Gate City Snapshot

A Journey Back to 1927 Greensboro

Nathan Daughtrey (b. 1975)

Publisher: C. Alan Publications

Date of Publication: 2012
Duration: ca. 3:40

Sarah Wolfe
University Band, Spring 2021
Unit 1: Composer

Dr. Nathan Daughtrey was born in 1975 in North Carolina. Now, he is a recording and

performing artist, composer, and educator. Daughtrey has written over 60 pieces for percussion

ensemble, concert band, orchestra, chamber ensembles, and solo works. He formerly served as a

Visiting Lecturer of Percussion for three years at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro,

teaching applied percussion and conducting their percussion ensemble. He has also served as a

sabbatical replacement at the University of Oklahoma, teaching undergraduate and graduate level

percussion students, while conducting the OU Percussion Orchestra. Daughtrey is currently the

Visiting Lecturer of Percussion and Music Composition at High Point University in North

Carolina. Here he teaches applied lessons, directs the percussion ensemble, and collaborates with

the School of Communication and Department of Dance. He is an active member of the

Percussive Arts Society, serving as a member of the Composition Contest Committee, organizing

events on behalf of the Health and Wellness Committee, and editing the keyboard percussion

articles for Percussive Notes.

Unit 2: Composition

Gate City Snapshot was commissioned by the 2011-2012 Mendenhall Middle School 8th

Grade Band and their director, Brent Davis. This band is located in Greensboro, North Carolina,

which is a major inspiration in this piece. The students began working with Daughtrey to write

the piece while they were in 7th grade, and it was finished in 2012, while they were in 8th grade.

The piece features several sections that reflect a particular mood or setting: “Looking back”,

“The night train”, “Race against time”, “Powerfully”, “With increasing resolve”, and “Safe &

sound”. This piece runs for approximately 3 minutes and 40 seconds.

Unit 3: Historical Perspective

While Daughtrey was working with the Mendenhall Middle School Band to write this

Gate City Snapshot, their initial idea was that they wanted the piece to reflect the extra-musical

idea of trains. Then, they narrowed it down to The Depot, a historical landmark located in

downtown Greensboro, NC. The Depot was built in 1927, and at the time was the largest train

station ever built in North Carolina. This landmark gave Greensboro the nickname the “Gate

City”. Also in 1927, the Carolina Theatre opened in Greensboro. This vaudeville theater was

considered to be the finest of its kind on the east coast. 1927 was near the end of the vaudeville

era, so the Carolina Theatre quickly transitioned into a movie theater, making it the first in the

state to show “talkies”. One of these films was “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson. This film

features the song “Blues Skies” by Irving Berlin, which provides the harmonic foundation for

“Gate City Snapshot”.

Unit 4: Technical Considerations

Gate City Snapshot is in concert G minor, C minor, and G major. There are some

chromatic passing tones. There are no required instruments that are not typically used in the

concert band setting. This includes no uncommon percussion instruments (required percussion

instruments are: snare drum, bass drum, triangle, tambourine, wind chimes, suspended cymbal,

bells, and xylophone). For the most part, the difficulty level of the range is low. The clarinet

parts typically stay either above or below the break, rarely requiring the player to cross the break.

Between measures 42-48, the alto and tenor saxophone parts enter the higher end of the range,

which can be tedious to tune, especially for younger players. This can be addressed by

instructing them to listen to other people who are playing that note and to match their pitch.
Guiding them through the general tuning practices of the saxophone will also help with this

potential issue. The trumpet 1 part plays as high as an F, which may be difficult for a player with

less experience. To help them achieve these higher notes, I can remind them about the proper air

and embouchure required to play in the higher range of the trumpet. The only ornamentation

found in this piece is a trill that starts at m. 91 in the high woodwinds. However, no special or

alternate fingers should need to be used to complete these trills.

There are no specific solo or soli sections, but it is clear that certain lines and sections are

meant to come out of the texture at different times in the piece. For example, the alto saxes and

trumpets have the melody at m. 13, but clarinets introduce a new line of music at m. 21. The alto

saxophones and trumpets join the clarinets with this music at m. 29. There are also several

counter melodic lines that are meant to be heard over the melody at times. For example, in m. 17

the tenor saxophone and horn are meant to come out of the texture with a moving line while the

melodic line is holding a longer note. Aside from those instances, there is typically one major

melodic line happening at a time. The other sections sit underneath this line with rhythmic and

harmonic support. This piece begins and ends in 4/4 time. Throughout the piece, 3/4 and 5/4 time

signatures are utilized. The tempo of this piece has a wide range. The piece begins at 60 bpm,

then changes to 112 bpm at m. 9. This music continues at this tempo until m. 46, when it

accelerandos in m. 48, arriving at 126 bpm. Starting at m. 75, there is a second accelerando that

leads up to m. 79, which should be conducted at 136 bpm. Finally, there is a large ritardando that

leads up to m. 102, taking us back to 60 bpm. An issue that may come up in the faster sections is

that players may rush or drag the tempo. To help the students achieve proper tempo, we can

identify who has the tempo control in those sections, and direct our listening towards that

section.
Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations

As mentioned before, there are several sections notated within the music that are meant to

evoke a certain mood or setting. The sections are ““Looking back”, “The night train”, “Race

against time”, “Powerfully”, “With increasing resolve”, and “Safe & sound”. “Looking back” is

the introduction of the piece, meant to feel like the listener is traveling back in time to 1927

Greensboro. In “The night train” section, nearly every grouping of notes is under a slur marking.

It is meant to be very smooth. The 3/4 sections are meant to have a waltz feel, and could be

conducted in a macro 1 rather than 3. Throughout this section, the dynamics range from

pianissimo to forte.

In the “Race against time” and “Powerfully” sections, there is a stark shift in style and

mood. In these sections, the articulations are much shorter and punctuated. Most notes have a

staccato or accent marking attached to them. The “Race against time” serves as a transition into

the “Powerfully” section, using the same styles and material. In this introductory material, there

are notes of impact that go from piano to forte in the time of two beats. For the most part, this

section is the loudest in the whole piece, ranging from mezzo forte to fortissimo, with the

occasional drop down to piano for moments of impact.

The “With increasing resolve” section is the fastest in the piece, leading up to the climax.

Here, the syncopation is used to build up to a stark drop off at m. 89. The articulations in this

section are largely accents. This section contains the climax at m. 91, the most intense moment

of the piece. The layered impacts create contrast with the sudden drop off that happens five bars

later in m. 95. In m. 95, the articulations become much smoother and the dynamics much softer

(ff dropping to p) in order to transition to the final section. One way that we could address these

sudden dynamic changes and make them effective is by assigning numerical values to them. The
numerical values would be as follows: pp=1, p=2, mp=3, mf=4, f=5, ff=6. Another way to get

students to achieve these dynamic changes is by isolating the dynamics. First, they will play their

softest dynamic possible while still having a good tone. Then, they will play their loudest

dynamic possible while still using a good tone. Finally, we could identify where the middle

dynamic ground is between the two extremes. The section “Safe & sound” mirrors the

introduction with its slurs, chromaticism, and softer dynamics. The piece ends with a large

crescendo (pp to ff) and note of impact.

Unit 6: Musical Elements

Melody

The first melodic line (theme A) begins in m. 13, and is carried by the alto saxes and

trumpets. In this section, there are several counter-melodic elements that are meant to come out

of the texture, such as the horn and tenor sax line in m. 17-18. Then, the melody changes at m.

21 (theme B), being carried by the clarinets alone. However, there are also countermelodies

within this section in the alto saxes and horns. The counter melodic lines should come out of the

texture more when the main melodic lines are holding longer notes. This section can be thought

of as very contrapuntal, where the various lines complement each other. The alto sax, tenor sax,

and horn join the clarinets with the theme B melody at m. 29. At m. 39, we return to the theme A

melody. In this section, the melody is played again by the alto saxes and trumpets, with counter

lines in the horns and tenor saxes.

The style changes at m. 48, and a new melodic line is introduced at m. 56 (theme C) in

the bari sax, trombones, baritones, bassoon, and tubas. At m. 64, the flutes, oboes, clarinets, alto

saxes, tenor saxes, trumpets, and horns take over this melodic line. The style shifts again at m.
79, changing to a fanfare-like trumpet line. This line is fanfare-like in that it is introducing a new

section of music. It is meant to grab the listener’s attention. The melodic line of this section

comes in at m. 83 in the clarinets, alto saxes, tenor saxes, trumpets, horns, bells, and xylophone.

This section builds quickly until a stark drop off at m. 89, but then returns at full force at m. 91.

Here, there are two groups that work together to create the melodic line. The flutes, oboes,

clarinets, bari sax, trumpets, trombones, baritones, bassoon, and percussion give a strong

downbeat, which is responded with an 8th note line in the alto saxes, tenor saxes, trumpets,

horns, and percussion. At the end of this section there is another stark drop off, which is followed

by a short melodic line in the clarinets, alto saxes, tenor saxes, and horns. To end the piece, the

flutes play a chromatic descending line that leads to the final crescendo.

Harmony

In the theme A section (m. 9-20) harmonic support is given in the bass clarinet, bari sax,

trombones, baritones, bassoons, and tubas. Throughout this section, the harmonic line is driven

by longer notes underneath the melody. This changes when theme B comes in at m. 21, with the

low brass and low reeds playing on beats 1 and 3. However, the instrumentation of the

“harmonic support system” stays the same. When the piece returns to theme A at m. 39, the

instrumentation and harmonic line is the same as at m. 13.

At m. 56, the harmonic support instrumentation switches. Since the low brass and low

reeds have the melody in this section, the harmonic motion is driven by the flutes, oboes,

clarinets, alto saxes, tenor saxes, trumpets, and horns. This changes at m. 64, with the original

group (low brass and low reeds) switching back to driving the harmonic motion of the music. At

m. 79, the harmonic motion is largely driven by the trumpets, being that they are the main

section playing, save for a few notes of impact from the rest of the band. At m. 83, the whole
band adds to the harmonic motion of the music. There are two main lines happening here, both

with notes outside of the key signature that help push the music forward. At m. 91, the two major

groups work together to play the melody and drive the harmonic motion of the music. After the

drop off in m. 95, the harmonic motion is driven by the trombones, baritones, bassoon, and tuba

underneath the melodic action happening. Then, all parts resolve in m. 98. To end the piece, the

entire band drones on a I chord underneath the descending flute line, and ends on a unison I

chord crescendo and hit.

Rhythm

At the beginning of this piece, the rhythms are relatively long. The only notes played are

half notes, save for a quarter note line in the bells and xylophone. After the first four bars of

introduction, the notes become slightly more active, using quarter notes and sixteenth note

passing tones to make it to the next goal tone. At m. 9, there is an 8th note ostinato introduced in

the flutes, oboes, clarinets, and timpani that is prevalent throughout all of the theme A material.

To contrast that, the melodic line uses longer notes, using dotted half notes, quarter notes, and

eighth note passing tones. At m. 21, the melodic rhythm becomes much more active, utilizing

more quarter notes, eighth notes, and triplets. The harmonic line’s rhythm also changes to quarter

notes, rather than the longer notes that were utilized prior to this section. Here, the rhythms could

be felt in a larger 1 instead of a smaller 3. The music then returns to the theme A material.

At the mood change at m. 48, there is a big change in the rhythms used as well. All of the

rhythms utilize shorter notes. The eighth note ostinato returns in the high woodwinds and is

passed to the saxophones. When the melody comes in at m. 56, it contrasts with the ostinato by

using longer quarter notes and half notes. Here, the eighth notes should be shorter, and the

melody should be slightly more legato but still punctuated. When the harmonic line changes to
the low brass and low reeds at m. 64, those eighth notes should be played lightly, with more

emphasis on the front end of the note. A potential issue in this section is vertical alignment

between the shorter accompaniment and longer melodic line. To address this, one strategy that

could be used is to “bop” it, meaning that players will play all of their notes as short as possible.

This will help them hear how their rhythms are meant to line up with other sections. Another tool

that could be used here for alignment and tempo control is to have the snare drum play constant

8th notes while the rest of the band is playing. At m. 79, the element of syncopation is added to

the music in the trumpet line. At m. 83, there are two different rhythms happening to build to the

drop off at m. 89. When the band comes back in at m. 91, there are again two main groups of

rhythms that combine to make a composite rhythm. After the drop off in m. 95, the rhythms

become significantly longer again. The piece ends by mirroring the style and rhythm of the

beginning, but this time the half notes are quarter notes. The band ends in unison rhythm,

growing together into a final “stinger” eighth note.

Timbre

The beginning of this piece is very exposed, with only the flutes, oboes, clarinets, and

selected percussion playing. The chromatic line and the ambiguous key signature “transports”

the listener to the past. The rest of the band joins at m. 5, creating a denser texture. The eighth

note ostinato in the high woodwinds is meant to sound like a train, and is constant throughout the

theme A material. This section being called “the night train”, everything is meant to have a sense

of forward motion. Throughout this section, the texture follows the pattern of thinner (m. 13-20),

thicker (m. 21- 38), and then becomes slightly thinner again (m. 39-45). This gives the listener a

sense of tension and release within the phrase structures of the music. In these thinner sections, it

will be important to determine who has the melodic line (alto saxes and trumpets) so that they
can come out over the harmonic support. However, in order for this thinner orchestration to be

effective, it is important that all members play with a supported sound. These sections should be

quieter, but not weaker.

At m. 46, the texture becomes thicker again, building up to a sudden drop off at m. 48. In

this “race against time” section, the rhythms and textures used are meant to create a sense of

urgency and tension in the music. The use of the low brass and low reeds to introduce the theme

C melody gives a powerful presence, a sharp contrast to the high wind melodies previously used

in the piece. At m. 79, the title notated is “with increasing resolve”. This entire section is meant

to build up to the climax of the piece at m. 91. It begins with exposed instrumentation, then

changes to two major groups playing two different melodic and rhythmic lines. These groups use

melody, articulation, and syncopation to create a great build up at m. 91, and shifts to an

immediate drop off at m. 95. At m. 102, the long notes and chromaticism are used again to

“transport” the listener back to the present, ending with a dramatic stinger.

Unit 7: Form and Structure

Measure #: Section: Musical Considerations: Tonal Centers:

m. 1-8 Introduction ● Starts in 4/4 G minor

Looking back ● The key is G minor, but is made (ambiguous)
ambiguous with the use of
chromaticism
● Terraced dynamics (p, mf, f, p)
create a rise and fall, peaking at m. 7
and falling again in m. 8
● Rit. in m. 8
● Fermata can be long but not too long

m. 9-12 Transition ● Time signature changes to 5/4 G minor

The Night Train ● Key is established in G minor
● Relatively quiet (mp, mf)
● Rhythmic ostinatos established in
 clarinet, oboe, flute, and percussion

m. 13-20 Theme A ● Rhythmic ostinatos continue in G minor

clarinet, oboe, flute, and percussion
● Theme A introduced in alto sax and
trumpet
● Harmonic motion driven by low
brass/low reeds

m. 21-28 Theme B ● Changes to 3/4 time G minor

● Clarinet introduces new melodic
material
● New rhythmic ostinato in flute,
oboe, and percussion
● Bassline changes from primarily half
notes to separated quarter notes

m. 29-38 Theme B ● Restatement of theme B G minor

● Melody in clarinet, alto sax, tenor
sax, and horn
● Counter melody introduced in flute,
oboe, and trumpet

m. 39-47 Theme A ● Changes back to 5/4 time G minor

● Return to theme A
● Relatively quiet (p, mp)
● 3/4 time at m. 46
● Accelerando and dynamic build into
m. 48

m. 48-55 Transition ● 8th note hits, quick crescendos (p, f) C minor

Race Against ● Passing 8th notes, begins in flute,
Time oboe, clarinet, passed to alto/tenor
sax, horn
● Accents pattern considerations

m. 56-63 Theme C ● Continued passing 8th notes C minor

Powerfully ● Theme C introduced in bari sax,
trombone, baritone, bassoon, and
tuba
● Accents and staccatos

m. 64-71 Theme C ● Restatement of theme C C minor

● Melody in flute, oboe, clarinet, alto
sax, tenor sax, trumpet, and horn
● Articulated hits in low brass/low
reeds
 m. 72-78 Theme C and ● Restatement of theme C material C minor
transition ● Accelerando at m. 75
● Large crescendo (p to mf to ff)

m. 79-90 Building ● Opens with trumpet “fanfare” C minor

With Increasing material
Resolve ● 8th note hits throughout whole band
(m. 81)
● Layered parts leading up to drop off
at m. 89
● Crescendo mf to ff

m. 91-94 Climax ● Trills in flute, oboe, clarinet C minor

● Whole band ff
● Very loud and big for these four bars

m. 95-102 Drop off ● Immediate drop off in m. 95 G minor

● mp and p
● Only people playing for this bar are
percussion
● Exposed parts (clarinet, bass
clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax,
horn, trombone, baritone, bassoon,
tuba)

m. 102-107 Resolution ● Recall of introductory material G major

Safe & Sound ● Ambiguous key (ambiguous)
● Chromaticism
● BIG crescendo (pp to ff) last three
bars
● Last note should be dampened in
percussion

Unit 8: Suggested Listening

Other works by Daughtrey: Works by other composers:

Appalachian Air (2003) Blue Skies (1927)- Irving Berlin
Apollo’s Chariot (2006) Old Churches (2003)- Michael Colgrass
Downtown Dash (2009) Portrait of a Clown (2011)- Frank Ticheli

Reference recording of Gate City Snapshot used:

Gate City Snapshot- Nathan Daughtrey- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu5thtlqVSc
Unit 9: Additional Resources

Crow, Wesley. Unit Study- Gate City Snapshot.

Daughtrey, Nathan. Gate City Snapshot: A Journey Back to 1927 Greensboro. C. Alan

Publications, 2012. Print.

“Gate City Snapshot.” Wind Repertory Project, 30 Aug. 2017,

www.windrep.org/Gate_City_Snapshot.

Haines, Wendy. “GlenOak Concert Band 2016-2017 ‘Gate City Snapshot.’” YouTube, YouTube,

7 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu5thtlqVSc.

“Nathan Daughtrey.” Wind Repertory Project, 12 Sept. 2017,

www.windrep.org/Nathan_Daughtrey.