Excerpted from "American Poets Inspire this Renaissance Man" by Ernest F. Imhoff, from March 07, 1991 Baltimore Sun:
Elam Sprenkle, was born in 1945 to a family rooted in the Mennonites of southern Pennsylvania. That explains his Biblical first name . . . more difficult is finding the wellspring of his versatility. A teacher of music history, theory and ideas at the Peabody Conservatory and Johns Hopkins University, a choir director, a WBJC-FM radio veteran, and one of Maryland's most prolific, respected and successful composers.
The following is a list of fourteen Elam Sprenkle compositions written for the Annapolis Brass Quintet alone and/or in collaboration with soloists, ensembles, choruses and orchestras for an array of impressive performance venues and occasions. Sprenkle's wonderful music is an impressive brass quintet repertoire for present and future generations of musicians and the general public.
Elam Sprenkle, was born in 1945 to a family rooted in the Mennonites of southern Pennsylvania. That explains his Biblical first name . . . more difficult is finding the wellspring of his versatility. A teacher of music history, theory and ideas at the Peabody Conservatory and Johns Hopkins University, a choir director, a WBJC-FM radio veteran, and one of Maryland's most prolific, respected and successful composers.
The following is a list of fourteen Elam Sprenkle compositions written for the Annapolis Brass Quintet alone and/or in collaboration with soloists, ensembles, choruses and orchestras for an array of impressive performance venues and occasions. Sprenkle's wonderful music is an impressive brass quintet repertoire for present and future generations of musicians and the general public.
- Six Songs (1981) for mezzo-soprano and brass quintet (text by Emily Dickinson) was commissioned for, and premiered and recorded by, mezzo-soprano Elaine Bonazzi and the ABQ.
- A Serenade To Music (1981) for Crescent String Quartet, Annapolis Brass Quintet, Western Wind Vocal Sextet (text by Shakespeare) and premiered in July 1981 for Artpark's 2nd annual Chamber Music Feast.
- Three Sketches on a Southern Hymn Tune (1981) for brass quintet.
- Quaker Bottom (1982) Three Vignettes for brass quintet and orchestra written for and premiered by ABQ & Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and performed in 1984 for broadcast with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra.
- Three Fanfares (1984) for brass quintet (ABQ's fanfare for '87 opening of Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall)
- Diana's Hymns (1987) for chorus, mezzo-soprano, brass quintet & piano (texts by various poets)
- An Aubade (1988) for brass quintet was written for and premiered at 20th International Astronomical Union Ceremonies in Baltimore
- Sister Anne (1988) for vocal sextet and brass quintet (text from James Weldon Johnson's God's Trombones)
- Darius Green and His Flying-Machine (1988) for two choirs, solo soprano, brass quintet, & piano (text by John Townsend Trowbridge)
- Early Music Suite After Susato, Scheidt and Pezel (1984) for brass quintet and orchestra
- The Creation (1990) for chorus, children's choir, mezzo-soprano, brass quintet, piano (text by James Weldon Johnson) and premiered by Columbia Pro Cantare and ABQ March 3, 1990
- Birches (1991) for chorus and brass quintet (text by Robert Frost) premiered by Columbia Pro Cantare and ABQ
- Diversions on a Repeated Sequence (1991) for brass quintet was written for and premiered at the 8th International Congress of Human Genetics Ceremonies in Washington, DC
- Crossing Brooklyn Ferry (1993) for chorus and brass quintet (text by Walt Whitman) and premiered March 28, 1993 by Columbia Pro Cantare: Frances Dawson, Conductor, and Annapolis Brass Quintet: Robert Suggs and David Cran, trumpets; Sharon Tiebert, horn; Wayne Wells, trombone; Robert Posten, bass trombone. The "Interlude" from Sprenkle's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry was the final piece performed by the Annapolis Brass Quintet on their April 1993 Farewell concerts.