Brian Boru's March - Arr. McKennon

Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville - A Winter’s Eve- December 9, 2018 Terry Concert Hall, Jacksonville University

Conductor Marguerite Bradford Richardson
https://civicorchestrajax.org

Brian Boru’s March
Arranged by Anne McKennon
(B.1969) World Premiere

Drop by a pub and, if you’re lucky, you might catch a “session”—an informal performance of traditional Irish, Scottish or English tunes by folks gathered in a circle, playing instruments such a fiddle, flute, accordion, Uillean pipes, banjo, tin whistle, guitar, bass, or bodhrán (traditional Irish drum) for their own enjoyment while customers eat, drink, and converse. The tunes themselves are simple in structure. Most are A-B-A (main theme; a contrasting theme; back to the main theme). The custom is to repeat a tune many times. As players join in or drop out. The timbre and intensity of the music changes.
In her symphonic setting of a typical pub-session tune, Brian Boru’s March, Anne McKennon—herself a session musician—brings the entire Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville into the pub, as it were! The opening oboe solo evokes a bagpipe. Groups of instruments take a turn with the melody. WIth each new layer of sound, excitement builds. McKennon’s composition has three interlocking movements. Percussion instruments signal the transition from one to the next. The mood shifts; the meter changes; but the tune remains constant throughout.

The Tune is named for a charismatic figure born in the middle of the tenth century who reigned as High King of Ireland from 1002 until his death in 1014. He is considered the founder of the O’Brien clan. His glory is acknowledged in late-20th-century pop culture: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character “Mils O’Brien” is said to be descendant of his. Let your imagination soar and your toe tap as you listen to the premiere of McKennon’s symphonic depiction of three vignettes in the life of this great Irish leader of yore.

Program Notes
Lucinda Mosher, Th. D.