The music of Don Gillis; Peachstreet Promenade and more

You're listening to music by Don give us. This is done. Welcome once again to another session around the microphone with me. The music that I've been reading. Five years. I'm glad you tuned in on this particular show because there are two of my favorite scores on it. Usually a composer says that his favorite composition is the one he's listening to at the moment you ask him what his favorite composition is. I have some favorites and among them are Peachtree Promina because of its brightly good humor and because it makes me think of Atlanta Georgia and the time the music clubs of Atlanta commissioned the suite from which this comes.

And another of my favorites is the second number in the program Allison orchestra you based on the script written by Ernest le prod who also wrote the book will make Peachtree prom and I'll be over here on this concert and the version you will hear now was recorded in Rome in 1051 with as we so frequently say on this program the composer conducting. Thank. You. It.

Was. Worth the. Peachtree promenade from the Atlanta suite has been the brief but good natured opening music on this the fifth broadcast by the national educational radio network of the music of Don Gillis and Don Gill is here to tell you more about Alice in orchestra in 1950 the NBC symphony was doing a series of programs sponsored by United States Steel and as part of each broadcast we devoted time to what we call the children's corner and for one of these concerts I was asked to write the music to a script prepared by author Ernest a prod from his book Alice in orchestra. About a year after its first performance by Wilford Pelosi A in

the NBC symphony I went to Rome where arrangements had been made to record a number of my scores with the orchestra at a common law for Rexford records. The orchestrator comment was actually much like the new symphony of London a recording trade name that is to say the orchestra had been formed from many other groups that specialize in just recording. And of course my limited command of the Italian language and their limited knowledge of English may have been shall we say fraught with hazards. Whoever said that music was a universal language was no doubt right in the broad metaphysical sense of the phrase but when it came right down to working with Piot D and the Illini instead of cymbals and violins I found myself sometimes at a loss for words. At least Italian ones. But the baton seemed to understand even without an interpreter. So after a couple of happy sessions at the studios of Radio Rome we put the orchestral part of the work on tape in a most satisfactory manner.

The next step took place in the NBC studios in New York and a cast was assembled and with narrator Jean Hamilton the album was completed as the music on tape was played to them as they spoke their lines in the studio and the whole thing recorded into the sounds which you're about to hear. I will assume that you need no briefing for most of the project charming story for it has been around for many years and is regarded as a necessary handbook to almost every successful course in music appreciation for youngsters. Without further ado then let's begin our performance. Alice in orchestra you with music by Don Gill is based on a script and book by Ernest le prod with Jean Hamilton as narrator. The little girl who just got off the train stared at the clear looking trunk on the station

platform. It was taller than a man. And shaped like a huge bomb and the shouting and thumping seemed to come from inside. At first the little girl didn't know what to do. Then she saw that the trunk was unlocked. All right wait a second. And in a jiffy she had the lid open and out popped a big bass viol. The bass viol shook his fist at the little girl and shouted What do you mean by shutting me up and that I nearly smothered. What's the big idea. The little girl was frightened. He didn't shut up. I let you out the bass viol stopped shaking his fist. Oh and it must have been those pesky ukulele kids. Just wait till I catch them.

And then the bass viol became quite friendly. He smiled at the little girl and said. What's your name. And where do you live. Why. My name's Alice. And I live in the city. How did you get here. Alice hesitated. Well. I'm not quite sure. You see I was it is symphony concert. There is one under the gun. That was. Used. And. Something funny happened. And I was. The bass viol smiled.

Understandingly. Lots of people come to Philadelphia that's where news. Is the spirit down here. Philadelphia it'll Adelphia home of the fiddles and the Capital Radio. Oh my tentative live here. Byron in. The old US of channel. And my brother. The overall baseline. Can I see them. Well. I think so. Come along. And we'll go look for them. Ellison the bass viol soon arrived at a handsome building. The turned out to be a concert hall.

And there on the stage were four fiddles one about half the size of the bass viol and the others much smaller. They all went to the back of the stage where each fiddle opened a cupboard and let out a man dressed in a tail coat in striped trousers. Alice was shocked. To see me keeping human beings in those horrid little closets. The bass viol chuckled. Not human beings. Little Me musicians. You see in your country fiddlers have to have fiddles to play on it in Adelphia. We have to have videos to play on us. That's fat enough isn't it. I see. The bass viol chuckled again. But it is now. Oh if it lives out in July then just dummies so you needn't

worry about them. Now we'd better go and speak to the string quartets. The bass viol and Alice up to the group of instruments and introduced her to the first violin at is. This is Miss just about everybody. The first violin bowed and said in his beautiful Italian voice. This is our second violin Mr Klotz. He's John A. And it is just a guy I don't know how do you.

Know. And last but not least I would shadow Mr Ahmadi. Now you boys go ahead without a hassle. We have some other calls to make. See you later. I mean really where are we going now that we're leaving

Philadelphia. First visit the woodwind instrument. They live in plentiful. Supply move cry do they cry. It's named for the Greek god man who is supposed to have invented the first wind if you made it out of body. And to this very day the woodwind instruments except the flute Haverty to their mouthpiece. But you had to be out of the pen up at this town hall and say it sounds as if the whole villages here was hand. In. Hand. My goodness. What a funny sound. Was that. Were true of those people. Let's pause sexy of a saxophone and those other folks all the citizens of panel Bullis. And. God.

Man. Why the fussing. Oh he keeps pestering them for membership in the family. But since he's more grass than wood when they won't let him in but if he's brands. Why doesn't he join the brass band. Old they will have it because he has already come out. He was sexy. He's an instrument without a city has to live in the woods all by himself. That's why he had such a husky voice. But let's listen in to his because. I still don't understand what it's all. The saxophone doesn't seem

so bad to me. OSX is not bad. What do you specializes in jazz. Only. The pickerel was going to speak. He's the flute little brother you know enough. Why does the saxophone keep interrupting these things to make them all mad. It always seems to happen but when. He tries to audition and they get angry. However he ople all ways can calm them down a. Please feel to decide about the sex.

Not exactly. He's just naturally sad. But he's happier than his cousin the English walnut that just listen to him. Sax it just never will learn to behave himself at a public meeting and consequently he doesn't have any friends. Maybe the clout of nets will have a good word to say for him. Just then. Brain looking instrument look at next to your children will. Still.

Apply. Only nothing Sakhalin the one that made the resemblance just striking. That's the basic plot in it. And the world of deep bass voice here. Not the behavior. I never give my credit. Well that depends on the composer. The bass clarinet is. Just happy. Person. And the. Saxophonist sitting there in the corner. Maybe he'll get cheered up if he listens to this. This is the best suit he's not really a serious fellow though. He can be quite a dick comic when he feels like it.

Actually we're going to run out. The price saxophone night out. I think he's nice and I'd like to tell him. Where is your chance. Beauty comes now looking as if he'd lost his last breath. I'm sorry they won't let you join the wood when

I do. You. Really. Please do. At last the customer. Hit one. How. Can they really have him her or her looking human sixth grade not a.. We have to go through if we're going to get a president in time for the band concert in the park. President Obama

it's where the brass instruments live naturally the fiddles and even a bit of Adelphia that would mean living with an openness and to have us living a faith that's right my idea and we're here just in time because the president citizens about to do some stunts. Go the trumpets. Watch them. Now the bench holder. Now the problems in the Cuba. Now look at this as the brassy Dale band is going to play while the entire percussion section passes in review with a snare drum and a bass drum leading the procession.

And next comes the kettle drums with a triangle right behind. And now the tambourine on the Casta neck. Now there's the xylophone that is what seems right. And here's one you'll like the chilliest.

San Diego the city. And now the gong. It does sound kind of scary. Like the next one. Let's try. Me I didn't know it was so late. You have to be getting home. At first you must make the hard back.

Sometimes you're more likely to find him in Philadelphia on and off but he happens to be here today. Look where he is now. This is. An in a twinkling of an eye Alice found herself back in the concert hall in her own country. The orchestra was still playing but somehow the music's different. The only instrument seemed to be talking to her and it had a familiar friendly. The Piccolo even when.

Alice gave a great big sigh and said to her mother well you're awake. I wasn't asleep. I just had them. Her mother smiled. It must have been a pleasant dream. It was real. I want to go. Very well you were right. Perhaps tonight when you go to speak when we come to the concert again. Alice didn't say anything. She just thought. This is everything. Alice knew better. She knew or that orchestrates was real

and that she could go back there. Whenever she like. You just heard Allison orchestrated with music by Don Gillis and script by Ernest the prod. Jean Hamilton was the narrator in this recording by the orchestral a calmer of Rome with the composer conducting next week we'll turn our attention again to music written for band as we play it. Colonel Chester A Whiting's premier performance of the land of wheat with the United States Army field band. For those of you who have been gracious enough to write much thanks and in answer to requests for future broadcast materials let me take a moment here to list a few. Week after next we'll hear a symphony commissioned by Texas Christian University on the occasion of its

70th anniversary. The Seventh Symphony title song of a prairie school. And the following program will consist of two school hours. First to work for string orchestra called Strictly for strands and my Symphony Number 8 subtitled A dance symphony. Well time's up just enough of it left to say that this series is produced by the national educational radio network by Riverdale productions under the technical supervision of John Corbett. Until next week this is done goes saying thank you. This is the national educational radio network.