band). This large ensemble of some 65 musicians, which toured the nation and the world, set a pa1ttern of instrumentation and a standard of musical performance that were emulated by many professional bands in the 1890s and early twentieth century including the Incredible Band of John Philip Sousa. Patrick Gilmore died following a concert at the St. Louis Exposition on September 24, 1892.