“To Rhode Island, with Love” Part 2.
On January 11, 2025, our Gilded Age Orchestra of Newport presented a program of music composed by Ambassador J. William Middendorf II at the Historic Park Theatre, in Cranston, Rhode Island.
We recently wrote about the first half of the program here.
In this post, we are going to explore music from the second half of the program with commentary from conductors Dr. Christopher Brellochs and Dr. Mark Stickney. We end the post with a special video clip from the performance.
The Battle of Midway March
"This march was written in 1992 for the 50th anniversary of a major naval battle that occurred June 4-7, 1942 - six months after Pearl Harbor. The Japanese attempted an ambush, but U.S. cryptographers cracked the code so they knew what was being planned. Ambassador Middendorf asked me whether I thought having an instrument in the orchestra play a single note that is echoed by another instrument to symbolize the radio silence the U.S. Navy had to maintain, would work musically – it did, so we performed it with that evocative introduction."
C. Brellochs
Battle of Midway March excerpt
“The Lion and the Rose”
Rokhasanneh’s Conversion Aria from Act 1
"The Gilded Age Orchestra of Newport routinely performs unpublished music, so I wasn’t surprised to receive a handwritten score for “King Richard, the Lion Hearted.” As part of our mission not only do we perform rarely heard music for audiences, but sometimes we enter it into modern music notation software so that other musicians can also perform these forgotten gems. Mark Stickney handled the modern notation, but we both took notes during rehearsals and then compared our new modern score with the handwritten full score, the vocal score (just voice and piano), and the original parts to make sure we had all the right notes and a definitive version for the future. I have a newfound respect for music publishing companies who make sure everything is just right for conductors and performers."
C. Brellochs
The aria tells the story of Rokhasanneh’s struggle to convert from Islam to Christianity; at one point she sings:
“From this time I shall no longer rest, Till I have found this gentle God, of which the stranger sang…How, how shall I betray my King? I owe him all my life and love…All I possess comes but from him…I know no other Lord!”
Aria Excerpt featuring
Soprano Sarah Yanovitch Vitale
The Medal of Honor March
This march is, “Dedicated to the heroism of Cavalry Trumpeter Calvin P. Titus and the numerous other military musicians awarded the Medal of Honor.” Calvin P. Titus (1879-1966) was the first of an international military force, including American troops, to climb the wall in Peking, China during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. The Boxers were a Chinese group that attempted to expel all foreigners from China, especially Christian missionaries.
"It was wonderful to see how enthusiastic Ambassador Midderndorf was to hear his music at the rehearsal and concert; I was struck by his genuine appreciation of the orchestra, and desire to shake everyone's hand. I saw a glimpse of what made him so effective in his career - a knack to bring people to the table with passion."
C. Brellochs
Medal of Honor March excerpt
Symphony in C Major
”A Holland Symphony”
“The Holland Symphony was composed in 1975 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Queen Juliana’s ascension to the Dutch throne. The Holland Symphony Orchestra played the symphony on national television.
To me, this music brings back memories of my visit to the Netherlands as a child. Ambassador Middendorf captures the spirit of the Dutch people and made me remember the time I spent traveling the country on our family trip. Each movement offers a unique glimpse of the country.
I took time, going part by part to create a score for myself and modern parts. The hours of work doing that helped give me a deeper understanding of the music.”
M. Stickney
Movement 1 “Liberation and Return of the Royal Family” - excerpt
Movement 2 “Waltz of the Windmills” - excerpt
Movement 3 “Zuiderzee” - excerpt
Movement 4 “Clogdance” - excerpt
The J. William Middendorf II March
In 2026, the Arleigh Burke class destroyer “J. William Middendorf II” will be launched. It is currently being built in Bath, ME. We couldn’t think of a better encore for this concert!
J. William Middendorf II March - excerpt
Closing Remarks
We are incredibly grateful to the Ambassador and to Ken Dooley who worked tirelessly to make this program happen.
As we end this blog series on the January musical program, and we look forward to more collaboration between Historic Music of Newport, Ambassador Middendorf, and Ken Dooley, we thought we would end with this quote from the Ambassador read by Ken.
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