Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Sharina Smith, Office of Marketing & Communications
BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University Department of Music presents the Wind Symphony in concert on Thursday, November 17, at 7:30 p.m. Works by Schuman, Lauridsen, and Carroll will be performed by the 60-member ensemble. The SBU Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Marc Baker, will also be featured. The free public performance will be held at Pike Auditorium on the Bolivar SBU campus.
“This performance represents a varied library of wind band music with something old, something new, something borrowed... and percussion, too!” states Dr. Brian Hopwood, conductor, assistant professor, and director of instrumental studies at SBU.
The concert will open with American composer William Schuman’s ”New England Tryptich”–Three Pieces after William Billings, a work originally written for orchestra in 1956 and transcribed for wind band by the composer. In the words of Schuman, “…these pieces “Be Glad Then, America,” “When Jesus Wept,” and “Chester” do not constitute a fantasy on themes of Billings, or variations on his themes, but rather a fusion of styles and musical language. In contrast, a recent work from Irish composer Fergal Carroll will be performed. “Winter Dances” (2002) was commissioned to mark the opening of an arts venue (The Pyramid) in Warrington, Ireland. It was written to allow performance with dancers, and in order to accommodate this, each of the three movements has its own distinct character.
The titled movements, “November,” “December,” and “January,” represent the winter months in Ireland according to their Celtic calendar. Borrowing from the choral repertoire, H. Robert Reynolds arranged the wind band version of “O Magnum Mysterium” with the approval and appreciation of composer Morten Lauridsen. The composer offers a unique insight on his setting: “For centuries, composers have been inspired by the beautiful “O Magnum Mysterium” text depicting the birth of the newborn King amongst the lowly animals and shepherds. This affirmation of God’s grace to the meek and the adoration of the Blessed Virgin are celebrated in my setting through a quiet song of profound inner joy.”
The concert will open with American composer William Schuman’s ”New England Tryptich”–Three Pieces after William Billings, a work originally written for orchestra in 1956 and transcribed for wind band by the composer. In the words of Schuman, “…these pieces “Be Glad Then, America,” “When Jesus Wept,” and “Chester” do not constitute a fantasy on themes of Billings, or variations on his themes, but rather a fusion of styles and musical language. In contrast, a recent work from Irish composer Fergal Carroll will be performed. “Winter Dances” (2002) was commissioned to mark the opening of an arts venue (The Pyramid) in Warrington, Ireland. It was written to allow performance with dancers, and in order to accommodate this, each of the three movements has its own distinct character.
The titled movements, “November,” “December,” and “January,” represent the winter months in Ireland according to their Celtic calendar. Borrowing from the choral repertoire, H. Robert Reynolds arranged the wind band version of “O Magnum Mysterium” with the approval and appreciation of composer Morten Lauridsen. The composer offers a unique insight on his setting: “For centuries, composers have been inspired by the beautiful “O Magnum Mysterium” text depicting the birth of the newborn King amongst the lowly animals and shepherds. This affirmation of God’s grace to the meek and the adoration of the Blessed Virgin are celebrated in my setting through a quiet song of profound inner joy.”
For more information, please call Dr. Brian K. Hopwood, department of music, at 417-328-1647 or email him at: bhopwood@sbuniv.edu.
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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.
SBU’s Office of Marketing and Communications is available to news media 24 hours a day at (417) 399-7918.
