Program Notes

Under Wide Open Skies (2026 CD)

UNDER WIDE OPEN SKIES

The Crossroads Wind Symphony

Paul W. Popiel, conductor

Recorded in The Lied Center of Kansas, June 1-2, 2026.

Skybound

Grace Baugher Dunlap

Skybound is a soaring, energetic fanfare for wind band that perfectly captures the spirit of dreamers and visionaries. This brief musical journey honors the brilliant ideas that only happen when we allow our minds to wander above the noise of the everyday world. Through bright, lifting melodies and colors, the piece mirrors the pure joy of looking upward and daring to imagine something bigger.

- Program note from the Composer

Sunbloom

Gavin Lendt

Commissioned by the Olathe Civic Band in Olathe, Kansas, Sunbloom premiered at the Kansas Bandmasters Association Convention in Wichita, KS, during the summer of 2024.

This piece is all about motion—fast, driven, and full of energy. I drew inspiration from my wife, Stacy, who is an avid runner and horn player. Many of her races begin at dawn, with runners warming up, stretching, and shaking off the early morning chill before the race begins. From the first burst of adrenaline to the steady rhythm of the race and the final push across the finish line, Sunbloom attempts to capture the excitement, determination, and momentum of a runner (or walker) in motion.

- Program note from the Composer

American Song: Two Folk Settings from Colonial America

Stuart O’Neil

Folk music is by definition an evolving idiom, continually changing over time and between various – typically isolated – geographic regions. The two songs in this setting were collected by English musicologist Cecil Sharp in the early 1900s. They were included in his 1932 English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, a two-volume anthology containing 274 different folk songs – many with multiple variants – totaling nearly one thousand distinct tunes.

While a young America was indeed a melting pot of differing cultures and customs, much of its folk music can be directly traced back to Great Britain. During World War I, Sharp made three trips to the Southern Appalachian region of the United States. During these visits, he traveled extensively – often by foot – to rural communities, interviewing residents and transcribing as many folk songs as he could.

The Nightingale tells a story of separation and unrequited love, and there is a sense of longing and melancholy throughout the simple tune. Sharp collected five distinct variants of this song in 1917.

Putnam’s Hill (or also Putman’s Hill) is a children’s nonsense song, although it appears to share some lyrics with the haunting and far less playful Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, which in turn is based on the Scottish tune Shule Aroon. Sharp collected this song in 1916.

Cecil Sharp collected over 4,700 folk songs throughout his career, over 1,600 were during his time in the Appalachians.

- Program Note by the Composer

Western Suite (2023)

Tom Davoren (b. 1986)

Western Suite is the second in a series of multi movement works that draw inspiration from regions of the United States of America. This work was composed through 2022 and 23 for the bands of Western Colorado University, conducted by Dr. Brett Keating.

Each of the three movements is based on a landmark native to western Colorado. The work begins with Black Canyon of the Gunnison, where strong pillars of sound and sweeping melodies represent the impressive gorge carved by the Gunnison River. The second movement, Crested Butte is reminiscent of the monolith-like natural structure of the same name nestled in the Elk Mountains. The music is strong, coloristic, and highlighted with moments of fluidity and sweetness. The final movement, Gunnison Town, is an excitable cityscape, capturing the spirit of this vibrant gateway to the nature of western Colorado.

Western Suite premiered at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference 2023.

- Program Note by the Composer

Sunflower Saga

This overture pays tribute to the American western frontier, Dodge City, and its famous Cowboy Band of that era. Dedicated to the friends and colleagues of the composer for the 20th anniversary of the Kansas Bandmasters Association.

- Program note from publisher

March Brilliante

William P. Foster (1919-2010)

William Patrick Foster (25 August 1919, Kansas City, Mo. – 28 August 2010, Tallahassee, Fla.) was an American composer, educator, and noted director of Florida A&M University Marching "100".

Dr. Foster held degrees from the University of Kansas, Wayne State University, and Teachers College, Columbia University. He was best known as the director of Florida A&M University Marching "100". He served as the band's director from 1946 to his retirement in 1998, where his innovations revolutionized college marching band technique and the perceptions of the collegiate band.

Foster was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, the National Association for Distinguished Band Conductors Hall of Fame, the Florida Music Educators Association Hall of Fame and the Afro-American Hall of Fame among others.

Foster authored 18 articles for professional journals, four published marching band shows, and the textbook, Band Pageantry, considered the Bible for the marching band. Foster also wrote the book The Man Behind the Baton. He is the composer of Marche Brilliante, National Honors March, March Continental, and Centennial Celebration.

March Brilliante received its premiere by the 1981 McDonald's All-American High School Band, led by Dr. Foster, in the 1981 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

- Program note adapted from The Wind Repertory Project

The Carillon Calls (live recording)

Grace Baugher Dunlap

The Carillon Calls was commissioned to celebrate 100 years of band at Topeka High School. This piece highlights the bell tower and school song, both of which hold a great significance in connection to the past and continuation in the rich history and traditions of Topeka High. To tell the story through music, the piece includes parts of the melody from the school song mixed with the feelings of reflection and pride as indicated in the stylistic changes in the music. There are also a unique set of distinct chime parts to celebrate the iconic bell tower.

- Program notes by Jennifer Antonetti

Production Team

Dennis Fisher, producer

PJ Kelley, recording engineer

Melissa Sawyer, associate producer & editor

Matthew Smith, associate producer

Eric Tinkler, production assistant