Music for moms

North Idaho College will host its annual free Mother's Day Concert at 2 p.m. Sunday in Coeur d'Alene City Park.

With NIC Choral Instructor Max Mendez leading the Chamber Singers and NIC Band Director Terry Jones conducting the Wind Symphony, the Mother's Day Concert typically draws up to 1,000 concert-goers to enjoy music titles picked out to perfectly complement mom's special day.

The concert will open in the traditional manner with the playing of the U.S. national anthem - "The Star-Spangled Banner." This version was arranged by the famous movie soundtrack composer John Williams and was originally performed for the 2004 Rose Bowl. This arrangement stretches out the ending and launches the audience into the rest of the concert.

"Anyone who has lived in North Idaho very long has experienced the ever changing and unpredictable weather we have during the spring," Jones said. "Our next piece, 'The Hounds of Spring' by Alfred Reed is inspired by an ancient Greek tragedy where spring weather is used as a metaphor for young love 'When the hounds of spring are on winter's traces.'"

Community band concerts date back into the 1800s and may have reached its peak in the early 1900s. At the top of the popularity list was John Philip Sousa.

"We will pay tribute to the 'World's March King' by playing Warren Barker's small arrangement 'Sousa!'" Jones said. "Percy Grainger's works are also an important part of band literature. We are going to slow things down for a moment and play one of his most well-known arrangements, 'Irish Tune From County Derry.' This gorgeous arrangement is based on a familiar folk tune known throughout the Celtic world."

Robert Jager composition "Esprit De Corps" is based on the "Marines' Hymn" and speaks to the spirit of the Marines.

"We would like to use this piece to say thank you to all our service men and women and their family for their contributions and dedication to preserving our way of life," Jones said. The Wind Symphony will end its portion of the concert with Samuel Hazo's "...GO," which is a tribute to many composers. Jones said it was Hazo's homage to great composers such as "Ravel, Hindemith and Rodrigo in the opening... Holst and Vaughan Williams in the middle."

The NIC Chamber Singers will then take the stage, opening with "O Meu Maracatu," by Daniel Afonso Jr. This song is based on a folk song from Recife, a city in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The tune is sung during the performance of the "Maracatu," a lively folk celebration that started centuries ago, possibly with its origins in colonial times.

"'That Lonesome Road' and 'Short People' are two popular songs written by James Taylor and Randy Newman, respectively. Each has been arranged by Simon Carrington, one of the original members of the well-known King's Singers," Mendez said. "Carrington's a cappella (no instruments) arrangement of these two songs demonstrate the ability of the human voice to imitate guitar, bass, and many other instruments."

Following that, the singers will perform "At the River" and "Ching-a-Ring Chaw," which are classic American songs arranged by the great American composer Aaron Copland.

"At the River" is a Baptist hymn written by Robert Lowry. It was composed, in Lowry's words: "One afternoon in July, 1864, when I was pastor at Hanson Place Baptist Church, Brooklyn, the weather was oppressively hot, and I was lying on a lounge in a state of physical exhaustion... My imagination began to take itself wings.'"

"Ching-a-Ring Chaw" is an old Minstrel song. The lyric "Ching-a-Ring Chaw" is meant to imitate the sound of a banjo. Copland was drawn to this song because of its upbeat nature and the aforementioned banjo imitation.

Originally composed for solo voice, many of Copland's "Old American Songs" have been arranged for different ensembles. At this year's Mother's Day concert, these two songs will be performed by both the Wind Symphony and the Chamber Singers.

"We will end our program as traditionally as we begun, joining the two groups together and performing 'America, the Beautiful,' to thank all our mothers who are truly part of what makes America beautiful," Jones said.

All of the choral ensembles are under the direction of Mendez. The NIC Chamber Singers group has traveled to Mexico and San Francisco to perform for enthusiastic audiences. Their repertoire spans from early chant to a cappella arrangements of modern songs. Celebrating his 10th year at NIC, Mendez has taken choirs to Mexico City, San Francisco, Seattle and Spokane to perform in concerts and festivals.

The NIC Wind Symphony is a community group with more than 2,000 years of playing experience and is under Jones' direction. The multi-generational group blends high school students, college students and community members into one ensemble to create art. The group is open to the public and meets one day a week during the college school year. The community is invited to join the 40-plus year tradition of the NIC Wind Symphony.