Adding to the minuscule number of Klezmer pieces for concert band, Nonantum Bulgar is the 20th piece published in the BandQuest® series. The title, Nonantum Bulgar, refers to Nonantum, a district in Newton which is home to the city’s oldest synagogue (on the National Register of Historic Places), and bulgar (pronounced ‘bull-ghar’), a type of Klezmer dance. When writing the piece, the composer imagined the dedication of the Adams St. Shul, which took place over one hundred years ago and featured a prominent Boston cantor and choir and a klezmer orchestra leading a “Grand March” down Adams St. This upbeat work is fun to play, features a trumpet solo, and gives every instrument the opportunity to play the melody.
BandQuest®, an exciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band, is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new, fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. Every BandQuest project includes a residency component in which the composer works collaboratively with a middle school as they create their new piece. Many BandQuest pieces are accompanied by an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to assist students as they learn the music and to integrate each piece with non-music studies. Visit www.bandquest.org to learn more about this innovative series, and email bandquest@composersforum.org to request a free downloadable audio catalog.
