WILDERWORLD

All music and words by Alec Wilder unless otherwise indicated

Octets introduced by Mike McGinnis and played by the Four Bags

Such a Tender Night
Dance Man Buys a Farm
Little Girl Grows Up
Jack, This is My Husband

The Four Bags are Brian Drye trombone, Jacob Garchik accordion, Sean Moran guitar and Mike McGinnis clarinet

Popular songs by Hilary Kole piano and vocal with Gene Bertoncini guitar

While We're Young with Morty Palitz, words by Bill Engvick
Blackberry Winter words by Loonis McGlohon
The Lady Sings the Blues words by Engvick
Moon and Sand with Palitz words by Engvick
Such a Lonely Girl Am I
A Child is Born music by Thad Jones
I'll Be Around

Thanks to David Litofsky for the recording of Part 2

Pictured is the cover of Philip Lambert's outstanding book on the music of Alec Wilder, published in 2013 by University of Illinois Press. Buy a copy or two!

New York City April 14, 2013

Honorary Host and piano Aaron Gandy

All music by Alec Wilder and words by William Engvick, except as noted

Mimosa and Me
Song from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart), music by Georges Auric
I See It Now
So Long to All That, from the unproduced musical Chance of a Ghost
'Tain't a Fit Night Out
The Long Way
Walking Home in Spring
It's a Fine Day for Walkin' Country Style

Singers include Juliette Trafton, Dewey Caddell, Merrill Grant, Chris Ware and Aaron Gandy, Dennis Michael Keefe upright bass

Vocalise #1 (1971), Small Suite (1960), Answer to a Poem (1979), Air for Flute (1945)

Paul Lustig Dunkel, flute, Barbara Lee, piano

Bill Engvick delivered this speech at the annual Alec Wilder Concert in New York on April 22, 2001

While We're Young performed by Melinda Dillon from the soundtrack to Staying Together, a Hemdale film, 1989

Pictured are Engvick and Wilder in Stony Point, NY, March 1952
Photo by Fran Miller

Happy Birthday Alec Wilder, who was born 106 years ago on February 16

Be sure to attend the 28th Annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert on April 14, 2013 at 120 W. 69th Street, New York, at 3 p.m. Among those performing will be Hilary Kole, Aaron Gandy and the Four Bags. A Tribute to William Engvick is planned. See you there!

Words by Bill Engvick, Music by Alec Wilder

Performed by Mabel Mercer with Buddy Barnes, piano

From An Evening with Mabel Mercer and Bobby Short, broadcast on PBS Television December 1972

Thank you Mark Walter

See also wilderworld 68

Words by William Engvick (pictured), Music and Orchestration by Alec Wilder

Performed by Eileen Farrell with Mitch Miller conducting the CBS Symphony, August 29, 1946

My love took wings and flew away
In the morning
In the morning
Said "I'll be back on Saturday
In the morning"
He wore his suit with wings of gold
In the morning
In the morning
And three big coats for up there it's cold
In the morning
He made a joke like he always did
In the morning
In the morning
He kissed me and said "So long kid!"
In the morning
He took the stick and off he went
In the morning
In the morning
Looked as if he were heaven bent
In the morning
I thought I never saw the sky
In the morning
In the morning
Look so far and blue and high
In the morning

I went back to the house on Dover Street
In the morning
In the morning
And thoughts of him came sad and sweet:
Wore his suit with wings of gold
Three big coats, up there it's cold
Made a joke like he always did
Kissed me and said "So long kid!"
Took the stick and off he went
Looked as if he were heaven bent

Saturday I woke at five
In the morning
In the morning
Felt more dead than I felt alive
In the morning
I went down to the field where nothing grows
In the morning
In the morning
And people were saying "She already knows"
In the morning

I can never lift my eyes again
To see those Saturday skies again
In the morning
In the morning

Written in 1942

Rest in peace my dear friend Bill Engvick, who lived to see 98 years worth of mornings

Sonata No. 3 for Bassoon and Piano in Five Movements, played by Carl Rath, bassoon and Jeongwon Ham, piano

I Like It Here words by Bill Engvick, The Sounds Around the House words by Johnny Mercer, Photographs words by Fran Landesman, The Winter of My Discontent, Moon and Sand words by Engvick, Where Is the One? music by Eddie Finckel words by Alec Wilder, I See It Now words by Engvick, Blackberry Winter with Loonis McGlohon, Summer Is a-Comin' In words by Marshall Barer, I'll Be Around performed by Eric Comstock, vocals and piano, Barbara Fasano, vocals, Gene Bertoncini, guitar and Joe Wilder, trumpet

Pictured: Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wilder at the Concert

New York City April 15, 2012

All words and music by Alec Wilder unless otherwise indicated

Bob Levy introduces Honorary Guest Host Joe Wilder

If Someday Comes Ever Again words by Johnny Mercer, Ellen and Lovers and Losers words by Bill Engvick, arranged by Roger Wesby and performed by The Salvatones

Suite for Piano I Movement 3, Suite for Piano III Movement 3, Hardy Suite Movements 1 and 3, Suite for Piano II Movement 1, Un Deuxieme Essai Movements 1 and 6, Suite for Piano IV Movements 1 and 4, Sonata Fantasy Movements 2 and 4, performed by John Noel Roberts, piano (pictured)

Recording and photos by David Litofsky - Thanks!

All music by Alec Wilder except as indicated

Love Among the Young, Walk Pretty, Night Talk, Blue Fool, It's a Fine Day for Walking Country Style - John Carlson trumpet, John Dirac guitar, Douglas Yates bass clarinet

Photographs (words by Fran Landesman), Whistle Stop (music by Hugh Martin, developed by Alec Wilder), While We're Young (words by William Engvick, music by Alec Wilder and Morty Palitz), I'll Be Around (words and music by Alec Wilder) - Kathleen Landis vocal and piano, Bob Levy trumpet and MC (pictured)

April 10 in New York brought another rich and varied presentation of the extraordinary music of Alec Wilder

Air for Oboe and Strings oboe Rita Mitsel, piano Maria Dessena

When You Are Old (poem by W. B. Yeats), The Moon (Percy Bysshe Shelley), Suddenly (based upon the poem Everyone Sang by Siegfried Sassoon) vocal Carla Wesby, piano Barbara Lee

Sonata No. 1 for Tuba and Piano tuba Michael Salzman, piano Barbara Lee (pictured)
I Moderato
II Allegro
III Andante
IV Allegro

All music by Alec Wilder

Composed by Alec Wilder for a production of the play Pantagleize by Michel de Ghelderode at Jerome Hill's 3rd Annual Festival de Cassis in Cassis, France, August 1966

Performed by the New York Woodwind Quintet: Samuel Baron flute, Ronald Roseman oboe, Ralph Froelich french horn, David Glazer clarinet and Arthur Weisberg bassoon

Alec's notes to Jerome: “I wrote a suite keeping in mind your point of ‘les folies.’ Three of the four movements I and Sam [Baron] feel convey this spirit. The only problem will be the style of drumming in Bamboola’s song. It must be straight jazz. I wrote that song and the Lullaby in high keys in keeping with the indications in the play that both are sung in a high hysterical voice.

"Bamboola’s song is fiendishly difficult for one not familiar with scat singing. However strict adherence to the notes is not essential.

“The Lullaby, since the playwright indicates that Pantagleize should sing it in a high voice, is accompanied in a rather petulantly Poulenc fashion. I have, however, added a Glockenspiel two octaves above the voice so that the singer (actor) won’t have too much difficulty maintaining the melody (which is simple and which later is played simply). The soldier’s song is very simple. I picked a middle baritone range, figuring the average male voice would find it comfortable.

“The percussionist should bring the following instruments: Bass drum, Snare drum, Tenor drum, Glockenspiel, Suspended cymbal (large), A variety of mallets, Triangle. There might be a chime.”

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