Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0339-715X
Date Available
8-14-2025
Year of Publication
2025
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
College
Fine Arts
Department/School/Program
Music
Faculty
Dr. John Cody Birdwell
Abstract
James David’s Ghosts of the Old Year (2016) is a significant work for wind ensemble which was performed at the American Bandmasters Association Convention in 2019 by the Colorado State University Wind Ensemble under the direction of Rebecca Phillips and at the 2019 Texas Music Educators Association Convention by the North Texas Wind Symphony under the direction of Eugene Migliaro Corporon. The piece was recorded by the North Texas Wind Symphony on the album titled noteworthy. Ghosts of the Old Year has also been performed by such prestigious ensembles as the University of Illinois Wind Orchestra, the University of Florida Wind Symphony, and the Lone Star Wind Orchestra. The second movement of the piece was also performed at the 2023 Midwest Clinic by the Braswell High School Wind Symphony. The piece was runner-up for the 2017 National Band Association William D. Revelli Award.
This dissertation will illustrate the masterful craft and emotional weight of Ghosts of the Old Year. The historical context of the piece and the reference to James Weldon Johnson’s poem of the same title give the piece an added sense of dignity and profundity not often found in contemporary concert band literature. The piece incorporates a hymn tune, Beach Spring; however, this is not merely a setting of a hymn. The intertextuality of Beach Spring accentuates the significance of the subject matter and is masterfully used to create a varied set of aesthetics throughout the work.
After an overview of relevant experiences and influences from the biography of James David, this dissertation will discuss the historical context of the inspiration behind the piece including the aforementioned poem by James Weldon Johnson and will give an overview of racial strife and violence in the South, especially in the early twenty-first century leading up to the inception of this work. The composer’s connection to the hymn tune Beach Spring and a brief explanation of shape note music will also be presented. Following chapters will include a detailed theoretical analysis of both movements of Ghosts of the Old Year, the use of stylistic and strategic intertextuality and allusion, and a conductor’s performance and rehearsal guide.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.303
Recommended Citation
Froedge, Brian P. Dr., "JAMES M. DAVID’S GHOSTS OF THE OLD YEAR: A FORMAL ANALYSIS AND INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE" (2025). Theses and Dissertations--Music. 276.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/music_etds/276
