The 2024 Meyer Music Honors Orchestra
Director Bio
Susan Gould, Retired Orchestra & Band Director
Susan Gould was the band and orchestra director at Greenville High School for 30 years until her retirement in May of 2021. She received her BME from Michigan State University and her Master of Music Degree from Western Michigan University. She is an active adjudicator for MSBOA district and state level solo and ensemble, band, orchestra, and marching festivals, and has been the guest conductor for several honors bands and orchestras. During her career, Susan taught the three high school concert bands, marching band, and orchestra, as well as jazz band, beginning strings, 8th grade strings and beginning band. She has also served as adjunct orchestra faculty at Aquinas College.
Career honors include being named the 2022 MSBOA Teacher of the Year for Band and the 2012 MSBOA Teacher of the Year for Orchestra, making her one of only two educators to be awarded the honor for both disciplines. In 2021 Susan received the John P. Varineau Outstanding Educator Award, sponsored by the Grand Rapids Symphony, and In 2018 Susan was the Greenville School Bell Award recipient (outstanding district employee).
Susan is currently a full time educational representative and clinician for Meyer Music. She and her husband Bob have been married for 31 years, and have two amazing children.
Program Notes
The New World Symphony, Opus 95- Fourth Movement…Anton Dvorak, edited by Veron Leidig
This symphony was written in 1893 after the composer spent a significant amount of time in America… Spillville, Iowa to be exact. The music of the American Negro community left a great impression, and inspired him to write his own thematic, spiritual material. The fourth movement of this symphony is perhaps his best known work. Originally published as his fifth symphony, but later on other unpublished works of his were discovered and re-numbering was in order. In the modern era, this is known as his ninth symphony.
The Pirates of the Carribbean….Klaus Badelt, arr. by Ted Ricketts
Composed in 2003 for the Walt Disney blockbuster film series by the same name. This arrangement captures many of the main themes of the film including Fog Bound, The Medallion Calls, To the Pirates Cave, The Black Pearl, One Last Shot, and He’s a Pirate. This arrangement is edited just enough to give musicians an opportunity to perform this incredible score with confidence and pride.
Russian Sailor’s Dance….Reinhold Gliere, arr. by Merle Isaac
From the ballet “The Red Poppy” which premiered in June of 1927 by the Bolshoi Ballet. The dance is perhaps the most famous piece from the three act ballet, depicting traditional dance choreography executed on a ship sailing the unstable high seas.
She Will Hang the Night with Stars….William Hofeldt
This piece was written in 2016 and the title is taken from the poetry of Oscar Wilde entitled De Profundis, written while he was imprisoned in 1897. The music is dedicated to the orchestra program in Marquette, Michigan, Janis Shier Peterson, Director. An excerpt of the poem reads, “She (Nature) will hang the night with stars so that I may walk abroad in the darkness without stumbling, and send the wind over my footprints so that none may track me to my hurt: she will cleanse me in great waters, and with bitter herbs make me whole.”
Folk Tune and Fiddle Dance….Percy Fletcher
This is a two movement suite highlighting English folk music. The first movement is has multiple sections varying in style and meter, and the second is just pure, joyful, energetic fiddle music!
A Gaelic Overture….David O’Fallon
Based on the old hymn tune “St. Patrick’s Breastplate” and the modal tune of an old Irish jig. These two ideas are beautifully woven together to show both the solemn and exuberant styles of the Irish Character.