The 50-member West Virginia University Wind Symphony, a select group of the finest wind and percussion performers within WVU, will present a concert at the Creative Arts Center, Tuesday, April 15.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Lyell B. Clay Theatre and is a ticketed event. For tickets and information, call (304) 293-SHOW.
The Wind Symphony is conducted by John Hendricks III. He will be joined by Christopher J. Nichter, assistant director of the WVU Marching Band and the WVU Basketball Pep Band, who teaches in the WVU School of Music, and graduate student conductor Chelsea Corrao, who holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from WVU and is currently studying for a master’s degree in applied conducting.
The program will include:
Overture to “Colas Breugnon” by Dmitri Kabalevsky, a brisk, brilliant and high-spirited overture written as the curtain-raiser for Kabalevsky’s opera based on Romain Rolland’s lusty novel of life in Burgundy, France, during the 16th century.
“Echoes and Elegies” by David Williams, a graduate of WVU where he earned degrees in music education, music history, and music composition. He is a music specialist for Kanawha County Schools, conducts the West Virginia Youth Symphony’s wind ensemble, and has been the classical music critic for The Charleston Gazette since 1990.
“Circus Polka” by Igor Stravinsky is a brief, light and charming work that was composed in 1942 for the Ringling Brothers Circus to accompany a ballet of elephants.
“Variants on a Mediaeval Tune” by Norman Dello Joio. “In dulci jubilo” is a melody that has been used by many composers, including J.S. Bach. Dello Joio composed five variations of this mediaeval melody through five true metamorphoses, strongly contrasting in tempo and character.
“A Festival Prelude” by Alfred Reed is a spirited work is built entirely from one main theme and two fanfare-like figures that occur throughout the score. The brasses are separated into three distinct color groups and the woodwind writing centers around the clarinet choir.
“Easter Monday on the White House Lawn” by John Philip Sousa was composed to depict the colorful Easter egg roll that occurs annually in Washington, D.C. on the day after Easter Sunday.
“Shortcut Home” by Dana Wilson is a rousing and rather elaborate fanfare that features each section of the ensemble. Drawing upon various jazz styles, the music proclaims and cascades, always driving towards the final chord.
“The Frozen Cathedral” by John Mackey is an elaborate and sensational new work that depicts the grandeur, glacial construction, and mysterious darkness of one of the tallest mountains in the world – Mount McKinley in Alaska (or as the natives refer to as “Denali,” meaning “the great one”). Unique percussion, harp, and keyboard sounds, along with a bass flute, all contribute to a composition that pays tribute to one of the most awesome spectacles in the world.
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CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu
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