Denson, Frank

Arranger and composer whose works have been performed by the Empire Brass, the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Meinl’s Tuba Sextet, the Pemigewasset Choral Society, and the Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale.

In 1988, the Empire Brass recorded a Gershwin medley arranged by Frank Denson and Jack Gale. The medley included “Bess, You is My Woman”, “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’”, “It Ain’t Necessarily So”, “My Man’s Gone Now”, and “Summertime”. Frank’s arrangement of “Summertime” and “Dance of the Comedians” from The Bartered Bride appeared on the Empire Brass’s Greatest Hits.

In 1990, his arrangements of “The First Nowell” and “Joy to the World” turned up on the various-artists compilation, A DDD Christmas, and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” were included by the Empire Brass on their album, Joy to the World: Music of Christmas.

He published his “Three Folksongs for Four Brass” in 1991, and they were performed by Meinl’s Tuba Sextet on their 1992 recording, Tuba! Six Tuba Musical Romp.

In 2000, his arrangements of “The Holly and the Ivy”, “In Dulci Jubilo” and “O Tannenbaum” appeared on the CD, Christmas with the Master Chorale & Empire Brass.

On 11^th December 2005, the Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale made its debut at the California Theatre in San Jose with a pair of Frank’s arrangements, “Deck the Halls” and “Good Christian Men Rejoice”.

The Pemigewasset Choral Society commissioned a piece from him entitled “Christmas Everywhere” and they gave its premiere in December 2009. On 9^th December 2010, they performed another work commissioned from Frank for mixed choir, piano four hands, and two trumpets, as part of their Christmas concert, Joy to the World!.

For more of Frank’s arrangements, check out the Empire Brass & Friends’ Make a Joyful Noise or the various-artists compilation, The Music of a Victoria Christmas.

Empire Brass recordings
O Come All Ye Faithful (John Francis Wade/Frederick Oakley)
Arranger – Frank Denson
(CD: The Music of a Victoria Christmas)

Sources:

Denson, Frank

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