Riccardo SelvaDoctoral Recital

Tuesday, June 17, 20036 p.m.

Northwestern UniversityAlice Millar Chapel

Program Notes

Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano (1984) William Albright I. Two-Part Invention (b. 1944-1998)II. La follia nuova:

a lament for George CacioppoIII. Scherzo “Will o’ the wisp”IV. Recitative and Dance

BiographyWilliam (Hugh) Albright

(b Gary, IN, 20 Oct 1944; d Ann Arbor, MI, 17 Sept 1998). American composer, organist and pianist. Heattended the Juilliard Preparatory Department (1959–62), the University of Michigan (1963–70) and the ParisConservatoire (1968–9), studying composition with Ross Lee Finney, George Rochberg and Olivier Messiaen,and the organ with Marilyn Mason. His many commissions and honours included two awards from theKoussevitzky Foundation, the Queen Marie-José Prize (for his Organbook I) and an award from the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Letters. In 1979 he was selected to represent the USA in UNESCO's InternationalRostrum of Composers. He joined the composition department at the University of Michigan in 1970, where,as associate director of the electronic music studio, he pursued research into live and electronic modification ofacoustic instruments. Through his own modern rag compositions and his performances and recordings ofclassical ragtime, stride piano and boogie-woogie, which include a recording of the complete works of ScottJoplin, Albright was a principal figure in the revival of interest in ragtime and stride masters. He gave manyfirst performances of organ and piano works by American and European composers and commissioned aseries of organ works that has substantially enriched the contemporary repertory for that instrument.

Although Albright's early organ works reflect the influence of Messiaen in their colourful registration andchromaticism, his later works, in a variety of mediums, combine a complex rhythmic and atonal style withelements of American popular and non-Western music. Albright's compositional philosophy stresses the valueof music as communication and the supremacy of intuition, imagination and beauty of sound. Much of hismusic displays exuberant humour and a fresh improvisatory spirit. A section of Organbook III (1977–8) brieflyevokes ‘a wandering improvisation by an inebriated Sunday School organist’; The King of Instruments (1978)affectionately parodies the composer's own world of the pipe organ, with admonitions to the organist to add‘the funniest sounding stop’, to perform ‘in Chicago Blues style’, and, with samba rhythms, to ‘keep repeatingad nauseam’. Seven Deadly Sins (1974) subtly satirizes contemporary musical styles and concludes with agrand galop finale. Albright's seeming spontaneity and his shifts from Romantic ebullience to nostalgiclyricism are held firmly in balance by rigorous formal concision and control. In the virtuoso Five ChromaticDances for piano (1976), for example, opening pitches outline the tonal centres and harmonic direction for alarge-scale structure filled with contrasting textures, colours and moods. His concern for the spiritual resultedin such works as the Chichester Mass (1974), commissioned for the 900th anniversary of Chichester Cathedral,the oratorio A Song to David (1983), Sphaera (1985), commissioned by MIT, and Chasm(1989), written for theAmerican Composers Orchestra.1

1 Don C. Gillespie: 'Albright, William', The New Grove Dictionary of Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed June 7,

2003), <http://www.grovemusic.com>

Notes from:Charles Bruce Stoltie, Genre And Context In William Albright’s “Sonata For Alto Saxophone And Piano AndChristian Lauba’s Hard,” (D.M.A. Diss., Northwestern University, 2002), 24-26.

A Spirit and a SkeletonOf the four or five movements of William Albright's Sonata for alto saxophone

and piano, it is the second movement that claims a place at the heart of the Sonata and perhaps in the heart ofperformers and audiences alike. Albright chose only this second movement, La follia nuova: a lament forGeorge Cacioppo, for his own personal comments. They are presented on the Sonata's title page and read asfollows in the Peters edition:

Of the movements, the second perhaps most deserves comment. This movement is dedicated to the memoryof the composer George Cacioppo who died unexpectedly on April 8, 1984. Co-founder of the ONCE Groupand mentor to two generations of composers, Cacioppo and his music and personality rest at the foundationof my thinking. He would have very much appreciated the use of the traditional title 'La follia' (the madness)in my reincarnation as 'La follia nuova.' Like its Baroque antecedents, the movement is in a chaconne-variation form, although at one point the sections jumble together, or intersect. The fact that the key is F#minor may be important, or it may not be.

Albright's written piece provides a text and a context for his musical piece, presenting the composition in ageneral light while eluding a definite narrative or storyline for the music. Because instrumental music oftenlacks an explicit text with which to correlate the music, statements about musical meaning and significance ininstrumental music often remain vague, comfortably explaining only the relationships on the written page butnotoften tying the music to a larger life (or death) perspective. Of course, there is no need whatsoever for anexplicit text relating to instrumental music. It is not music's task to provide specific texts. However, Albright'stitle and commentary are a text of his own provision that may guide an interpretation for both hearing andperforming this important work.

Albright's comments may be divided into several sections that provide a foundation for La follia nuova.The following is a listing of sentence portions from this commentary that present ideas relating to thismovement:

1. "This movement is dedicated to the memory..."2. "...the composer George Cacioppo... Cacioppo and his music and personality rest at the foundation of my

thinking."3. "...who died..."4. "...died unexpectedly..."5. "...the use of the traditional title 'La follia (the madness)"6. ".. my reincarnation as 'La follia nuova."7. "Like its Baroque antecedents..."8. "the piece is in a chaconne-variation form..."9. "sometimes the sections are curiously jumbled together, or intersect"10. "The fact that the key is F sharp minor may be important, or it may not be."

These sentences may be grouped further, providing general topics that are at the heart of Albright's wrenchinglament:

Memory and the past"This movement is dedicated to the memory..."“...the use of the traditional title 'La follia (the madness)...""Like its Baroque antecendents… "“. . .chaconne-variation form..."

Death"...who died...""...died unexpectedly...""...My reincarnation as 'La follia nuova"Foundations“…the composer George Cacioppo... Cacioppo and his music and personality rest at the foundation of mythinking."

Form"...the piece is in a chaconne-variation form...""...sometimes the sections are curiously jumbled together, or intersect...""The fact that the key is F sharp minor may be important, or it may not be."

All share many connections and are core elements of the human condition of living and dying. Indeed,death, memory, the past and foundations constitute the context for this lament. Even a close reading of thetitle, La follia nuova: a lament for George Cacioppo, offers some insights into this work. La follia refers to amusical form of the past, and nuova refers to its updating for the purpose of lamenting the passing of GeorgeCacioppo, a foundational figure in Albright's life, who now lives only in memory. As is apparent, these topicsof reference are not clearly delineated. Instead, they are multi-layered and richly combined in deference to thegrave emotional world the music plumbs.

Trio 2001 (2001) Walter S. HartleyI. Lament (b. 1927)II. Anger DanceIII. Prayer

This work, impelled by the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and completed later that month, exists intwo versions with the same two alto saxophone solo parts: "Trio 2001" with piano and "Duo 2001" with smallwind ensemble, one player to a part (2 each of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons plus bass clarinet; 3trumpets, 2 horns, 3 trombones and tuba, timpani (3 drums) and string bass. Duration approximately 6minutes 30 seconds.

The three movements are: "Lament" (for the lives lost), "Anger Dance" (at those responsible for thetragedy) and "Prayer" (for all).2

BiographyDr. Walter S. Hartley

Walter S. Hartley (born February 21, 1927, Washington, D.C.) began composing at age five and becameseriously dedicated to it at sixteen. All his college degrees are from the Eastman School of Music of theUniversity of Rochester. He received his Ph.D. in composition there in 1953. Some of his teachers were BurrillPhillips, Thomas Canning, Herbert Elwell, Bernard Rogers, Howard Hanson and Dante Fiorillo.

At present he is Professor Emeritus of Music and Composer-in-Residence at State University College,Fredonia, N.Y. He also taught piano, theory and composition at the National Music Camp (now InterlochenArts Camp) at Interlochen, Michigan from 1956 to 1964.

His list of acknowledged works is now over 200, dating from 1949 on, and most of these are published. Heis a member of the American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers, from which he has received anannual award for achievement in serious music since 1962.

His music has been performed by many ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra,Oklahoma City Symphony, Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. His ChamberSymphony of 1954 was commissioned by the Koussevitsky Foundation, his Concert Overture for orchestrareceived a prize from the National Symphony Orchestra in 1955, and his Sinfonia No. 3 for brass choir won forhim the 1964 Conn Award. Since then he has received many commissions from college and high schoolmusical organizations. A lately published orchestral work, Symphony No. 3, was commissioned by the GreaterBuffalo (NY) Youth Orchestra; several band works were commissioned by U.S. service bands. There have beenmany recordings.

His Centennial Symphony was commissioned by Frederick Fennell in 1995 and dedicated to him and theEastman Wind Ensemble, who first performed it under his direction in October 1996, the centennial of HowardHanson's birth. Fennell recorded it with the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra the following summer, released asKDCD-3578 (1998). It is published by Ludwig Music. Among Hartley's most recent works is "Quintet No. 3 forBrass", given its first performance by the Fredonia Faculty Brass in October 1997.

He and the former Sandra Mount have been married since June 17, 1960 (two daughters, fivegrandchildren).

2 Walter S. Hartley, Trio 2001, Program notes.

3 Mélodies grégoriennes (1923) Guy de Lioncourt, Op. 60I. Clémens rector (b. 1885-1961)II. Puer natus estIII. Pascha nostrum

Clémens rector (Trans. Latin, Peaceful or gentle ruler)Puer natus est (Trans. Latin, A child (boy) is born )Pascha nostrum (Trans. Latin, Our Easter)

BiographyGuy de Lioncourt

(b Caen, 1 Dec 1885; d Paris, 24 Dec 1961). French composer and teacher. In 1904 he entered the ScholaCantorum, where his first teachers included Gastoué (Gregorian chant) and Roussel (counterpoint). He wasaccepted into d’Indy’s composition class in 1905, and appointed secrétaire-inspecteur des cours (1912) andprofessor of counterpoint (1914). After taking his composition diploma in 1916, he remained at the Schola,teaching and editing its monthly publication Tablettes. In 1931, on d’Indy’s death, he was made sub-director ofthe institution and professor of composition. Following disagreements that shook the Schola in 1935, he wasone of those who left to found the Ecole César Franck, which he directed. His music is that of a stalwart of theSchola; in particular, he placed a high value on plainsong and produced a large body of liturgical works. Heedited the fourth (and final) volume of d’Indy’s Cours de composition musicale (Paris, 1951). He published avolume of memoirs, Un témoignage sur la musique et sur la vie au XXme siècle (Paris, 1956), a valuable recordof the Schola under d’Indy by one who was devoted to the ‘Maître’; it contains a list of his works.

Fantasy on “Veni Creator” (1995) Richard Proulx(b. 1937)

Veni Creator SpiritusAttributed to Rabanus Maurus (776-856)Pentecost, Masses of Ordination, Confirmation

This hymn is developed around three appeals directed toward the Holy Spirit: to come (veni), visit ( visita),and fill (imple) the hearts of all the faithful whom he has created. These petitions are most suited for all theoccasions when the Church especially needs the grace of the Holy Spirit: on Pentecost, during the ordination ofpriests, and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The "Holy Spirit is present in the Church of Christ for all time, so that it may be, always and in everything,a sign raised up before all nations, announcing to all men the goodness and love of God .... The presence andthe action of the Holy Spirit in the Church are a foretaste of eternal happiness, of the joy and peace for whichwe are destined by God" (Christ Is Passing, St. Josemaría Escrivá, 128). We pray that the Holy Spirit may alwaysfill each of us when we need his grace most of all, when we weaken in faith or in moments of temptation.

“The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, andbring to your remembrance all that I have said to you' (Jn 14:26). The Holy Spirit will be the Counselor of theApostles and the Church, always present in their midst-even though invisible-as the teacher of the same GoodNews that Christ proclaimed. The words 'he will teach' and 'bring to remembrance' mean not only that he, inhis own particular way, will continue to inspire the spreading of the Gospel of salvation but also that he willhelp people to understand the correct meaning of the content of Christ's message; they mean that he willensure continuity and identity of understanding in the midst of changing conditions and circumstances. TheHoly Spirit, then, will ensure that in the Church there will always continue the same truth which the Apostlesheard from their Master" (Dominum et vivificantem, Pope John Paul II, 4).3

3 The Rev. James Socías, ed., Cantate Et Jubilate Deo: A Devotional And Liturgical Hymnal, (Chicago: Midwest

Theological Forum, 1999), 142.

1. Veni, Creator Spíritus,Mentes tuórum vísita:Imple supérna grátiaQue tu creásti péctora.

2. Qui díceris Paráclitus,Altíssimi donum Dei,Fons vivus, ignis, cáritas,Et spiritális únctio.

3. Tu septifórmis múnere,Dígitus patérn déxteræ,Tu rite promíssum Patris,Sermóne ditans gúttura.

4. Accénde lumen sénsibus,Infúnde amórem córdibus,Infírma nostri córporis,Virtúte firmans pérpeti.

1. Come, Creator Spirit,And visit the souls of your people:Fill the hearts you have createdWith grace from on high.

2. You who are called the Advocate,The gift of God most high,Living spring, fire, charity,And anointing of the soul.

3. You are sevenfold in your gifts,The finger of the Father's right hand;You, the duly promised of the Father,Endowing our tongues with speech.

4. Enkindle your light in our senses,Pour out your love in our hearts,Supporting the frailties of our fleshWith your unceasing strength.

BiographyRichard Proulx

A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Richard Proulx began piano studies at age six and benefited from theunique musical training then fostered in that city's parochial schools, where twice daily solfege and choralsinging were emphasized. He attended MacPhail College and the University of Minnesota with furtherstudies undertaken at the American Boychoir School at Princeton, Saint John's Abbey-Collegeville, and theRoyal School of Church Music in England.

Proulx's organ studies were with Ruth Dindorf, Arthur Jennings, Rupert Sircom, Gerald Bales, and PeterHallock. Training in choral conducting was provided by Bruce Larsen, Donald Brost, and Peter Hallock; andextensive seminars with Donald Bryant, Robert Shaw, and Roger Wagner. He also studied composition withLeopold Bruenner, Theodore Ganshaw, Bruce Larsen, and Gerald Bales.

During 1980-1994, Richard Proulx was Organist/Music Director at the historic Cathedral of the Holy Namein Chicago, where he did much to strengthen the cathedral's outreach to the city it serves by establishing anextensive and innovative music program. As hoped by visionary Cathedral Rector, Bishop Timothy J. Lyne,the consistent excellence of this broadbased and varied liturgical music program quickly became a model forcathedrals across the country. The highly acclaimed concert series, Music for a great Space, involved thecathedral choirs with many of the finest instrumentalists in the Chicago area. The choirs toured the Midwestin 1982 and 1991, and in Europe in 1988. Proulx was also responsible for the planning and installation of twonew mechanical-action organs for the cathedral: Casavant (Quebec, 1981) and Flentrop (Holland, 1989).

Before coming to Chicago, Proulx served for 10 years (1970-1980) at Saint Thomas Church, Medina/Seattle,where he directed three choirs and chamber orchestra, established a tradition of liturgical handbell ringing,and was organist at Temple de Hirsch Sinai. Previous positions included Saint Charles Parish, Tacoma; SaintStephen's Church, Seattle; and 15 years (1953-1968) at Church of The Holy Childhood in Saint Paul.

Richard Proulx is a widely published composer of more than 300 works, including congregational music inevery form, sacred and secular choral works, song cycles, two operas, and instrumental and organ music. Hehas served as a consultant for such recent hymnals as The Hymnal 1982, New Yale Hymnal, the MethodistHymnal, Worship II & III, and has contributions in the Mennonite Hymnal and the Presbyterian Hymnal.Proulx was a member of The Standing Commission on Church Music of the Episcopal Church and was afounding member of The Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians. He has conducted choralfestivals and workshops across the country as well as in Canada, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland,Australia, and New Zealand.

Proulx was appointed composer-in-residence for 1994-1995 at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt LakeCity and was named a 1995 Visiting Fellow at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. He has served onsummer faculties of the Montreat Conference, the Evergreen Conference, Saint John's University School ofTheology, and has served as vice president of the Catholic Liturgy Society. Currently working as a free-lancecomposer and conductor, he has also been an editorial consultant to GIA Publications and Augsburg Fortress.

In the field of commercial music, Proulx composed the 1971 theme song for Union Pacific Railroad, as wellas an orchestral score for a documentary film, "The Golden Door". Two recent arrangements (sung by TheCathedral Singers) were featured in a May, 1996 episode of "ER" on NBC and his brief organ setting of VeniCreator is heard in the 1997 movie, "The Devil's Own".

Richard Proulx has received a number of prestigious awards. The National Endowment for the Artsawarded him a commission for a new opera in 1989; the same year he was presented the Gold Medal of theArchdiocese of Chicago by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. In 1994, he received an honorary doctorate fromGeneral Theological Seminary in New York City and also the BENE award from Modern Liturgy Magazine as"the most significant liturgical composer of the last twenty years". He also was named the 1995 PastoralMusician of the Year by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. In 1998, Richard Proulx received thePax Christi Award from Saint John's University in College, Minnesota.

A rare combination of talents as composer, conductor, music editor, and organist, together with wideexperience across denominational lines, have given Richard Proulx a unique perspective of both theopportunities and the challenges found in liturgical music-making in our time; he remains committed to theenriching and balancing role of the arts in people of all ages.4

Angels (1994) Stephen SuberI. Swing Low (b. 1950)II. Sweet Chariot

Biography/NotesStephen Suber

In reflecting on this work, Stephen Suber remarks, "I was delighted and honored when Larry Gwozdzasked me to compose a piece for him. I had recently heard him perform and was struck by his extraordinarymusicality and virtuosity. Larry's intoxicatingly sweet saxophone sound was unlike anything I had ever heard.It conjured a nostalgia that made me think of a painting by John McCrady that I had gotten to know in highschool.

"Titled Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, this painting depicts a landscape with a sharecropper's cabin in theforeground. Inside, an old man is on his deathbed. Outside, a huge storm looms, with dark, billowing,threatening clouds out of which a chariot and a band of angels descend toward the cabin in a stream of light.My piece evokes the memory of my strong emotional response to McCrady's painting.

"The first movement, Swing Low, is built on the piano's chord pattern (in the manner of a chaconne) and arepeating 20-beat rhythmic pattern which plays palindromically, forward and backward. Over this I wrote thequasi-improvisatory saxophone part. I see a connection to the Blues, with its repeating chord progression and12-bar pattern with a line sung or improvised, though my musical materials are a universe away from theBlues. The second movement, Sweet Chariot, is conceived as a vocalise for the saxophone. I sought to attainsome of the sublime qualities I hear in African-American spirituals."

A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Suber trained at Principia College, Mills College, and IndianaUniversity. His teachers were Frederick Fox, Terry Riley, Robert Ashley, and Reinhart Ross. He is Professor ofMusic at Southeastern Louisiana University. He has won awards from the Indianapolis Symphony andLouisville Orchestra, and has been recorded on the First Edition, Opus One, and MMC labels.5

4 Richard Proulx, "Homepage," 8 April 2001, <http://www.richardproulx.com/RP_BIO.htm> (7 June 2003).5 Steven Ritter Jacket notes to Lawrence Gwozdz, Simply Gifts, Albany Records Compact Disc TROY378, 2000.

Marcia funebre Ludwig van Beethoven, Op. 55From Symphony No. 3 (b. 1770-1827)in Eb, ‘Eroica’ (1806) arr. by R. Selva

Rossini died on November 13 of 1868. His funeral was held on November 21, 1868 at Trinité church. Perhapsthis might appear an unusual place to find the saxophone, yet the saxophone was present for the final ritesof a greatly loved man who sincerely admired the saxophone.

“Before the absolution, a quartet of saxophones of Sax played Beethoven's Funeral March, arranged for thisoccasion by Gevaert, which added to the melodic beauties of the ceremony and to the chill felt by thosepresent.” (Fred L. Hemke, “The Early History of the Saxophone”)

The following saxophone quartet is an arrangement that was prepared by the author in an effort to recreatethe Gevaert arrangement that was performed at Gioacchino Rossini’s funeral. The current arrangement waspremiered on Palm Sunday March 24, 2002 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago, Illinois. It wasperformed again shortly afterward on April 21, 2002 at Chicago’s Union Station for “The Chain of Hope.” The“Chain of Hope” was started by the Rev. Richard Fragomeni as a prayerful, ecumenical, faith-based responseto the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The “Chain of Hope” Saxophone Quartet performed at bothoccasions.6

6 Riccardo Selva, The Saxophone in Sacred Music, (D.M.A. Diss., Northwestern University, 2003), 320-21.

The Chain of Hope Saxophone Quartet

Masahito Sugihara – soprano saxophone

Dr. David Pituch – alto saxophone

Tim Aubuchon – tenor saxophone

Riccardo Selva – baritone saxophone

Heaven (1968) Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington(b. 1899-1974)arr. by R. Selva

Notes FromRiccardo Selva, The Saxophone in Sacred Music, (D.M.A. Diss., Northwestern University, 2003), 158-62.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974) is recognized as one of America’s finest composers. In hisbody of over 2,000 compositions, he attained a level of musical excellence, innovation, and recognition that fewothers have equaled. Ellington achieved a most important personal and musical goal in his last greatcompositional efforts – The Sacred Concerts. Ellington described the sacred concerts as, “…an exceptionalopportunity. ‘Now I can say openly,’ I said, ‘What I have been saying to myself on my knees.’”7 The concertswere presented during the last nine years of Ellington’s life. The details surrounding the premieres of eachSacred Concert are as follows:

Concert of Sacred MusicSeptember 16, 1965

Grace Cathedral, San FranciscoCelebration of the consecration of the cathedral

Second Sacred ConcertJanuary 19, 1968

Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York

Third Sacred ConcertOctober 24, 1973

West minister Abbey - London, EnglandSponsored by the United Nations

These concerts were very important to Ellington. In his autobiography, he included several key statementsthat described how he viewed these concerts both personally and musically.First he speaks regarding the undertaking of the project:

A new venture of that kind could not be begun without a certain amount of trepidation, because of thepossibility of misunderstanding or misinterpretation, and I tried to explain my approach beforehand. Thegist was that in this world we presume many ambitions. We make many observations such as (a) everyone'saloneness (there really are no categories, you know. Everyone is so alone-the basic, essential state ofhumankind); (b) the paradox that is communication-the built-in answer to that feeling of aloneness.

Communication itself is what baffles the multitude. It is both so difficult and so simple. Of all man's fears,I think men are most afraid of being what they are-in direct communication with the world at large. Theyfear reprisals, the most personal of which is that they "won't be understood."

How can anyone expect to be understood unless he presents his thoughts with complete honesty? Thissituation is unfair because it asks too much of the world. In effect, we say, "I don't dare show you what I ambecause I don't trust you for a minute but please love me anyway because I so need you to. And, of course, ifyou don't love me anyway, you're a dirty dog, just as I suspected, so I was right in the first place." Yet, everytime God's children have thrown away fear in pursuit of honesty-trying to communicate themselves,understood or not-miracles have happened.8

Ellington comments in regard to the method of artistic expression and communication of the Sacred Concerts:I believe that no matter how highly skilled a drummer or saxophonist might be, if this is the thing he does

best, and he offers it sincerely from the heart in-or as accompaniment to--his worship, he will not beunacceptable because of lack of skill or of the instrument upon which he makes his demonstration, be it pipeor tom-tom.

If a man is troubled, he moans and cries when he worships. When a man feels that that which he enjoys inhis life is only because of the grace of God, he rejoices, he sings, and sometimes dances (and so it was withDavid in spite of his wife's prudishness).9

Ellington comments on the inspiration of the Sacred Concerts and their relationship to his career as acomposer:

The experiences encountered in the course of giving nearly fifty performances of the previous concert hadnaturally given me fresh insight into the way people were thinking and reacting. Some people ask me what

7 Edward Kennedy Ellington, Music Is My Mistress (New York: DaCapo Press, 1976), 261.8 Ibid., 261.9 Ibid., 262.

prompted me to write the music for the sacred concerts. I have done so not as a matter of career, but inresponse to a growing understanding of my own vocation, and with the encouragement of many people…10

Ellington comments on the composer’s intention and musical form of the Sacred Concerts:These concerts are not the traditional mass jazzed up. I have not as yet written music for a mass, although

I have been commissioned by Father Norman O'Connor to do so. But since this is not a jazz mass, I shouldvery much like to make my point of view clear.

I think of myself as a messenger boy, one who tries to bring messages to people, not people who havenever heard of God, but those who were more or less raised with the guidance of the Church.11

Nebulae (1998) Frank Ferko (b. 1950)

Nebulae for alto saxophone and organ; commissioned by saxophonist Dr. Gail Levinsky and first performedby Dr. Levinsky and organist Leanne Fazio at the March 1998 conference of the North American SaxophoneAlliance at Northwestern University.

BiographyDr. Frank Ferko

Frank Ferko (b. 1950, Barberton, Ohio) began piano study at the age of nine in Barberton, Ohio with GraceBaughman and in high school he studied with Richard Shirey, a member of the music faculty at the Universityof Akron. He began work as a church organist at the age of 14, and two years later he began to conduct a smallchurch choir. At 18 he entered Valparaiso University and received a Bachelor of Music degree in piano andorgan performance from Valparaiso in 1972. He received the Master of Music degree in music theory (with aminor in organ performance) from Syracuse University one year later. He holds a doctorate in musiccomposition from Northwestern University. His teachers have included Richard Wienhorst and Alan Stout(composition), Philip Gehring and Will O. Headlee (organ), and Howard Boatwright (theory). For more thantwenty-five years he held the post of director of music at various churches in the midwest, primarily in theChicago area. Mr. Ferko holds memberships in Pi Kappa Lambda, the American Society of Composers,Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), American Music Center, American Guild of Organists, AmericanComposers' Forum, and voting membership in the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences(Grammys).

As one of Chicago's best known composers, Frank Ferko has been active as both composer and organist inChicago for more than 25 years. He currently holds the position of Composer-in-Residence for the DaleWarland Singers, America's finest a cappella choir, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Ferko's works have beenperformed by such distinguished artists as the Dale Warland Singers, Bella Voce (formerly known as HisMajestie's Clerkes), the Jubilate Singers (New Zealand), VU-Kamerkoor (The Netherlands), AmericanRepertory Singers, Magnum Chorum, Seattle Pro Musica, Ars Nova Singers, Chicago Choral Artists, theLutheran Choir of Chicago and the South Bend Chamber Singers; sopranos Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet,Nancy Gustafson and Patrice Michaels; tenors Michael Hume and Kurt Hansen; baritones Philip Skinner,Thomas Potter and Peter Van De Graaff; duet keyboardists Timothy and Nancy LeRoi Nickel, Marilyn andJames Biery, and Colin Andrews and Janette Fishell, as well as organists David Schrader, Patrick Wedd, DavidCraighead, Larry Palmer, Douglas Cleveland, Jonathan Dimock, McNeil Robinson, Leonard Raver andEdward Hansen, harpsichordist Tatiana Zenaishvili and the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Ferko's musichas been presented at the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music (2002), Jusqu'aux oreilles (Montreal, 2001,2002), Festival Oude Muziek (Utrecht, 1998) and at national conventions of the AGO, ACDA and ChorusAmerica. Mr. Ferko's works have been presented in concert or in radio broadcast in 30 countries on 6continents including broadcasts on Vatican Radio, Cultura FM in São Paolo (Brazil), National Public Radio aswell as WQXR in New York and WFMT and WNIB in Chicago. Mr. Ferko's awards include the 1989-1990AGO/Holtkamp Award from the American Guild of Organists, Margaret Fairbanks Jory Award (2001), anASCAP award every year since 1989, grants from Arts International, Meet the Composer, AmericanComposers Forum, the Jerome Foundation and the Alice M. Ditson Fund. Three times since 1996 he hasreceived the Artist Fellowship Award from the Illinois Arts Council. His works are published by E. C.Schirmer with whom he has an exclusive publishing contract, and many of his works have been recorded for

10 Ibid., 266.11 Ibid., 267-68.

compact disc on the Arsis, Cedille, Gasparo, Raven, ZigZag, Notegun, New Art and Liturgical Press labels.His Stabat Mater for unaccompanied mixed chorus and soprano solo, which received high audience andcritical acclaim in the U.S. and abroad, has been recorded on compact disc for Cedille Records with sopranoNancy Gustafson and His Majestie's Clerkes (former name of Bella Voce), conducted by Anne Heider. Mr.Ferko has also presented his own works in lecture/demonstrations at high schools, colleges and conservatoriesacross the country and for chapters of the American Guild of Organists.

As a scholar of the music of Olivier Messiaen, Mr. Ferko has lectured on Messiaen's organ music and hasperformed many of Messiaen's works in concert. He has also written articles for The American Organist onavant-garde music in the church and on the organ music of the Swiss composer Marc Briquet.

Mr. Ferko's compositions based on his research on the life, music and writings of Hildegard von Bingenhave gained international attention, and during the summer of 1998 Mr. Ferko was invited to perform hisHildegard Organ Cycle at the Holland Festival Oude Muziek in Utrecht (Netherlands), a performance whichmarked the European premiere of the work. This was followed by the West Coast U.S. premiere of the work atthe Cathedral of St. Mary in San Francisco. Other performances of this work have been presented in majorcities across the U.S. since 1991. Similarly, Ferko's Hildegard Motets have been performed by professional andcollege choirs across America, and his articles about the music of Hildegard and her influence on present-daycomposers have appeared in the British music journal Choir & Organ.12

Riccardo Selva - Biography

Born of Sammarinese parents Giuseppe and Lisette Gatti Selva in Detroit, Michigan, Riccardo began hismusical studies at age 12 in the Southgate Schools, under the tutelage of James A. Skura. He continued hisstudies at the University of Michigan School of Music in Ann Arbor, where he earned a degree in MusicEducation and Saxophone/wind instruments performance. Upon graduation Mr. Selva taught band, choir,and humanities at St. Mary Catholic Central High School in Monroe, Michigan at which time he performedprofessionally as a soloist, conductor, and chamber musician. He also served as a Music minister, youthminister/catechist, and parish council member at St. Hugh Parish in Southgate. During this time he organizedand directed several youth masses as a music/youth minister and for his service to the community wasawarded the Allen Park Community Council Service Award. In addition, he has performed in San Marinowith the country’s military band and has recorded San Marino’s national anthem with a local band fordistribution among Detroit’s Sammarinese Community. He has also taught music at the Culver MilitaryAcademy in Culver, Indiana as a staff member of the summer program.

Mr. Selva made his solo debut as a winner in the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra concerto competitionin 1994 where he performed at Detroit's renowned Orchestra Hall with the Civic Orchestra and conductorLeslie B. Dunner. As the founder of the Saxophone Quartet "I Sassofonisti Virtuosi", he has performed inconjunction with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The group has also performed on network television in theDetroit area and has produced educational shows for cable television.

In 1995, he graduated from Northwestern University with honors earning a Master's degree in Saxophoneperformance with a strong emphasis in conducting while studying with Frederick L. Hemke and John P.Paynter. During this time, he founded another saxophone ensemble "The Espresso Saxophone Quartet" whichhas performed at music schools, conservatories, in coffeehouses, and at private functions in the Chicago area.

The following year he completed an artist certificate in performance at Northwestern where he presentedtwo concert recitals, pursued intensive studies in jazz pedagogy, and served as a staff member at the ZionConservatory of music. He continued his study with Dr. Hemke and received instruction in jazz from DonOwens, Antonio Garcia, and Michael Kocour. Within this time, Mr. Selva also had the opportunity to performin master classes with Darmon Meader -- saxophonist and vocalist of the New York Voices, world-renownedjazz bassist Rufus Reid, and as guest saxophone soloist with the Zion Chamber Orchestra. He has alsorecorded professionally in the Gospel music genre and for film scores .

A musician of varied background, he has performed as a conductor of bands and choirs, a woodwindsspecialist in musicals, a jazz musician, and a singer. He has worked as a music educator and church musicianfor the last twelve years and has participated in the Concours International Jean-Marie Londeix -- aninternational saxophone competition taking place in Bordeaux, France. Mr. Selva performs as soloist, with theEspresso Saxophone Quartet, and with his jazz/Gospel quartet Riccardo Selva & Friends. He has been on call

12 Frank Ferko, "Homepage," 6 April 2003, <http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/~dahling/biography.html> (10 June

2003).

as a substitute/extra musician with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra on saxophones and flute in both theclassical and jazz styles for the last two years.

Mr. Selva has served on the faculty of the Zion Conservatory of Music teaching woodwinds, jazz, andcomposition and coordinating the winds department for the last eight years. He has also served on the facultyof the St. Joseph College Seminary at Loyola University of Chicago. He is active in Music ministry performingas a guest artist, ministering regularly at St. Francis Hospital, at the Sheil Catholic Center in Evanston, Illinois,St. James Parish in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii under the direction ofnationally renowned homilist and musician Fr. Richard Fragomeni. Mr. Selva has performed personally forCardinal Frances George of Chicago. In addition to his performing and teaching, he operates a freelance musicpublishing and music technology business. Currently, he is the music editor of the accompaniment edition ofCantate et Iubilate Deo, a Catholic devotional hymnal on which he has collaborated with the Rev. Dr. JamesSocías and Richard Proulx. The hymnal is published by the Midwest Theological Forum and Our Sunday Visitor.Mr. Selva has recently finished his dissertation entitled The Saxophone In Sacred Music and with the completionof tonight’s recital, will have met all of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in saxophoneperformance at the Northwestern University School of Music.

A Note of Thanks

…To all who have made the past six years of study at Northwestern a dream fulfilled:

Dr. Hemke my mentor who guided me through many years of fruitful study and growth. To my doctoral

committee, professors Thomas Bauman, Don Owens, Gary Kendall, Robert Barris, and Antonio Garcia who

have invested generously in my education. To others who have contributed generously to my education and

personal growth: Fr. Richard Fragomeni, Dr. David Pituch, Dr. Jonathan Helton, professor Michael Kocour,

and all of my other professors and mentors who have been so valuable to me. To the friends and colleagues

who have been a part of this recital – whose musical gifts and friendship has been a constant encouragement.

To Dr. Frank Ferko and Richard Proulx who have kindly offered their time and expertise in the preparation of

their compositions. To my parents Giuseppe and Lisette Selva who have been supportive in every way of my

musical vocation. To all of my friends from the church communities where I minister in music – St. Hugh,

Sheil Catholic Center, St. James, Huron Valley Church, St. Teresa, the Zion Conservatory of Music, and the

Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii.

I would like to give thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ, Mary his Blessed Mother, and St. Joseph the

guardian of the Holy Family. It is my sincere prayer that tonight’s music brings joy, healing, and a nearness to

God for all who share in this experience. I would like to dedicate tonight’s performance to my sister, Carla

Selva, who has been a very special person in my life.