Homage

Using thematic material from Mozart's 3rd Horn Concerto and the children's song "Lightly Row," Gillingham has crafted a moving Homage to the recently retired band director at Grand Ledge High School in Michigan. You can always count on Gillingham for innovative percussion writing and masterful scoring and thematic transformation.

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Level: 4 | Duration: 6:45

Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe
Bassoon
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2
Bb Clarinet 3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
Horn in F 1/2
Horn in F 3/4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Baritone T.C.
Tuba

Piano

Timpani (4 drums)
Percussion 1 (crotales)
Percussion 2 (bells, temple blocks)
Percussion 3 (3-oct vibraphone, 3 brakes drums, xylophone, chimes)
Percussion 4 (4.3-oct marimba, concert bass bass drum, claves, suspended cymbal, tam-tam)
Percussion 5 (suspended cymbal, tam-tam)
Percussion 6 (4 concert toms, crash cymbals, snare drum)

Program Notes
Homage was commissioned by the Grand Ledge High Bands and Music Boosters, Grand Ledge, Michigan, in honor of retired band director, Michael Kaufman. Michael Kaufman built an iconic band program at Grand Ledge over the course of the many years that he was Director of Bands at Grand Ledge and positively touched the hearts and minds of hundreds, if not thousands of students.

The work pays "homage" to Michael by using two musical themes that strongly influenced his life and musical career. As a horn player, Michael's favorite work for the instrument was the Romanze movement of the 3rd Horn Concerto in Eb Major by Mozart. As a father, Michael had fond memories of his daughter playing simple American folksongs while studying violin using the Suzuki method. One of those memorable songs was "Lightly Row". Both of these themes, plus a countermelody, are used to unite the work and come together, simultaneously, in a "tour de force" finale.

- David R. Gillingham