ELLISVILLE ā The Ā鶹ֱ²„ Symphonic Band was recently commissioned by retired band director and composer from Gulfport, Greg Fhiaras to record one of his new works called, āTale of the Trolls.ā Fhiaras dedicated the piece to the JC band and the Director of Bands, Dr. Ben Burge, who has decided to debut the music before a live audience at the Spring Band Concert on Tuesday, April 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
āThis is a first ever for the Symphonic or any band at Ā鶹ֱ²„ to be recorded for a music publisher. Itās also the first time anyone has dedicated a piece of music to me!ā Burge explained excitedly.
After rehearsing and recording the music in January, the band enjoyed it so much that Burge recently decided to add it to the concert line up.
āāTale of the Trollsā has a mixed meter, and it has a variety of dynamics with some cool percussion work that we are eager to play for the public,ā shared Burge. āOne day, one of our students will run across this and remember playing this piece. I think thatās just cool!ā
Initially, Fhiaras shelved the Troll piece after his mother became ill, until recently. Stepping out of his comfort zone, Fhiaras, who typically writes for young band students and small groups, realized the āTrollā piece was more complicated when he finished it.
āItās probably the hardest piece I have ever written,ā explained Fhiaras. āWhen I finished, I was amazed I wrote it! It reminded me of crazy dancing and a sad troll, and thatās partly why I named it, āTale of the Trolls.āā
After working 11 of his 27 years in the Ā鶹ֱ²„ district as a band director for Collins, Mt. Olive and Bay Springs, he was familiar with the JC Honor Band Clinics. As a college student, Fhiaras fondly remembers former Ā鶹ֱ²„ band director George Arnold.
āThe Ā鶹ֱ²„ Auditorium was always a great place to play and I remember being amazed at the marching band in 1976, when I played for Gulf Coast Community Collegeās band. George Arnold transformed the band, and we were blown away. I knew George, (and former JC Band Directors) Sammy Barr and David Young, and I also know Dr. Burge is from the Pearl River area. In a way, he inspired the āTrollsā piece,ā said Fhiaras.
The Ā鶹ֱ²„ Symphonic band has also recorded two other pieces for Fhiaras, āHorn Island Marchā and āA Festive Celebration.ā He invited each of three community colleges, Co-Lin, Ā鶹ֱ²„ and Pearl River to record three of his new musical pieces in an effort to promote community college bands. The new tunes by Fhiaras are expected to be published and recorded by the Texas music publishing company, Tux Peopleās Music, in May. For more information about the Ā鶹ֱ²„ band program email ben.burge@jcjc.edu or view the Ā鶹ֱ²„ of the Arts, Music and Performance website at /programs/finearts/
