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BOLIVAR, Mo. 鈥� The 91吃瓜网 Division of Arts and Humanities presents the Wind Symphony and University Band in concert at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 18 in Pike Auditorium on the Bolivar campus.
The program is free and open to the public.
The Wind Symphony鈥檚 performance will feature compositions spanning more than a century of wind band literature. The vibrant 鈥淎merican Overture鈥� opens the concert with melodies reminiscent of early folk tunes. 鈥淯ntil the Scars鈥� is an unsettling piece adapted from a larger work by John Mackey, depicting Homer鈥檚 鈥淥dyssey.鈥�
鈥淕race Before Sleep鈥� is a lush instrumental adaptation of a choral work by local composer Susan LaBarr. The setting of Percy Grainger鈥檚 鈥淐hildren鈥檚 March鈥� is whimsical and child-like. Johan de Meij鈥檚 award-winning 鈥淪ymphony No. 1 Lord of the Rings鈥� portrays J. R. R. Tolkien characters from Middle Earth through musical motives. The Wind Symphony brings their portion of the concert to a close with Rossano Galante鈥檚 thrilling 鈥淩ise of the Silver City.鈥�
The program for the University Band will include some of the best-known compositions in the wind band repertoire, beginning with Frank Erickson鈥檚 鈥淭occata for Band,鈥� a piece found in almost every band program鈥檚 collection of music. 鈥淵e Banks and Braes o Bonnie Doon鈥� is another classic folk music adaptation by Percy Grainger, while Frank Ticheli鈥檚 masterpiece 鈥淎bracadabra鈥� is becoming a local favorite among SBU and Bolivar High School students.
Also on the University Band program is the English folk suite style of 鈥淭hree Ayres from Gloucester,鈥� a gem of the concert band world penned by Hugh Stewart. 鈥淥n a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss鈥� is a beloved piece by Missouri native David Holsinger, featuring the melody from the hymn 鈥淚t Is Well With My Soul.鈥� Douglas Wagner completed the unfinished 鈥淭he Golden Vanity鈥� march by Ralph Vaughan Williams adding classic folk tunes to pay tribute to the master. Wrapping up the evening鈥檚 performance will be a flex band arrangement of classic Americana in Clare Grundman鈥檚 鈥淜entucky 1800.鈥�
For more information, please contact Jared Brown at jrbrown@SBUniv.edu, or the SBU music office at (417) 328-1644.
*Published: 11-15-2021