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Georgetown band to play Holsinger
Noted composer's premiere
incorporates
By Rich Copley rcopley@herald-leader.com
David Holsinger's name might not rank up there with Gershwin
or Copland in the household name department, but mention it to almost anyone in
the world of concert bands, and their eyes light up.
That's why
Because of a prior commitment, the composer, based at
Question: How did you become
interested in composing band music?
Answer: Holsinger offered a portion
of prior writing, recalling playing for a noted band composer in college: ”Two
days before tour, Vaclav Nehlybel walked into our band hall, stepped on the
podium, lifted his arms. ... As I watched that first slashing downbeat of the
baton, I realized I didn't have a clue what his music was all about. I
had absolutely no idea how "personal' music could be. In that one
electrifying instant, I saw brutality, beauty, angst, anguish, joy, triumph,
sorrow, exhilaration, devastation, despair, hope, faith ... all in the eyes of
one man conducting his music. ... At the close of the final tour
concert, I sat in the back of an empty stage and wept. I was overcome by the
transformation I knew was happening in my life. I had now come face to face
with my future. I wanted to be a composer.“
Q: Tell us about Legacy
Music.
A: ”Professor (and Georgetown
Tiger Band director Peter) LaRue asked that the piece contain, not necessarily
be based on, the
”The "spirit' of this composition was found in a
short video on the Georgetown College Web site. ... It is a short and sweet
look in pictures, old and new, of the college as it grew.
”Suddenly I knew that this piece was to be more about the
legacy of the college than about a single tune.
”All I can say about the music is that, in my mind, it is
about the ever-winding path of time blended with fragments of a hymn tune that
eventually becomes the clarion call of the past, the present and the future.“
Q: LaRue says, ”There's not a
band on the planet that hasn't played a piece by Holsinger.“ How does it feel
for your music to have such a presence in the world of band music?
A: ”I'm honored.
”You remember when you were little and you wanted to grow
up to be a firefighter, a policeman or a cowboy? On the day I met Vaclav
Nehlybel, I wanted to grow up and be ... Vaclav Nehlybel! And by God's grace, I
have. I would be remiss not to say that it's been a thrilling ride!
”And what would be a perfect reward? That someone else
decides they want to grow up ... and be David Holsinger. Come on, young
composer! There's room.“