- Series
- The Music of Don Gillis II
- Air Date
- 1964-05-12
- Duration
- 00:29:35
- Episode Description
- This program features performances of the following Gillis compositions: Portrait of a Frontier Town; Tango Lullaby; and Four Scenes from Yesterday.
- Series Description
- This series features the works of Don Gillis; hosted by the composer himself. Most of the performances are conducted by the composer.
- Subject(s)
- Creator(s)
- Gillis, Don, 1912-1978 (Host)
- Contributors
- Gillis, Don, 1912-1978 (Composer)
- Genre(s)
- Geographic Region(s)
- regions
- Time Period
- 1961-1970
[00:05 - 00:10]
You're listening to music by Don Gillis and this is done give us saying welcome once again to
[00:10 - 00:16]
our informal sessions presented each week by the national educational radio network.
[00:16 - 00:20]
For those of you who may be joining us for the first time let me say that on this program we feature music
[00:20 - 00:25]
which I have written my voice speaks the words you are presently hearing. And on
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occasion I conduct some of the music you will hear. I once referred to the show as an
[00:30 - 00:35]
instant fame kit. But actually I like to think of it more as a do
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it yourself get acquainted package in which we share a sort of mutual
[00:39 - 00:44]
responsibility that is I do the performing and you do the listening. All
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of which seems rather fair and we are proceeding to get the 4th broadcast underway by
[00:49 - 00:54]
letting you know exactly what is going to happen in the way of a musical menu. First we will
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hear music from my symphonic suite portrait of a frontier town. Our appetizer as
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it were then a follow up with a leisurely portion of a slow melody called
[01:04 - 01:09]
Tango a lullaby which perhaps we might consider to be the soups or
[01:09 - 01:13]
the hen for the main entree awork I had ventured to say that you haven't heard before
[01:13 - 01:18]
called for scenes from yesterday. And now if you'll excuse me out become a
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conductor for two minutes and 35 seconds.
[01:21 - 01:26]
While we enjoyed Texas style music recorded by a London orchestra ranch house
[01:26 - 01:27]
party.
[01:27 - 04:17]
With.
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That was ranch house party portrait of a frontier town the opening number one program number
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four of music by Don gave us the music was recorded in London by the new
[04:27 - 04:32]
symphony orchestra with the composer conducting. Next we're going to hear
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music from the most unsuccessful ballet ever written. It was called Twinkle
[04:37 - 04:42]
Toes and the ballet was based on an original story of mine that turned out not to be so
[04:42 - 04:46]
original after all. And so because I didn't want to come
[04:46 - 04:51]
down with a bad case of plagiarism I scrap the work altogether as a
[04:51 - 04:56]
ballet Saving Time for the critics and embarrassment for me.
[04:56 - 05:01]
But I did salvage some of the material I had written and so it's one success as a ballet
[05:01 - 05:06]
at least to produce some short and frequently performed pieces. And the one that we're going to hear
[05:06 - 05:09]
now is called Tango lullaby.
[05:09 - 08:23]
Tango lullaby from Twinkle Toes played by the orchestra the camara of Rome
[08:23 - 08:27]
music by Don Gillis continues now with the score especially recorded for performance on this
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broadcast series by Dr. George C. Wilson then the Interlochen Arts Academy
[08:32 - 08:37]
orchestra. The music is titled four scenes from yesterday
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and is a suite of four short pieces written about my home town of Cameron Missouri.
[08:43 - 08:48]
I've used a different woodwind solo us in each of the four movements and each movement represents a
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specific memory of my boyhood days. The basic orchestra is made up of
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strings percussion harp piano until last the first movement is for
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flute and takes its title from the name of the street on which I grew up in
[09:02 - 09:04]
Cameron North Harris.
[09:04 - 13:37]
You're listening to four scenes from yesterday and the first movement was titled North
[13:37 - 13:41]
Paris. We continue now with a solo for all both from the same sweet
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courthouse where I.
[13:44 - 15:49]
You're.
[15:49 - 15:49]
In the.
[15:49 - 18:27]
Why.
[18:27 - 18:42]
Courthouse Square from four scenes from yesterday with Dr. George C. Wilson conducting the young
[18:42 - 18:46]
musicians of the Interlochen Arts Academy orchestra.
[18:46 - 18:51]
The third movement of the suite features the clarinet and is called from a winter's
[18:51 - 18:52]
dream.
[18:52 - 23:06]
Were.
[23:06 - 23:12]
You are.
[23:12 - 23:17]
Were the
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music was from a winter's dream.
[23:20 - 23:25]
We will conclude for scenes from yesterday now with a dance that typifies the title
[23:25 - 23:30]
using the bassoon as our soloist and Brushy Creek it.
[23:30 - 27:26]
Dr. George C. Wilson and the Interlochen Arts Academy orchestra with students all of us
[27:26 - 27:31]
have just been heard in four scenes from yesterday. The movement title is where
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North Harris Courthouse Square from a winter's dream and Rush
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Creek Dr. Wilson prepared this performance especially for broadcast on this
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occasion. And our thanks go to him and to his fine young musicians.
[27:45 - 27:51]
Earlier we heard ranch house party from Portrait of a frontier town and tango lullaby
[27:51 - 27:56]
from the Twinkletoes suite. Next week we will again bring you a variety of performance
[27:56 - 28:00]
groups as we hear the marching triumphal sound from my Symphony Number Six
[28:00 - 28:05]
prairie sunset from Portrait of a frontier town. The second suite for woodwind
[28:05 - 28:10]
quintet and to conclude a whopping brass band march called Mr. Big.
[28:10 - 28:15]
In the weeks to come we will continue to bring you an assortment of sounds from the rather tremendous collection of
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performances of my music. I've been very lucky you know for during the years a lot of people
[28:20 - 28:25]
have played my music and because they did I'm able to bring their performances
[28:25 - 28:29]
to you on this series. Being a composer you know is rewarding in
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direct ratio to the satisfaction of creation and to the use of such
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creative effort. I'm not talking about financial rewards but rather of that inner
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feeling of gratification that comes from being useful to do and
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then to know that what you have done serves a purpose. This is the great reward and one has a
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feeling of usefulness that is justification for all of the patient hours of
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work and waiting. Yes I am lucky. For in this instance
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I have you two have been writing for thank you for being on the other end of my
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manuscript and music paper. Music I don't get was is produced for
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the national educational radio network by Riverdale productions and is directed by Keith
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Donaldson. This is done it goes saying thank you for listening and good bye until
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next time. This is the national educational radio network.
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