Existing at the intersection of black civil rights and LGBT civil rights, "We Will Know" is an historic, first-of-its-kind original work by composer Omar Thomas which underscores the experiences of LGBT persons in America over the past 90 years while invoking genres of music unique to the black American experience. Each of the four movements plays a specific role in framing the realities of LGBT persons in America. The first movement, "Hymn," is that rallying song - that glue which holds together all significant social movements - which the LGBT movement has been without for all these years. The second movement, "In Memoriam," is a brief elegy that commemorates the lives of those lost and those facing real danger in the face of ignorance and fear. The longest of the movements, "Meditation," provides the listener a safe place for reflection and catharsis. The final movement, "May 9th, 2012," combines the original hymnsong with Charles Albert Tindley's iconic black civil rights song, "We Shall Overcome," to celebrate the day an American president (also our first black president) first publicly supported marriage equality.

I. Hymn

3. III Meditation

4. IV May 9th, 2012

5. Epilogue

As promised, here it is -- the first/title track of my forthcoming album, "I Am" featuring Alex Brown on piano and Brian Landrus on baritone saxophone.

Thank you all again for your patience and continued support!

I AM will be available for purchase on iTunes on January 15, 2013!!!

I Am

“Shenandoah” is one of the most well-known and beloved Americana folk songs. Originally a river song detailing the lives and journeys of fur traders canoeing down the Missouri River, the symbolism of this culturally-significant melody has been expanded to include its geographic namesake – an area of the eastern United States that encompasses West Virginia and a good portion of the western part of Virginia – and various parks, rivers, counties, and academic institutions found within. 

Back in May of 2018, after hearing a really lovely duo arrangement of “Shenandoah” while adjudicating a music competition in Minneapolis, I asked myself, after hearing so many versions of this iconic and historic song, how would I set it differently? I thought about it and thought about it and thought about it, and before I realized it, I had composed and assembled just about all of this arrangement in my head by assigning bass notes to the melody and filling in the harmony in my head afterwards. I would intermittently check myself on the piano to make sure what I was imagining worked, and ended up changing almost nothing at all from what I’d heard in my mind’s ear.

This arrangement recalls the beauty of Shenandoah Valley, not bathed in golden sunlight, but blanketed by low-hanging clouds and experiencing intermittent periods of heavy rainfall (created with a combination of percussion textures, generated both on instruments and from the body). There are a few musical moments where the sun attempts to pierce through the clouds, but ultimately the rains win out. This arrangement of “Shenandoah” is at times mysterious, somewhat ominous, constantly introspective, and deeply soulful.

This work was commissioned by a consortium led by the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble and their conductor Andrea Brown in commemoration of the 110th year of bands at the University of Maryland – celebrating the joys of art and friendship – connecting musicians of the past, present, and future.

The members of the consortium are as follows:

University of Maryland Wind Ensemble – Andrea Brown
Albert Einstein High School Bands – Brendan W. Kelly
Anne Arundel Community College Concert Band – Paul Dembowski
Bishop McNamara High School, Forestville, Maryland – Anthony Conto
Center for Visual & Performing Arts at Suitland High School – Cullen Waller
Kell High School Bands – David Roth
Lassiter High School Band – James Thompson
Michigan State University Concert Band – Arris Golden
Princess Anne High School Bands – John Boyd
Randolph-Macon Ensemble – Brian Coffill
Randolph School Concert Band – Sue Samuels
University of Missouri Symphonic Band – Amy Knopps
Warhill High School Wind Ensemble – David Enloe
In memory of William and Janice Lake, Sr. – Dr. William L. Lake, Jr.

Shenandoah - The UMD Wind Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Andrea Brown

“Of Our New Day Begun” was written to honor nine beautiful souls who lost their lives to a callous act of hatred and domestic terrorism on the evening of June 17, 2015 while worshipping in their beloved sanctuary, the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (affectionately referred to as “Mother Emanuel”) in Charleston, South Carolina. My greatest challenge in creating this work was walking the line between reverence for the victims and their families, and honoring my strong, bitter feelings towards both the perpetrator and the segments of our society that continue to create people like him. I realized that the most powerful musical expression I could offer incorporated elements from both sides of that line - embracing my pain and anger while being moved by the displays of grace and forgiveness demonstrated by the victims’ families. 

Historically, black Americans have, in great number, turned to the church to find refuge and grounding in the most trying of times. Thus, the musical themes and ideas for “Of Our New Day Begun” are rooted in the Black American church tradition. The piece is anchored by James and John Johnson’s time-honored song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (known endearingly as the “Negro National Anthem”), and peppered with blues harmonies and melodies. Singing, stomping, and clapping are also prominent features of this work, as they have always been a mainstay of black music traditions, and the inclusion of the tambourine in these sections is a direct nod to black worship services.

“Of Our New Day Begun” begins with a unison statement of a melodic cell from “Lift Every Voice….” before suddenly giving way to ghostly, bluesy chords in the horns and bassoons. This section moves to a dolorous and bitter dirge presentation of the anthem in irregularly shifting 12/8 and 6/8 meter, which grows in intensity as it offers fleeting glimmers of hope and relief answered by cries of blues-inspired licks. A maddening, ostinato-driven section representing a frustration and weariness that words cannot, grows into a group singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” fueled by the stomping and clapping reminiscent of the black church. 

In the latter half of the piece the music turns hopeful, settling into 9/8 time and modulating up a step during its ascent to a glorious statement of the final lines of “Lift Every Voice….” in 4/4, honoring the powerful display of humanity set forth by the families of the victims. There is a long and emotional decrescendo that lands on a pensive and cathartic gospel-inspired hymnsong. Returning to 9/8 time, the piece comes to rest on a unison F that grows from a very distant hum to a thunderous roar, driven forward by march-like stomping to represent the ceaseless marching of black Americans towards equality.

This work was commissioned by a consortium of 38 ensembles nationwide led by Dr. Gary Schallert & Dr. Jeff Bright of Western Kentucky University. It was premiered by the Western Kentucky University Wind Ensemble at the 2016 CBDNA Southern Conference in Charleston, South Carolina on February 20, 2016.

Of Our New Day Begun - The UT Austin Wind Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Lance Sample

The end of the 60s into and through the 70s saw the era of the “blaxploitation” film – a genre of filmmaking aimed at African-American audiences which put us in leading roles of stories that often followed anti-establishment plots. These films were often controversial due to their exaggerated bravado, hypersexuality, and violence. Noticing the lucrative potential of blaxploitation films, Hollywood began to market these films to a wider audience. Though low budget, they possessed an exciting, raw, soulful quality unlike any other genre up until that time, and from these films were born some of the most iconic characters  (Shaft, Dolemite, Foxy Brown, and Cleopatra Jones, to name a few) and soundtracks ever created, written by some of the biggest names in African-American popular folk music of the day and since, including Issac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye.

“The Low-Down Brown Get-Down” is the soundtrack for a nonexistent blaxploitation film. It pulls from various sounds and styles of African-American folk music, such as funk, R&B, soul, early hip hop, the blues, and even film noir to stitch together its “scenes.” The title pulls from and is inspired by “post-jive” African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). The word “Brown” in the title, in addition to its reference to none other than the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, whose most-famous licks and bass lines pepper the intro and recur throughout the piece, also refers to the melanin of the people who created these sounds.

This piece unapologetically struts, bops, grooves, slides, shimmies, head bangs, and soul claps its way straight through its thrilling “chase scene” finale. It was my intention with the creation of this piece to go full steam ahead on bringing African-American folk music to the concert stage to take its place amongst all other types of folk music that have found a comfortable home in this arena. May this work push back against notions of “sophistication,” “appropriateness,” and “respectability” that have been codified in the concert music setting for a century and more.

This work was commissioned by a consortium led by the Purdue University Fort Wayne School of Music Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Dr. Daniel Tembras, Director.

The members of the consortium are as follows:

University of Kentucky – Dr. John Cody Birdwell, Director of Bands
University of South Carolina – Dr. Cormac Cannon, Director of Bands
University of North Carolina Greensboro – Dr. Kevin Geraldi, Director of Instrumental Studies
University of Georgia – Dr. Cynthia Johnston Turner, Director of Bands
University of Texas at Austin – Prof. Jerry Junkin, Director of Bands
University of Oregon – Dr. Dennis Llinás, Director of Bands
University of Minnesota – Dr. Emily Threinen, Director of Bands

The Low-Down Brown Get-Down [MIDI]

Come Sunday is a two-movement tribute to the Hammond organ’s central role in black worship services. The first movement, Testimony, follows the Hammond organ as it readies the congregation’s hearts, minds, and spirits to receive The Word via a magical union of Bach, blues, jazz, and R&B. The second movement, Shout!, is a virtuosic celebration - the frenzied and joyous climactic moments when The Spirit has taken over the service. 

The title is a direct nod to Duke Ellington, who held an inspired love for classical music and allowed it to influence his own work in a multitude of ways. To all the black musicians in wind ensemble who were given opportunity after opportunity to celebrate everyone else’s music but our own - I see you and I am you. This one’s for the culture!

This work was commissioned by a consortium led by The Illinois State University Wind Symphony, Dr. Anthony Marinello, conductor.

The members of the consortium are as follows:

Ball State University – Tom Caneva, Director of Bands
Baylor University – Eric Wilson, Director of Bands
Clemson University – Mark Spede, Director of Bands
Columbus State University – Jamie Nix, Director of Bands
The Dallas Winds – Jerry Junkin, Music Director
James Madison University – Anthony Marinello, Director of Bands
Loyola University New Orleans – Serena Weren, Director of Bands
Michigan State University – Kevin Sedatole, Director of Bands
University of Florida – Jay Watkins, Associate Director of Bands
University of Illinois – Steve Peterson, Director of Bands
University of Miami – Robert Carnochan, Director of Wind Ensemble Activities
University of Michigan – Courtney Snyder, Associate Director of Bands
University of South Carolina – Cormac Cannon, Associate Director of Bands
University of Texas at Austin – Jerry Junkin, Director of Bands
Western Kentucky University – Gary Schallert, Director of Bands
Western Michigan University – Scott Boerma, Director of Bands

2020 TMEA

Come Sunday - Baylor University Wind Ensemble (TMEA 2020), Dr. Eric Wilson

"Montague Crest" is a musical statement on the aristocratic
family that is the Montagues. It imagines sunrise over their
sprawling villa, followed by stately, classical fanfares and
harmonies as the family tends to their daily tasks. The piece
transitions from a case study of the Montague family to a
look at Romeo himself; he is not referenced directly until
more than halfway through the piece. Though there are
small moments at the very end of the piece that
foreshadow the tragedy to come, the music itself carries
an air of nobility, charm, and optimism (almost foolishly so) -
all traits that can be directly applied to Romeo himself.
"Montague Crest" was commissioned by Dana Landry and
the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Lab Band I. It is the
second movement of the "Romeo and Juliet Project" Suite.
It is recorded on the “Romeo and Juliet Project” CD.

The Romeo & Juliet Project

Montague Crest - The UNC Jazz Lab Band I

This piece is a celebration of the bravery of trans women, and in particular, Marsha "Pay It No Mind" Johnson. Marsha is credited with being one of the instigators of the famous Stonewall uprising of June 28,1969 – one of the pivotal events of the LGBTQ liberation movement of the 20th century – which is commemorated annually during the worldwide Gay Pride celebrations.

Existing as a trans woman, especially a trans woman of color, and daring to live authentically, creating space for oneself in a transphobic world is one of the bravest acts I can imagine. Over 20 trans women were murdered in the United States in 2018 alone. There is no demographic more deserving, and frankly, long overdue for highlighted heroism and bravery. The disco vibe in the latter half is meant to honor a sacred space held amongst LGBTQ persons – a space to love, live, mourn, heal, strategize, connect, and dance in defiance of those outside forces who would seek to do LGBTQ persons harm simply for daring to exist and take up space.

We pump our fists to honor the life, heroism, activism, and bravery of Marsha P. Johnson, to honor the legacy of the Stonewall revolution, to honor the memory of the trans lives violently ended due to fear and hatred, and in honor of trans women worldwide who continue to exist unapologetically and who demand to be seen.

This work was commissioned by the Desert Winds Freedom Band, Dean McDowell, Director, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
and honoring Marsha P. Johnson

A Mother of A Revolution!

A Mother of A Revolution! - Frost Symphonic Winds, Dr. Tina DiMeglio

Composer/Arranger/Educator. Assistant Professor of Composition at The University of Texas at Austin.

Omar Thomas

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