Introspection is the observation of someone’s mental or emotional process. The first movement, Showtime, reflects on a bold individual whose confidence and swagger shines through them; the second movement, Dreamer, focuses on the fantasizer who takes pride in their imagination and artistry. Finally, Mad Man depicts a man who is unstable and has abrupt moments of instability but also sometimes dreams. Meredith Conklin, soprano sax Jack Hughes, alto sax Kevin Leysath II, tenor sax Adam Ball, bari sax

Performed by Katrina Stroud, Violin Anishka Vogl, Violin James Cunningham IV, Viola Brelan Jenkins, Cello

Voice - Collin Pickett & Sophia Soler Piano - Aaron Soltis In Flanders Fields by John McCrae: In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou: You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.

Music By Kevin Leysath II Performed by the Bernadotte Quartet: Mimi Fan, violin Kayla Yagi-Bacon, violin Wesley O’Brien, viola Daniel Stein, cello

Nazareth College Wind Symphony Kevin Leysath II, conductor March 24, 2023 Intro 0:00 Yasuke 1:25 Yasuke was the first samurai of African descent. He served under Oda Nobunaga, one of the most important feudal lords in Japanese history who was a unifier of the country. This piece of music represents his journey from what we now call Mozambique to his setting in Japan, where he conducted his life as a samurai. You will hear the mournful atmosphere of the Mozambique national anthem in the beginning to signify him being taken from to his homeland and then a moment of uncertainty as to what lies next for him farther east. The grand introductory section, featuring rhythmic patterns in the ensemble accompanied by dense percussion, cross-pollinates the polyrhythmic tendencies of African musical cultures and the pentatonic modality of music in Asia. The music goes on to highlight moments, such as the awe that came over the community as they saw Yasuke walk through the town with his black skin (which they had never seen before) and great height. The next section highlights the soignée appearance of him in his kimono, leading to a heroic section of great unity while musical themes stay constant, even as textures change around them. The rich harmony throughout the piece conveys the beauty of Yasuke and the nobility of his life as a samurai.

Wrote by Kevin Leysath II Performed by Kevin Lee

Cello - Matthew Johnson & Piano - Anna Ahlquist Program Note: This piece is a tribute to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, an English composer and conductor of African descent. He was famously known for The Song of Hiawatha, a trilogy of cantatas and Deep River, where he took a negro spiritual and turned it into a piano piece later to arrange it also for cello and piano. The title African Mahler is what people would call Coleridge-Taylor, (referring to the famous composer Gustav Mahler) because of his elite success in the early 1900s. Being that Deep River is my most favorite piece of music of all time, I took it upon myself to write a piece for Coleridge-Taylor. You will hear in the beginning, the arpeggiated chords from the piano to emulate the beginning of Deep river. When the cello comes in it have a melody that is as singable as the negro spiritual melody in Deep River. This piece, African Mahler is meant to not only honor Samuel Coleridge-Taylor but to also put his name out there again because his music deserves to be played more throughout the world. Audio and Visuals by: Paul H. Gaston

Scenes from The Royal Gala is meant to reflect moments at a gathering of nobility. In relation to Robert Schumann’s Kinderszenen, Scenes from The Royal Gala is composed of small movements that directly portray each title. In movements such as Lighthearted Mingles and Chatter, you will hear call and response, and in Dinner’s Prayer, contains chords commonly used in hymns. The final movement, which is a theme and variation, features each voice giving their own closing remark. Performers: Nat Rivet, soprano saxophone Jack Hughes, alto saxophone Meredith Conklin, tenor saxophone Adam Ball, baritone saxophone Editing by Paul H. Gaston