2013 • Estimated timing: 10'00" • Grade 5View PDF score
PROGRAM NOTES:
Cotten's Country was commissioned by a consortium of schools and organizations under the auspices of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra and Dr. Barry Knezek. Cotten's Country is a musical tribute to a father and son raised in Southeast Texas. A gift to Lone Star Wind Orchestra Co-Founder Robert W. Clark and in dedication to his late father Cotten Wright Clark, Jr., Cotten's Country follows a journey through life on a Texas ranch, inspired by Westerns and Country Swing from the 1940s and 50s. Programmatic sections include "Hero on the Range, "The Rancher," "The Peaceful Cowboy," "Cowboy's Lament," and "Dance Hall." Focused on Cotten Wright Clark, Jr.'s life, the work features the trumpet, Cotten's instrument, and his love of dance hall music made popular by groups like Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys and the Sons of the Pioneers. The composer writes, "Traditional cowboy songs are woven into the fabric of my work, including two American fiddle tunes - Cotten Eyed Joe and Chicken in the Barnyard, along with two prominent cowboy songs - Cowboy Jack and Streets of Laredo. Country music at its core is about telling a story. Cotten's Country is a tone poem telling the story of a father and son from Southeast Texas."
CONSORTIUM MEMBERS:
Berkner High School Bands (Richardson, TX)Frank Troyka, Director of Bands
Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH) Dr. Bruce Moss, Director of Band Activities
Lone Star Wind Orchestra (Dallas, TX) Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Music Director and Conductor
Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) Dr. Timothy Rhea, Director of Bands
University of North Texas (Denton, TX) Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Director of Wind Studies
University of Texas at Pan American (Edinburg, TX) Dr. Saul Torres, Director of Bands
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