Lit Study - After The Thunderer by Ira Hearshen

originally posted 5/7/2012. disappeared 5/15?

Literature Study

After The Thunderer (1993)
Mvt. II from Symphony on Themes of John Philip Sousa

Ira Hearshen (b. 1948)

Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol. IV, p. 900. Here listed as the entire Symphony on Themes of John Philip Sousa as grade 6. NBA , WRP V (out of VII), publisher V (LudwigMasters, $75.00). 7.5 minutes, ABA form, 110 measures, quarter=48.

Lowell Graham, retired conductor of The United States Air Force Band, tells the story of how Hearshen came to compose After The Thunderer. Graham and Hearshen were sitting up talking late one night when Graham suggested that Hearshen, a Hollywood arranger and orchestrator, write a suite for concert band based on themes of famous American marches.

Hearshen, who has a special passion for Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, began musing over Graham’s suggestion when he had a stroke of inspiration.
Calling Graham at 2:30 in the morning Hearshen said that he would write a slow, extended adagio in the style of the finale to the Mahler 3 but based upon themes from Sousa’s The Thunderer. Hearshen began singing the idea over the phone to Graham who says that he “immediately sat up in bed, wide awake. Ira now had my complete attention.”

So successful was After The Thunderer that Hearshen composed three more movements based on the Sousa marches, Washington Post, Fairest of the Fair, and Hands Across the Sea.

Cast in a slow ABA movement, the melody is an augmentation of the trio of The Thunderer. Tonalities pass from A-flat Major through A Minor, E-flat Major, and returning to A-flat Major. There are no difficult rhythms or technical passages. However, the Euphonium and Trombone I do have notes up to A-flat, and there is a considerable endurance challenge for Trumpet I in the upper register.

Several YouTube videos are available for viewing and comparing interpretations. By all means compare After The Thunderer to the Finale of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. I don’t think a legitimate interpretation of the Hershean can exist without taking the Mahler into consideration.

Regarding suitablity for OSW, The writing progresses well from beginning to end. There are no exposed passages for 2nd or 3rd part players, but solo passages for bassoon, oboe, and trombone require mature players with beautiful tone, and control and endurance for the 1st trumpet. I believe that OSW could perform the piece with our limited rehearsal schedule, and that many of our players would find the music rewarding.

Thing # 20 - YouTube

OK, I know I'm out of sequence, but I needed time to play and figured it really doesn't matter if the things are done in order.

When I opened YouTube this morning I was greeted by several "American Military March" videos sporting waving US flags and playing Sousa marches. Well performed recordings, probably by service bands from Washington, but the video portion left a lot to be desired. Then I saw one of my favorite German marches listed, "Alte Kamaraden." So, I clicked on that and then found a whole bunch of German military marches. I thought about posting one of those to Thing #20 but wanted to be in good taste, so I passed.

Then I searched for the most famous marching band routine in the world, "Script Ohio." Well of course there were lots of postings, but the video doesn't do the marching justice. Next I found a lot of Yea Ohio-Boo Michigan (to say it nicely) stuff. A lot is very funny, but in poor taste for a G-rated blog. The funniest one was a baby crying whenever the Michigan fight song was played.

Finally, I settled on this party video. I can't imagine drinking all those beers just to pull this one off.