Feliz Navidad (Puerto Rico) – Jose Feliciano/Tom Wallace

Polar Express (Canada) – Alan Silverstri/Jerry Burbaker

Toy Soldiers Marches – (Eastern Europe) – Marsha Chusmir Shapiro

In The Bleak Midwinter (England) – Gustav Holst/Robert Smith

Fanfare For The Festival of Lights (Jewish or Israel) Evan VanDoren

On This Day from Piae Cantiones (1582) (Scandinavia) – Tom Wallace

Imani (Africa) – Sean O’Loughlin

Auld Lang Syne (Scotland) – Robert Burns/Robert Longfield

A Christmas Festival (United States) – Leroy Anderson

Conductor Ted M. Hope has served as the conductor of the Fanfare Winds and Hillsborough Community College for the past 10 year.  He was affiliated with the Hillsborough County School District for 39 years and retired as the Supervisor of Middle and Secondary Music after 19 years of service in March of 2023.  He received his Associates Degree from Hillsborough Community College, Bachelor of Music Education from Florida State University, and his Master of Music Education and Education Specialist from the University of Southern Mississippi.   He subsequently taught in the public schools for twenty years as band director at Hillsborough High School (1984-1987) and Bloomingdale High School (1987-2004).  He is a member of the Florida Bandmasters Association where he served as chairman and secretary. Mr. Hope’s professional affiliations include Music Educators National Conference, Hillsborough County Secondary Music Council, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the Bay Area Saxophone Quartet and the Hillsborough Association of School Administrators . Mr. Hope is an active clinician and adjudicator in concert band, jazz ensemble, and marching band.

Feliz Navidad (Puerto Rico) – Jose Feliciano/Tom Wallace

Feliz Navidad is a macaronic Christmas song written in 1970 by the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano. With its simple Spanish chorus (the traditional Christmas/New Year greeting, “Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad” meaning “Merry Christmas, a prosperous year and happiness”) and equally simple English verse “I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart”, it has become a classic Christmas pop song in the United States, throughout the Spanish-speaking world and internationally. (wikipedia)

Polar Express (Canada) – Alan Silverstri/Jerry Burbaker

This medley from the popular children’s movie includes Believe, The Polar Express, When Christmas Comes to Town and Spirit of the Season. Based on the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, the story teaches about friendship, bravery and the spirit of Christmas in an amazing magical adventure to the North Pole on Christmas Eve aboard The Polar Express. The song Believe was nominated for Best Original Song at the 77th Academy Awards and won a Grammy in 2006.

The Polar Express is a 2004 American computer-animated adventure film based on the 1985 children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. Co-written, co-produced and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film features human characters animated using live-action motion capture animation.

The film tells the story of a young boy who, on Christmas Eve, sees a mysterious train bound for the North Pole stop outside his window and is invited aboard by its conductor. The boy joins several other children as they embark on a journey to visit Santa Claus preparing for Christmas. The film stars Tom Hanks, with Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett and Eddie Deezen. (windrep.org)

Toy Soldiers Marches – (Eastern Europe) – Marsha Chusmir Shapiro

This medley features Parade of the Wooden Soldiers; March of the Toys; Toy Soldier March and March of the Wooden Soldiers from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite. (Publisher notes)

In The Bleak Midwinter (England) – Gustav Holst/Robert Smith

In the Bleak Midwinter is a Christmas carol based on a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti written before 1872 in response to a request from the magazine Scribner’s Monthly for a Christmas poem. It was published posthumously in Rossetti’s Poetic Works in 1904.

The traditional hymn In the Bleak Midwinter was composed by Gustav Holst in 1908. It is the second movement of the Holst Winter Suite and the work that inspired the creation of the three-movement tribute to Holst. Ms. Alta Sue Hawkins, a retired Virginia band director, suggested the title to Robert W. Smith as a possible symphonic band setting. Unfortunately, Ms. Hawkins passed away before work was complete.

In remembrance of Ms. Hawkins, Mr. Smith re-scored the work for publication. The composer uses the traditional American folk melody Shenandoah as the contrapunctal line representing Ms. Hawkins’ birth and rest in the beautiful valley of Virginia.

In December of 1992, Mr. Smith married into the Hawkins family. His setting of In the Bleak Midwinter is dedicated to Ben, Chuck, and his wife Susan in loving memory of their mother, Alta Sue. (windrep.org)

Fanfare For The Festival of Lights (Jewish or Israel) – Evan VanDoren

“Fanfare for the Festival of Lights” weaves two traditional Hanukkah melodies into a colorful, rousing celebration! “Ma’oz Tzur”, translated, means “rock of ages”, and hints at the strength of faith felt by the Jewish people when reflecting on the story of Hanukkah. In contrast, “The Dreidel Song” leans into a more playful side of the Hanukkah holiday, referencing a song about an often-played children’s game.

From the composer, “As a young Jewish musician growing up in the United States, I performed an untold number of Christmas selections around the holiday season. And, truthfully, I enjoyed them all! The concert band repertoire includes a wealth of masterfully crafted selections composed and arranged from melodies and concepts tied to the Christmas holiday. However, there are decidedly fewer opportunities for young Jewish musicians to perform music derived from their own cultural and religious heritage. My hope is that through creating this brief work, Jewish musicians will have the opportunity to perform music from their background, while all musicians join together in a musical celebration of the joy and awe of the holiday season!” (Publisher notes)

On This Day from Piae Cantiones (1582) (Scandinavia) – Tom Wallace

Based on the tune Personent Hodie (On This Day Earth Shall Ring), this treatment of the carol mixes medieval and contemporary styles. Alternating between dark, mysterious, and festive moods, this winter holiday spectacular features an ever-changing kaleidoscope of fascinating instrumental colors. (publisher notes)

Imani (Africa) – Sean O’Loughlin

This celebratory work with an African feel is named after the seventh day of Kwanzaa, Imani, which translates to mean “faith.” Featuring some unison chants sung by the band members, a delightful piccolo solo and fascinating percussion parts, this captures the tribal feeling that is so important to the celebration of this African-American holiday. (Publisher notes, windrep.org)

Auld Lang Syne (Scotland) – Robert Burns/Robert Longfield

Robert Burns’ 1788 poem is based on a traditional Scottish ballad, which also served as bases for poems that predated Burns’, such as Robert Ayton and James Watson. The text invites us to remember days of yore. In addition to its appearance as we recognize the onset of the new year, the song is used across the world for other occasions such as funerals (Chile) and graduation ceremonies (Hungary). (windrep.org)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

And surely you will buy your cup
And surely I’ll buy mine!
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

We two have paddled in the stream
From morning sun till night
The seas between us Lord and swell
Since the days of auld lang syne

For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
For the sake of auld lang syne?

For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
In the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

A Christmas Festival (United States) – Leroy Anderson

A Christmas Festival, composed in 1950, is a concert overture built upon traditional Christmas songs. Originally recorded by the Boston Pops, it is the Christmas medley that sets the standard for all others. Anderson has encompassed the joy, celebration, and solemnity of Christmas in his arrangements of Joy To The World • Deck the Halls • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen • Good King Wenceslas • Hark! The Herald Angels Sing • The First Noel • Silent Night • Jingle Bells and O Come, All Ye Faithful. (windrep.org)

Fanfare Concert Winds is a “Not for Profit” Organization. That means that all donations to our organization are 100% tax deductible.

Please consider a donation to Fanfare Concert Winds to help defray the cost of music.

Our tax number is 47-49031478.

You can give a check tonight (see Dana or Ted) OR:

You can mail a check to:
Fanfare Concert Winds
9465 Forest Hills Place
Tampa, FL 33612

Thank you for attending tonight’s concert!

VISION
The Fanfare Concert Winds will contribute to the musical culture and community throughout Hillsborough County by providing quality music performance and educational experiences for the young and the young at heart.

MISSION
• To facilitate a venue for music educators, professional and community musicians and Hillsborough Community College students to come together in a professional-level ensemble.
• To supplement the music education of the Hillsborough County Public Schools and Hillsborough Community College through clinics, side-by-side concerts, festivals and scholarships.
• To expose our members and audiences to quality musical literature.