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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-03-10 22:10
By Lithgow/Laurendeau, a fine concert band piece. Knowing that there is a city by this name, on the Southern tip of New Zealand [are you there, Gordon NZ??], we have wondered if there is "more to its story". This is perhaps like a bit of Shakespere, "Much Ado about [not very much]", on a Friday PM, MC/GKB. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-03-10 22:49
From Wikipedia:
"...Invercargill is probably most well known internationally for the famous Invercargill March, a stirring piece of military music written in 1900 by the composer Alex F. Lithgow, who lived in Invercargill from the age of 6, although born in Scotland. The march was specifically written for the City of Invercargill, which Alex Lithgow dearly missed while he was away..."
...GBK
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-03-11 01:40
Thanx, Glenn, Yes, a stirring, melodic march from "way down south", in playable keys. I hope its not Lithgow's only composition. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: ned
Date: 2006-03-11 02:43
How interesting - I have visited New Zealand many times and Invercargill, which is in the very south of the South Island, a number of times as well, but did not know piece originated from this city.
I was poring through the jazz collection only the other day and came across this number on an old LP.
''The Spectacular Yarras" WG-B-1912
It's by the Yarra Yarra New Orleans Jazz Band - recorded in Melbourne (AU) in about 1964. Seems to be a 3 theme piece, with the major/final theme in Bb. It's a N.O. jazz version, but one could march (briskly) to the tempo.
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Author: ken
Date: 2006-03-11 21:51
In 24 years of doing Air Force and combined service parades, ceremonies, retreats, funerals, retirements, and social functions I've likely played Invercargill (either sections or entirety) more than Stars and Bars -- in the maniacal range of The Pina Colada Song and God Bless the USA. Forced reminiscing, Invercargill was religiously used as cadence-inspection music for the "Officer Center" drill sequence in military parades. For the interminable civilian, Officer Center is a marching maneuver of flag-bearing officers from each represented squadron. On command, the officers snap to attention in unison, take two steps forward and make respective left/right faces. Next, they march in-line toward one another and just before colliding like bowling pins quick-pivot left/right into a block formation. They march 64 steps to the center of the field, halt and salute the reviewing stand/officer. After this is an another about face followed by marching back, spliting up as before and returning to their original positions.
As an enlisted man, I never could understand why we used Invercargill March (such a stately and discriminating piece) when we should've been playing, "Send in the Clowns!"
Nonetheless, I loved noodling the 2nd clarinet part to Invercargill as the voicing in the Coda has these snappy little moving "here I am" tight harmony lines --- simile counter melody. Myself, I was always partial to Fred Jewell's', "The Screamer." v/r Ken
Post Edited (2006-03-12 02:43)
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Author: diz
Date: 2006-03-13 04:38
Yep ... I remember that march (fondly) from my youth when I was solo clarinet in our school's marching band (god I hated marching and playing).
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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