Gate City Snapshot

Gate City Snapshot transports you back to 1927 Greensboro NC, when The Depot train station and The Carolina Theatre both opened. Imagine a leisurely trip on the southbound train to the city to go to the movies. Now imagine you’ve fallen asleep on the train and awaken inside the movie on a runaway train. Do you have what it takes to stop the train before it hits the end of the line? Gate City Snapshot plays out like a movie soundtrack, complete with the Hollywood ending!

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Level: 2.5 | Duration: 3:20

Instrumentation
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe (optional)
Bassoon (optional)
B-flat Clarinet 1
B-flat Clarinet 2
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1/2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

B-flat Trumpet 1
B-flat Trumpet 2
F Horn
Trombone
Baritone
Baritone T.C.
Tuba

Timpani (3 drums)
Percussion 1 (2 players: snare drum, bass drum)
Percussion 2 (1 or 2 players: trignale, tambourine)
Percussion 3 (1 or 2 players: wind chimes, suspended cymbal)
Percussion 4 (1 or 2 players: bells, xylophone)

Program Notes
Gate City Snapshot was commissioned by Brent Davis and the 2011-12 Mendenhall Middle School 8th Grade Band. When I initially talked with the students (while they were 7th graders), I asked what sort of extra-musical inspiration they would want the piece to be based upon. We settled generally on the idea of trains, but more specifically on The Depot – a historical landmark in downtown Greensboro, NC. When built in 1927, it was the biggest, most elaborate station ever built in North Carolina with 90 trains passing through every day. For this reason, Greensboro was nicknamed the “Gate City.” Also opening in 1927 Greensboro was the Carolina Theatre – a 2,200-seat vaudeville theater that was considered to be the finest of its kind between Washington D.C. and Atlanta. This being the end of the vaudeville era, The Carolina Theatre quickly transitioned into a movie theater and was the first in the state to show “talkies,” including “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson. One of the most famous songs to come out of the movie was "Blue Skies" (1926) by Irving Berlin. Its chord progression provided the harmonic foundation for "Gate City Snapshot."

Gate City Snapshot opens rather reflectively, transporting us to another era – Greensboro, NC in 1927. Imagine the excitement of hopping on a southbound train from Virginia to North Carolina to go to the movies at this spectacular new theatre. Now imagine that you've fallen asleep on the trip and awaken inside the movie on a runaway train. Do you have what it takes to stop the train in time before it hits the end of the line? "Gate City Snapshot" plays out like the soundtrack to an adventure movie, complete with the Hollywood ending.