Renowned composer raises baton at Hayes

Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, December 01, 2010

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Jim Curnow, a renowned composer who lives in Nicholasville, worked with the seventh- and eighth-grade bands at Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, who will perform two of his pieces in the school's winter concert.

Jim Curnow, a renowned composer who lives in Nicholasville, worked with the seventh- and eighth-grade bands at Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, who will perform two of his pieces in the school's winter concert.

Jim Curnow, a renowned composer who lives in Nicholasville, worked with the seventh- and eighth-grade bands at Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, who will perform two of his pieces in the school's winter concert.The key is knowing the song well enough to keep one eye on the sheet music and one eye on the conductor.Curnow’s music for winds, brass and orchestra figures prominently in concerts by school, amateur and professional ensembles around the world. At Hayes, the seventh-graders mastered his "Christmas Nocturne," and the eighth-graders "The Carolers" for the Dec. 2 performance."Who gets to decide how slow? I do -- it's the power of the baton," Curnow said. The students noticed his subtle motions and nods of direction, too. "We use our imaginations and expression to add to the music," he explained.Curnow, who is friends with band director Lois Wiggins, said it's exciting when students are inspired by their teacher. Joining a school band provides instant peers with common interests, and the required concentration helps with academics, too.After his session with the seventh-graders, several students lined up for autographs. Curnow encouraged the kids to keep up with their music, saying, "It's so much fun, and it's something you can do the rest of your life."Curnow, who estimates he has composed some 800 pieces, finds inspiration in poetry, books and travel.

As band students at Edythe J. Hayes Middle School rehearsed for their winter concert, they paid special attention to the animated man at the podium: internationally known composer James Curnow.

“You’re thinking notes, you’re thinking rhythm. Don’t forget to listen very closely,” he urged the seventh-graders playing his “Christmas Nocturne,” a beautiful setting of the familiar “Silent Night.”

Curnow, a colleague and friend of Hayes band director Lois Wiggins, agreed to help her two older groups refine their efforts and to conduct their performance of his pieces at the Dec. 2 concert. The eighth-graders will play “The Carolers,” a medley of holiday tunes that he wrote a few years ago, about the time they were born.

As Curnow guided the class, he paused to emphasize technical points such as holding flutes level and melding harmonies and counter melodies. He also stressed expressiveness, calling for full-bodied crescendos and “lots of flair, lots of flash” on the trills.

“Trills have to be very fast. A composer uses trills to build excitement!” he explained. “Sit up nice and straight – lots of air, lots of energy. This is an energy piece!”

The attentive eighth-graders soaked in the opportunity to learn from Curnow and easily adjusted to his style. Jordan Graves, who plays flute, noted how most conductors’ motions are similar, though some more exaggerated.

“You have to get used to the changing tempos and dynamics,” added classmate Grace Sehgal, a tuba player.  

Curnow’s music for winds, brass and orchestra figures prominently in concerts by school, amateur and professional ensembles around the world. Perhaps no other living composer in Kentucky has had his music more widely performed and recorded. He estimates he has written some 800 pieces, including the theme song for the flag procession at the 1996 Olympic Games.

Wiggins prepared her students well for working with someone of Curnow’s caliber; their rehearsal etiquette was on point and their musical preparation stellar.

Trumpeter Cassadi Cordea praised her teacher’s diligence.

“She’ll pull the piece apart and work on the small parts that are really important because it makes it sound better,” Cassadi said. “Ms. Wiggins had us practicing a lot to make sure we had every little bit perfect.”

Wiggins agreed her students always need to know their songs well enough so they aren’t fighting the rhythms and notes.

“You’re comfortable enough to keep one eye on the music and one eye on the conductor,” she said. “We train the kids to watch and react to what’s on the podium. That’s the tough part – getting them comfortable with the music so the composer can make it the musical product they intended when they wrote it.”

If you go

Winter concert

Who: Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade bands and the jazz band; composer Jim Curnow will conduct his two selections.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday Dec. 2

Where: Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, 260 Richardson Place

Admission: Free

Contact: Lois Wiggins, band director, (859) 381-4920