Gemeinhardt Suite

From the composer hailed as 'the most exciting talent in today's band world' comes this triumph for solo flute and concert band. Commissioned by the Gemeinhardt Company in celebration of the company's fifty years of building flutes, this three-movement work (Carousel, Telling Stories to the Sea and Ceremony for Flute and Drum) adds an important new offering to the instrument's repertoire. The second movement features the solo voice performing on alto flute and C flute surrounded by exotic, fascinating percussion sounds, all accompanied by a flute choir. The first and third movements feature the soloist with the usual concert band instrumentation in accompaniment. To make the work accessible to several levels of skill, Robert W. Smith includes the original solo part and a simplified version. This work should find its way into every band's library. Colossal! (Flute Soloist - Mary Beth Lewandowski / Taiko Drums courtesy of Rolling Thunder, 21087 Cabot #3, Hayward, CA 94545) (11:27)