Coordinated by Staff Sgt. Bridget Piccirilli of “The President’s Own,” “Reflection Across the Atlantic: Franco-American Chamber Dialogues” features prominent works by wind band composers. The concert will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 1 at St. Mark’s Capitol Hill. The performance is free; no tickets are required.

Program

Parking and Directions

Here’s what Piccirilli had to say about the performance:

When curating this chamber concert program, the first two works that came to mind were François Devienne's Bassoon Quartet in C, Op. 73 No. 1 and George Gershwin’s An American in Paris. The shared connection between America and France in these compositions ultimately inspired a program that highlights both French and American musical spirit. My goal was to present the audience with an eclectic selection of works with a variety of instrumentations.

The program opens with American-born composer Samuel Barber’s Summer Music, Opus 31 because we are all a bit tired of winter! Though not intentionally programmatic, Barber sought to capture the relaxed, easygoing character of the season suggested by the title. To my ear, the opening motif shared by the bassoon and horn has a distinctly bluesy quality, reminiscent of Gershwin. I chose to place this work at the beginning of the program as a subtle foreshadowing of the final piece.

William Grant Still’s Vignettes for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano is sure to delight audiences with its memorable and engaging collection of American folk-inspired melodies. A true pioneer, Still was the first African American composer to have a major symphony performed by an American orchestra and the first to conduct a major American symphony orchestra. The sixth and final movement of this work is especially significant in tying together the concert’s theme. Titled Gardé piti mulet là, it is based on a Creole folk tune from Louisiana, reflecting the rich cultural influences of French, African and Spanish traditions.

Kevin Day’s Fantasia III, which premiered in 2021, is the most contemporary work on the program. I was first drawn to Day’s music when the Marine Band performed his Concerto for Wind Ensemble, and I jumped at the opportunity to program one of his chamber works. Like Summer Music, this brass quintet draws heavily from jazz idioms, blending brass sonorities with the flair and energy of a master improviser.

Another virtuosic highlight of the program is Devienne’s Bassoon Quartet in C, Op. 73 No. 1. Listeners who enjoy the music of Mozart and Haydn will appreciate this work’s quintessentially classical style. Joined by violin, viola and cello, the bassoon shines in this three-movement work that showcases the technical and expressive abilities of each performer. I am especially excited to collaborate with my string colleagues, with whom I do not often have the opportunity to perform chamber music alongside.

The program concludes with a shortened excerpt from Gershwin’s An American in Paris, arranged for reed quintet by Raaf Hekkema. The reed quintet—consisting of clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, oboe, and bassoon—is a relatively new chamber ensemble. This arrangement effectively captures the excitement and jazzy vitality of Gershwin’s original orchestral work. Gershwin depicts an American traveler navigating the vibrant and dizzying soundscape of Paris, experiencing moments of homesickness before ultimately embracing the joy of travel. I hope our audience enjoys this unique opportunity to hear such a varied and eclectic program celebrating French and American influences.