CHRISTMAS IN THE ROUND….

subtitled A Holiday Prism for Orchestra this work can be presented in a theater-in-the-round format or more traditionally on the concert stage. Following a broad introduction, each family of the orchestra presents an independent carol. Carols in the medley include DECK THE HALLS * THE UKRAINIAN BELL CAROL * JINGLE BELLS * WHAT CHILD IS THIS? * WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS and GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN. Traditional, contemporary, humorous, and stately, each section brings a unique facet to this holiday prism.  

Robert W. Smith Biography

Robert W. Smith is an American composer, arranger, and teacher. He was born in the small town of Daleville , Alabama in 1958. He attended high school in Daleville under the direction of Clifford "Ski" Winter, for whom he would later compose, under commission, Through the Vulcan's Eye. After high school, Smith attended Troy State University , where he played lead trumpet in the Sound of the South Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. John M. Long. While at Troy , he studied composition with Dr. Paul Yoder.

Currently, Smith has over 600 published works, including two symphonies. Symphony No. 1, The Divine Comedy, was inspired by Dante's epic, which Smith studied while at Troy . Symphony No. 2, The Odyssey, was inspired by Homer's epic, which he also studied at Troy .

Among Smith's most highly-acclaimed works is 12 Seconds to the Moon, which depicts man's dream and ultimate reality of conquering flight. In ten minutues of brilliant fanfares, lush chorales, and even a portrayal of the Wright brothers' workshop, the listener is taken from the beginnings of flight up to the rocket age of space travel.

In addition to composing for bands, Smith has enjoyed much success writing for the drum and bugle corps. His first great success came in the mid-1980s while he was writing for the Suncoast Sound, from Clearwater , Florida -- a tenure which included Suncoast's 1985 program, "A Florida Suite," the first completely original musical program ever done by a drum corps. He would later go on to write for Magic of Orlando for several years. He currently writes for the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, of Toledo , Ohio . Around 2002, Robert and his wife Susan L. Smith began to work on a new project. Susan has long wanted to write a fully integrated music curriculum that would begin in elementary school and take students all the way through high school. A design team of several of the best music educators was assembled, and the result was Music Expressions.