Tuqa Gloria Emmeles

Description

This composition was commissioned by the Westfield High School Band (Spring, Texas – Philip Geiger, Director) for performance at the 50th anniversary of the 1996 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in December (Chicago, Illinois). This work is dedicated to the memory of my friend Thomas Gail Easton—Tom to his friends. Tom performed in the West Point Band as well as with the Houston Symphony. He is best known, however, as a Houston area band director and clarinet teacher. Many of his former students are presently some of the leading teachers in Texas. I was fortunate to know Tom (and his cats!) for several years. Thanks to his cats, my wife and I think of him daily. The Westfield Band wishes to dedicate the Midwest premiere performance of this work to University of Houston conductor Eddie Green; a man who, like Tom Easton, has spent his life improving the quality of bands in Texas. The two words in the title that may need an explanation are best defined as follows: Tuqa is an Arabic word that means the sound of bells. Emmeles is a word used by Plato in several of his works to describe a slow, sorrowful dance.

Published by: RBC Publications