ThThe arrangement of this Saraband by Gary Carpenter  for the Schwarzenberg Wind Harmonie Octet  line-up  of 2 Oboes, 2 Cor Anglais, 2 Horns and 2 Bassoons is the first Lonarc Foundation commission and it is dedicated to Joseph Sanders  as a gift from Judy Proctor (Artistic Director of the Lonarc Foundation) as this is a favourtie work of his.
 
Leroy Anderson (1908-1975).  With Jazz Pizzicato for Arthur Fielder’s Boston Pops in 1938, immediately followed by Jazz Legato, Leroy Anderson first established his place as master of light orchestra miniatures, after which his star continued to rise throughout his life, even earning him a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by 1976, a year after his death. 
 
Alongside his prolific and highly regarded compositional work, writing for tv, radio, the stage and concert hall, Anderson was also a keen linguist, studying German and Scandinavian languages at Harvard. It was these language skills which, during World War II, earned him a position in the US army, first in counter-intelligence stationed in Iceland before joining the Military Intelligence Desk at the Pentagon in 1945. Not long after, as a reservist, he saw further service in military intelligence during the Korean War (1950-53). 
 
1948 is the year not only of his most famous composition Sleigh Ride, but also of Saraband which Gary Carpenter has arranged for our octet specially for this evening’s performance. In this delightful and witty piece, Anderson first sets his scene in an 18th century French ballroom, before deftly whisking his dancers off to a New Orleans jazz club and back again. 
 
Enjoy!